Diwali Calendar 1948
The Diwali festival calendar - the five days of Deepavali, from Dhanteras and Naraka Chaturdashi through Lakshmi Puja, Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj, with the tithi for each day.
The Diwali Calendar lists 11 dates in 1948, from Dhanteras on 29 October through Labh Pancham on 5 November. October holds the most with 7 dates. The year runs through Vikram Samvat 2004 – 2005.
October 1948
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Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi)
Tithi 10:47 PM, Oct 28 – 7:54 PM, Oct 29
The first day of Diwali, when cows and their calves are worshipped in gratitude for their nourishment — kept as Vasubaras in Maharashtra and Vagh Baras in Gujarat, where traders close the old account books.
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Dhanteras
Tithi 10:47 PM, Oct 28 – 7:54 PM, Oct 29
The first day of Diwali — gold, silver and new utensils are bought to invite prosperity.
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Bhoot Chaturdashi
Tithi 7:53 PM, Oct 29 – 4:57 PM, Oct 30
On the eve of Kali Puja, fourteen lamps are lit and fourteen leafy greens eaten to honour ancestors and ward off evil spirits.
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Kali Chaudas
Tithi 7:53 PM, Oct 29 – 4:57 PM, Oct 30
The night before Diwali's Amavasya, Goddess Kali is worshipped to destroy negativity; sleep and laziness (alasya) are symbolically driven from the home.
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Narak Chaturdashi (Abhyang Snan)
Tithi 4:55 PM, Oct 30 – 2:07 PM, Oct 31
Krishna's slaying of the demon Narakasura is marked with a pre-dawn ceremonial oil bath (abhyang snan, kept by Sindhis as Roop Chaudas) before the lamps of Diwali.
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Diwali (Lakshmi Puja)
Tithi 4:55 PM, Oct 30 – 2:07 PM, Oct 31
The festival of lights — homes glow with diyas and Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped for wealth; Sindhis keep it as Diyari.
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Kali Puja
Tithi 4:55 PM, Oct 30 – 2:07 PM, Oct 31
On Diwali's new-moon night, Goddess Kali is worshipped through the night across Bengal.
November 1948
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Govardhan Puja / Annakut
Tithi 2:02 PM, Oct 31 – 11:31 AM, Nov 1
Krishna lifting Govardhan hill is remembered with mountains of food offered to the deity.
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Bali Pratipada (Diwali Padwa / Bestu Varas)
Tithi 2:02 PM, Oct 31 – 11:31 AM, Nov 1
The Diwali Padwa honouring King Bali's return; wives perform aukshan (aarti) for their husbands and new account books and ventures are begun. In Gujarat this is Bestu Varas, the Gujarati New Year.
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Bhai Dooj / Bhau Beej
Tithi 9:03 AM, Nov 2 – 7:36 AM, Nov 3
Sisters apply a tilak and pray for their brothers' well-being, closing the Diwali festival.
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Labh Pancham
Tithi 6:05 AM, Nov 5 – 6:04 AM, Nov 6
The fifth day after Diwali (Kartik Shukla Panchami) — the auspicious day Gujarati traders reopen their shops and account books, praying to Lakshmi and Ganesha for profit (labh) in the new year.
Tithi start and end times are shown in your local time. Festival dates follow the standard Indian (sunrise) calendar and may vary by a day in other regions, and may differ slightly from regional almanacs (especially around an Adhik Maas).
What happened in the sky in 1948
Beyond the dates the Diwali Calendar lists, 1948 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 4 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) fell on 31 October, 11 days earlier in the year than in 1947 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1948
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Hindu date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Apr 7:08 PM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Vaishakha Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 9 May 7:55 AM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Vaishakha Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 18 Oct 8:05 AM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Kartika Purnima | Penumbral only |
| 1 Nov 11:28 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) on Bali Pratipada (Diwali Padwa / Bestu Varas) | Kartika Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 3 of these. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.
Guru and Shani in 1948
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Feb 11:00 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Vrishchika → Dhanu |
| 22 Jun 8:50 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Dhanu → Vrishchika re-entry while retrograde |
| 26 Jul 1:40 PM | Shani (Saturn) | Karka → Simha |
| 8 Oct 1:50 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Vrishchika → Dhanu |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Diwali Calendar 1948
How many festivals and vrats does the Diwali Calendar list in 1948?
The Diwali Calendar lists 11 dates in 1948. The first is Dhanteras on Friday, 29 October 1948, and the last is Labh Pancham on Friday, 5 November 1948.
What are the main festival dates in the Diwali Calendar for 1948?
The first major observances of 1948 are:
- Dhanteras - Friday, 29 October 1948
- Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) - Friday, 29 October 1948
- Bhoot Chaturdashi - Saturday, 30 October 1948
- Kali Chaudas - Saturday, 30 October 1948
- Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) - Sunday, 31 October 1948
- Kali Puja - Sunday, 31 October 1948
Which month of 1948 has the most observances in the Diwali Calendar?
October 1948 is the fullest month with 7 dates, including Dhanteras, Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi), Bhoot Chaturdashi, Kali Chaudas, Diwali (Lakshmi Puja), Kali Puja, Narak Chaturdashi (Abhyang Snan).
Which traditional year does 1948 correspond to in the Diwali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1948 spans Vikram Samvat 2004 – 2005. The traditional year does not begin on 1 January, so one Gregorian year usually covers the end of one era year and the start of the next.
Did 1948 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 1948 had twelve lunar months with no Adhik Maas, so its festival dates fall in their usual Gregorian window rather than being pushed later by an intercalary month.
Were there any eclipses in 1948?
1948 had 4 eclipses:
- 23 April 1948 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 9 May 1948 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 18 October 1948 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
- 1 November 1948 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
Sutak Kaal is observed only for an eclipse actually visible where you are, so 3 of these were kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 1948?
Yes - 4 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1948:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Dhanu on 11 February 1948
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Vrishchika on 22 June 1948, moving retrograde
- Shani (Saturn) entered Simha on 26 July 1948
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Dhanu on 8 October 1948
Jupiter takes about a year to cross one sign and Saturn about two and a half, so these transits colour the whole year rather than a single week.
Are these 1948 dates the same everywhere?
The dates follow the standard Indian sunrise-based calendar. Because a tithi begins and ends at a fixed moment rather than at midnight, an observance can fall a day earlier or later where sunrise differs - most noticeably outside India. Set your city in the box at the top to see the start and end times in your own local time, and check the daily Panchang for the exact window on the day.
About the Diwali Calendar
The Diwali festival calendar - the five days of Deepavali, from Dhanteras and Naraka Chaturdashi through Lakshmi Puja, Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj, with the tithi for each day.
Each entry lists the festival or vrat with its date, the prevailing tithi, and a short note on the observance. Use the year links to plan ahead into the coming years or to look up a date from the archive.
This list is the festival dates, not the daily five limbs. For sunrise, Rahu Kalam and the day's yoga, open the Panchang. Other calendars are on the Calendars index. The story of a fast is under Vrat Katha.
