Deepavali - A Festival of Five Days, Lights and Fireworks

Hi Friends, Happy Deepavali to you all. May Goddess Lakshmi bless you with Prosperity and Happiness.

But this year, the Deepavali will be celebrated on two days, October 20 and 21, 2025. The Amavasya tithi begins on the 20th and ends at 5:40 pm on October 21st.

So, we will be celebrating the major rituals of the extended festival for six days in 2025 instead of the customary five days. 

For those new to this festival, it is a festival of lights and enjoyment. The lights are lit to drive away darkness, evil, and ignorance. Enjoyment is achieved through wearing new clothes, bursting crackers, and gobbling delicious food.

The traditional practice is to light the oil diyas in the earthen trays. This is the natural way to create an auspicious atmosphere for the celebration. The electric lights are superficial and sometimes give rise to ego.

The same applies to burning crackers. Lighting or bursting a few crackers can be reasonable. However, nowadays, the entire atmosphere is disturbed by continuous fireworks displays, with loud sounds that last all night during Deepavali. 

For me, Deepavali is a festival of 5 to 7 days, depending on traditions and customs. I am including activities such as planning and buying new clothes to extend it to a 7-day celebration, since the first two days can be dedicated to shopping for new clothes, decoration items, and beautifying your home. 

So, after spending the first two days on shopping, cleaning, painting, and decorating activities as mentioned above, the remaining five days are dedicated to the following sequence of celebrations.

Dhanteras

Dhanteras tithi starts at 12:18 PM on 18 and ends at 01:51 PM on October 19, 2025. (It is two days before Deepavali under normal circumstances). Worship can be conducted either on the evening of the 18th or the morning of the 19th. 

On this day, people buy Gold and other metal articles according to their whims and fancies. Idols of Lakshmi made from Gold or Silver are also purchased for worship. Whatever you buy, place them before God during worship on this day. Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Kubera are worshipped on this day, seeking their blessings for prosperity and good luck. It is believed that Goddess Lakshmi was born on this day of Ksheer Sagar Manthan (the churning of the Milky Ocean). You may cook any sweet pudding, probably the kheer, in a new utensil purchased for this purpose, and offer it as naivedyam to God.

Chhoti Deepavali or Naraka Chaturdashi

As the major Deepavali celebrations are taking place for four days this year due to the lengthened tithi timings, Naraka Chaturdashi can be split into Naraka Chaturdashi and Chhoti Deepavali. Naraka Chaturdashi was the day when the demon Narakasura was slain by Sri Krishna with the help of his consort Satyabhama. This incident occurred during the late hours of the day, following a fierce battle between them. So, we can celebrate the demise of Narakasura during the late evening hours of October 19 by burning his effigies. As people were free from demons, they celebrated the day by burning the effigies of the Demon Narakasura. That practice continues even today. We erect the effigies of the demons and throw them into a bonfire lit on this night. Children enjoy this occasion by playing with toy drums around the fire. After the bonfire, take an oil bath, put on new clothes, and enjoy the day, relishing feasts, visiting temples, lighting crackers, and more.

On October 20, 2025, we can celebrate the Chhoti Deepavali in the morning by taking an oil bath and lighting some crackers. The real Deepavali celebrations, including the Lakshmi Puja and the lighting of crackers, can be observed in the evening and again on the morning of the 21st.

Deepavali

This year, the main festival of Deepavali is to be celebrated in the evening hours of the 20th and throughout the entire day of October 21.

It is the day after Dhanteras, and Naraka Chaturdashi that we celebrate Deepavali. 

This Deepavali Festival is celebrated on Ashwayuja Amavasya, which normally falls between the second half of October and the first week of November. This day is the continuation of the celebration of the destruction of the evil forces in a grand manner.

Most traditional people take an oil bath in the early hours of Naraka Chaturdashi day itself, and, thereafter, celebrate the demise of Narakasura by worshiping Sri Krishna, wearing new or clean and pure clothes. But nowadays, people are wearing those new clothes on Deepavali Day. 

Homes are decorated with Rangolis, designer garlands, flower garlands, mango leaves, and more. Devotees worship Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Ganesha, and light earthen diyas. They also worship the diyas and offer dhupa, deepa, naivedyam to those diyas along with Lakshmi Devi. It is customary to light earthen diyas, even if artificial lights are used. After the worship is over, place the diyas on both sides of the entrance door, on porches, boundary walls, and in the backyard. Now, light the crackers and, depending on your mood, indulge in the fireworks display.

There is one more ritual observed by the South Indians, especially in the Telugu culture, to tie oil clothes around the Red Sorrel sticks, light them, and sing a song that translates to " Today, we are celebrating the Deepavali and again will be celebrating this on Nagula Chavithi," which is a festival worshiping the snakes four days after Deepavali. This celebration is designed for the children so that they enjoy some fun by beating those lighted sticks on the ground while singing the lyrics. It is done in the evening, before or after the worship. After this fun activity, the children are offered some sweets before indulging in the fireworks.

Govardhan Puja/ Kedar Gauri Vratam

October 22, 2025

The day after Deepavali is celebrated as Govardhan Puja. People worship Krishna, who lifted the Govardhan Hill to protect them and the cattle from Indra's anger. Indra was upset because Krishna suggested his followers worship nature instead of him. Besides Krishna, we worship the cattle, the farms and fields, and the tools on this day. The entire day is spent admiring and thanking nature.

Another ritual associated with the day after Deepavali is the worship of Parvati in the form of Mother Gauri. This ritual is performed by married women and teenage girls seeking prosperity and a happy married life in their families.

Bhai Dooj

October 23, 2025

The second day after Deepavali is celebrated as Bhai Dooj. This is the day that celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. They reach out to each other on this occasion; whether the brother visits the sister or she visits him, it is up to their convenience. If she visits him, she may carry sweets and other puja items with her.

The brother is seated on a clean chair or the puja stool. He will be ready by having his bath and wearing new/clean clothes. She applies a tilak (made up of vermilion, rice flour, and sandal powder) to his forehead. Then, offers the mangal harati to him while chanting some hymns seeking God's blessings for him. Thereafter, she gives some sweets to eat. The brother, in turn, gifts her clothes/jewelry/money as a token of love. The entire family enjoys this day with feasts and celebrations. They may light some crackers also.