Diwali Calendar

Diwali Calendar 1953

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 1953, from Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) on 2 November through Labh Pancham on 11 November. November holds the most with 11 dates. The year runs through Vikram Samvat 2009 – 2010. 1953 carries an Adhik Maas (Vaishakha (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several dates later than usual.

November 1953

  • Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi)

    Monday, 2 November 1953 Krishna Ekadashi

    Tithi 11:46 AM, Nov 1 2:23 PM, Nov 2

    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.

  • Dhanteras

    Tuesday, 3 November 1953 Krishna Dwadashi

    Tithi 2:24 PM, Nov 2 4:59 PM, Nov 3

    The first day of Diwali — gold, silver and new utensils are bought to invite prosperity.

  • Bhoot Chaturdashi

    Wednesday, 4 November 1953 Krishna Trayodashi

    Tithi 5:00 PM, Nov 3 7:26 PM, Nov 4

    On the eve of Kali Puja, fourteen lamps are lit and fourteen leafy greens eaten to honour ancestors and ward off evil spirits.

  • Kali Chaudas

    Wednesday, 4 November 1953 Krishna Trayodashi

    Tithi 5:00 PM, Nov 3 7:26 PM, Nov 4

    The night before Diwali's Amavasya, Goddess Kali is worshipped to destroy negativity; sleep and laziness (alasya) are symbolically driven from the home.

  • Narak Chaturdashi (Abhyang Snan)

    Thursday, 5 November 1953 Krishna Chaturdashi

    Tithi 7:26 PM, Nov 4 9:38 PM, Nov 5

    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.

  • Diwali (Lakshmi Puja)

    Friday, 6 November 1953 Krishna Amavasya

    Tithi 9:36 PM, Nov 5 11:31 PM, Nov 6

    The festival of lights — homes glow with diyas and Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped for wealth; Sindhis keep it as Diyari.

  • Kali Puja

    Friday, 6 November 1953 Krishna Amavasya

    Tithi 9:36 PM, Nov 5 11:31 PM, Nov 6

    On Diwali's new-moon night, Goddess Kali is worshipped through the night across Bengal.

  • Govardhan Puja / Annakut

    Saturday, 7 November 1953 Shukla Pratipada

    Tithi 11:28 PM, Nov 6 1:04 AM, Nov 8

    Krishna lifting Govardhan hill is remembered with mountains of food offered to the deity.

  • Bali Pratipada (Diwali Padwa / Bestu Varas)

    Saturday, 7 November 1953 Shukla Pratipada

    Tithi 11:28 PM, Nov 6 1:04 AM, Nov 8

    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.

  • Bhai Dooj / Bhau Beej

    Sunday, 8 November 1953 Shukla Dwitiya

    Tithi 1:00 AM, Nov 8 2:16 AM, Nov 9

    Sisters apply a tilak and pray for their brothers' well-being, closing the Diwali festival.

  • Labh Pancham

    Wednesday, 11 November 1953 Shukla Panchami

    Tithi 3:26 AM, Nov 11 3:36 AM, Nov 12

    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 1953

Beyond the dates the Diwali Calendar lists, 1953 brought 5 eclipses - 3 solar and 2 lunar - of which 3 were above the horizon somewhere in India. The year also carried an Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month of Vaishakha, running from 14 April 1953 to 13 May 1953. Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) fell on 6 November, 18 days later in the year than in 1952 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.

Eclipses of 1953

Date (IST) Eclipse Hindu date Seen from India
30 Jan 5:17 AM Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Magha Krishna Pratipada Yes - Sutak observed
14 Feb 6:28 AM Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) Phalguna Shukla Pratipada Yes - Sutak observed
11 Jul 8:13 AM Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) Ashadha Amavasya Not visible
26 Jul 5:50 PM Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Shravana Purnima Yes - Sutak observed
9 Aug 9:24 PM Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) Shravana Amavasya Not visible

Sutak Kaal was observed for 3 of these.

Guru and Shani in 1953

Date Graha Sign change
9 Apr 7:40 PM Guru (Jupiter) Mesha → Vrishabha
24 Apr 10:20 AM Shani (Saturn) Tula → Kanya re-entry while retrograde
21 Aug 12:00 PM Shani (Saturn) Kanya → Tula
30 Aug 9:50 AM Guru (Jupiter) Vrishabha → Mithuna
30 Nov 6:50 AM Guru (Jupiter) Mithuna → Vrishabha re-entry while retrograde

Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.

Frequently asked questions about the Diwali Calendar 1953

How many festivals and vrats does the Diwali Calendar list in 1953?

The Diwali Calendar lists 11 dates in 1953. The first is Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) on Monday, 2 November 1953, and the last is Labh Pancham on Wednesday, 11 November 1953.

What are the main festival dates in the Diwali Calendar for 1953?

The first major observances of 1953 are:

  • Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) - Monday, 2 November 1953
  • Dhanteras - Tuesday, 3 November 1953
  • Bhoot Chaturdashi - Wednesday, 4 November 1953
  • Kali Chaudas - Wednesday, 4 November 1953
  • Narak Chaturdashi (Abhyang Snan) - Thursday, 5 November 1953
  • Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) - Friday, 6 November 1953
Which month of 1953 has the most observances in the Diwali Calendar?

November 1953 is the fullest month with 11 dates, including Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi), Dhanteras, Bhoot Chaturdashi, Kali Chaudas, Narak Chaturdashi (Abhyang Snan), Diwali (Lakshmi Puja), Kali Puja, Bali Pratipada (Diwali Padwa / Bestu Varas).

Which traditional year does 1953 correspond to in the Diwali Calendar?

The Gregorian year 1953 spans Vikram Samvat 2009 – 2010. 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 1953 have an Adhik Maas?

Yes. 1953 carried an Adhik Maas (Vaishakha (Adhik)), the extra lunar month inserted roughly every third year to keep the lunar calendar in step with the solar one. Festivals falling after it shift later in the Gregorian year, which is why 1953 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.

Were there any eclipses in 1953?

1953 had 5 eclipses:

  • 30 January 1953 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
  • 14 February 1953 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
  • 11 July 1953 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
  • 26 July 1953 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
  • 9 August 1953 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India

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 1953?

Yes - 5 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1953:

  • Guru (Jupiter) entered Vrishabha on 9 April 1953
  • Shani (Saturn) entered Kanya on 24 April 1953, moving retrograde
  • Shani (Saturn) entered Tula on 21 August 1953
  • Guru (Jupiter) entered Mithuna on 30 August 1953
  • Guru (Jupiter) entered Vrishabha on 30 November 1953, moving retrograde

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 1953 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.

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