Diwali Calendar 1956
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 1956, from Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) on 30 October through Labh Pancham on 7 November. November holds the most with 9 dates. The year runs through Vikram Samvat 2012 – 2013.
October 1956
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Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi)
Tithi 3:59 AM, Oct 30 – 1:59 AM, Oct 31
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 2:03 AM, Oct 31 – 12:18 AM, Nov 1
The first day of Diwali — gold, silver and new utensils are bought to invite prosperity.
November 1956
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Bhoot Chaturdashi
Tithi 12:23 AM, Nov 1 – 10:59 PM, Nov 1
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 12:23 AM, Nov 1 – 10:59 PM, Nov 1
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 12:23 AM, Nov 1 – 10:59 PM, Nov 1
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 11:04 PM, Nov 1 – 10:06 PM, Nov 2
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 11:04 PM, Nov 1 – 10:06 PM, Nov 2
On Diwali's new-moon night, Goddess Kali is worshipped through the night across Bengal.
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Govardhan Puja / Annakut
Tithi 10:11 PM, Nov 2 – 9:46 PM, Nov 3
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 10:11 PM, Nov 2 – 9:46 PM, Nov 3
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 9:51 PM, Nov 3 – 10:02 PM, Nov 4
Sisters apply a tilak and pray for their brothers' well-being, closing the Diwali festival.
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Labh Pancham
Tithi 12:31 AM, Nov 7 – 2:23 AM, Nov 8
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 1956
Beyond the dates the Diwali Calendar lists, 1956 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) fell on 2 November, 10 days earlier in the year than in 1955 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1956
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Hindu date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 May 9:01 PM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Jyeshtha Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 9 Jun 2:50 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Jyeshtha Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 18 Nov 12:17 PM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Margashirsha Purnima | Not visible |
| 2 Dec 1:30 PM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Margashirsha Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these.
Guru and Shani in 1956
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Mar 4:00 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Simha → Karka re-entry while retrograde |
| 22 May 9:40 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Karka → Simha |
| 28 Oct 10:30 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Simha → Kanya |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Diwali Calendar 1956
How many festivals and vrats does the Diwali Calendar list in 1956?
The Diwali Calendar lists 11 dates in 1956. The first is Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) on Tuesday, 30 October 1956, and the last is Labh Pancham on Wednesday, 7 November 1956.
What are the main festival dates in the Diwali Calendar for 1956?
The first major observances of 1956 are:
- Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) - Tuesday, 30 October 1956
- Dhanteras - Wednesday, 31 October 1956
- Bhoot Chaturdashi - Thursday, 1 November 1956
- Kali Chaudas - Thursday, 1 November 1956
- Narak Chaturdashi (Abhyang Snan) - Thursday, 1 November 1956
- Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) - Friday, 2 November 1956
Which month of 1956 has the most observances in the Diwali Calendar?
November 1956 is the fullest month with 9 dates, including Bhoot Chaturdashi, Kali Chaudas, Narak Chaturdashi (Abhyang Snan), Diwali (Lakshmi Puja), Kali Puja, Bali Pratipada (Diwali Padwa / Bestu Varas), Govardhan Puja / Annakut, Bhai Dooj / Bhau Beej.
Which traditional year does 1956 correspond to in the Diwali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1956 spans Vikram Samvat 2012 – 2013. 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 1956 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 1956 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 1956?
1956 had 4 eclipses:
- 24 May 1956 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 9 June 1956 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 18 November 1956 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
- 2 December 1956 - Partial 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 2 of these were kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 1956?
Yes - 3 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1956:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Karka on 14 March 1956, moving retrograde
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Simha on 22 May 1956
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Kanya on 28 October 1956
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 1956 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.
