Diwali Calendar 1951
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 1951, from Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) on 27 October through Labh Pancham on 3 November. October holds the most with 9 dates. The year runs through Vikram Samvat 2007 – 2008.
October 1951
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Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi)
Tithi 11:17 PM, Oct 26 – 11:33 PM, Oct 27
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 11:24 PM, Oct 27 – 10:53 PM, Oct 28
The first day of Diwali — gold, silver and new utensils are bought to invite prosperity.
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Kali Chaudas
Tithi 11:24 PM, Oct 27 – 10:53 PM, Oct 28
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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Bhoot Chaturdashi
Tithi 10:45 PM, Oct 28 – 9:29 PM, Oct 29
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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Narak Chaturdashi (Abhyang Snan)
Tithi 10:45 PM, Oct 28 – 9:29 PM, Oct 29
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 9:24 PM, Oct 29 – 7:29 PM, Oct 30
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 9:24 PM, Oct 29 – 7:29 PM, Oct 30
On Diwali's new-moon night, Goddess Kali is worshipped through the night across Bengal.
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Govardhan Puja / Annakut
Tithi 7:27 PM, Oct 30 – 5:03 PM, Oct 31
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 7:27 PM, Oct 30 – 5:03 PM, Oct 31
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.
November 1951
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Bhai Dooj / Bhau Beej
Tithi 5:03 PM, Oct 31 – 2:20 PM, Nov 1
Sisters apply a tilak and pray for their brothers' well-being, closing the Diwali festival.
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Labh Pancham
Tithi 11:28 AM, Nov 2 – 8:41 AM, Nov 3
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 1951
Beyond the dates the Diwali Calendar lists, 1951 brought 5 eclipses - 2 solar and 3 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) fell on 30 October, 10 days earlier in the year than in 1950 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1951
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Hindu date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Mar 2:23 AM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Phalguna Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 23 Mar 4:07 PM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Chaitra Purnima | Penumbral only |
| 17 Aug 8:44 AM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Bhadrapada Purnima | Not visible |
| 1 Sep 6:21 PM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Bhadrapada Amavasya | Not visible |
| 15 Sep 5:56 PM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Bhadrapada Purnima | Penumbral only |
No eclipse of 1951 carried Sutak Kaal in India. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.
Guru and Shani in 1951
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Mar 5:20 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Kumbha → Meena |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Diwali Calendar 1951
How many festivals and vrats does the Diwali Calendar list in 1951?
The Diwali Calendar lists 11 dates in 1951. The first is Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) on Saturday, 27 October 1951, and the last is Labh Pancham on Saturday, 3 November 1951.
What are the main festival dates in the Diwali Calendar for 1951?
The first major observances of 1951 are:
- Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) - Saturday, 27 October 1951
- Dhanteras - Sunday, 28 October 1951
- Kali Chaudas - Sunday, 28 October 1951
- Bhoot Chaturdashi - Monday, 29 October 1951
- Narak Chaturdashi (Abhyang Snan) - Monday, 29 October 1951
- Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) - Tuesday, 30 October 1951
Which month of 1951 has the most observances in the Diwali Calendar?
October 1951 is the fullest month with 9 dates, including Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi), Dhanteras, Kali Chaudas, Bhoot Chaturdashi, Narak Chaturdashi (Abhyang Snan), Diwali (Lakshmi Puja), Kali Puja, Bali Pratipada (Diwali Padwa / Bestu Varas).
Which traditional year does 1951 correspond to in the Diwali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1951 spans Vikram Samvat 2007 – 2008. 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 1951 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 1951 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 1951?
1951 had 5 eclipses:
- 8 March 1951 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 23 March 1951 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
- 17 August 1951 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
- 1 September 1951 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 15 September 1951 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
None of them carried Sutak Kaal in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 1951?
Yes - 1 sign change among the slow grahas in 1951:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Meena on 23 March 1951
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 1951 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.
