With just a month left until Diwali, many devotees are busy organizing their festivities and seeking the most auspicious timings and muhurats for the celebrations. The uncertainty stems from the occurrence of two Amavasya days this year, leading to a debate over whether Diwali will be celebrated on October 31 or November 1.
Dhanteras, also known as Dhan-Trayodashi, will mark the first day of the Diwali festival on October 29. If Diwali is observed on November 1, it would extend the festival to six days, adding an extra day to the usual celebration period. This year, ‘Roop Chaturdashi’ (Udaykalin) will be observed on October 31, while the tradition of ‘Deep Daan’ will take place on October 30.
Many priests argue that Diwali should be celebrated on October 31, as Amavasya occurs during the ‘pradosh kaal’ on that day. According to reports from Dainik Bhaskar, Amavasya is set to begin at 3:55 PM and will last until 6:15 PM on November 1. Given that the worship of Goddess Lakshmi is traditionally performed at night on Amavasya, October 31 is considered an auspicious day for the celebrations.
On the other hand, some scholars suggest that since the Amavasya period extends into the evening of November 1, Diwali should be celebrated on that day instead. They advocate focusing on the Pratipada, which is the first day of the lunar month following Amavasya.
Regarding Dhanteras, experts note that the Dwadasi date (the 12th day of the lunar calendar) will remain valid until 10:31 AM on October 29. After this time, the Trayodashi date (the 13th day) will take effect and last until 1:15 PM on October 30. Because Trayodashi coincides with the Pradosh period on October 29, this date is considered more favorable for Dhanteras celebrations..