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Amavasya is expected to begin at 3:55 pm on October 31 and last until 6:15 pm on November 1. (Photos: PTI & Reuters)
The festival of lights – Diwali or Deepavali 2024 – will be celebrated on November 1 this year, according to more than 150 scholars. The decision was announced on Monday after a key meeting was held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, where hundreds of priests and experts had gathered to determine the most appropriate date for this year’s festivities.
This followed amid the ongoing confusion regarding the celebration, as both October 31 and November 1 fall on the Amavasya (new moon) this year.
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Earlier, some scholars were of the opinion that Diwali should be celebrated on October 31. They noted that Dhanteras or Dhan-Trayodashi, which marks the first day of the Diwali festival, will be observed on October 29. Subsequently, the opinion to celebrate Diwali on October 31 stemmed from the observation that Amavasya falls during the ‘pradosh kaal’ on that day.
Amavasya is expected to begin at 3:55 pm on October 31 and last until 6:15 pm on November 1.
However, after Monday’s meeting, 95 per cent of the scholars supported the decision to celebrate on November 1. According to Dainik Bhaskar, this decision was based on religious scriptures, which state that when two days are designated as Amavasya, it is appropriate to celebrate Deepavali on the second day. November 1 is a Friday and coincides with the auspicious Swati Nakshatra, which was also cited as a reason to support this decision by more than 150 astrologers and scholars.
However, Pandit Anand Shankar Vyas from Ujjain believes that since the new moon will occur on October 31, worship of Goddess Lakshmi should be performed on that day. As the date has been set for November 1, this means that this year Diwali will be a six-day-long festivity.
Here’s a day-wise full schedule for Diwali 2024:
1) Dhanteras: October 29
2) Deepdaan (offering of lamps) will take place on October 30. However, due to the auspicious timing of Roop Chaturdashi, it will be celebrated on October 31.
3) Laxmi pooja: November 1
4) Govardhan Pooja: November 2
5) Bhai Dooj on November 3
First Published: Oct 01 2024 | 11:58 AM IST
