Diwali Calendar 1963
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 1963, from Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) on 13 October through Labh Pancham on 21 November. October holds the most with 9 dates. The year runs through Vikram Samvat 2019 – 2020. 1963 carries an Adhik Maas (Kartika (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several dates later than usual.
October 1963
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Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi)
Tithi 11:44 AM, Oct 12 – 12:21 PM, Oct 13
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 12:15 PM, Oct 13 – 1:16 PM, Oct 14
The first day of Diwali — gold, silver and new utensils are bought to invite prosperity.
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Bhoot Chaturdashi
Tithi 1:12 PM, Oct 14 – 2:34 PM, Oct 15
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 1:12 PM, Oct 14 – 2:34 PM, Oct 15
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 2:32 PM, Oct 15 – 4:13 PM, Oct 16
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 2:32 PM, Oct 15 – 4:13 PM, Oct 16
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 2:32 PM, Oct 15 – 4:13 PM, Oct 16
On Diwali's new-moon night, Goddess Kali is worshipped through the night across Bengal.
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Govardhan Puja / Annakut
Tithi 4:12 PM, Oct 16 – 6:10 PM, Oct 17
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 4:12 PM, Oct 16 – 6:10 PM, Oct 17
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 1963
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Bhai Dooj / Bhau Beej
Tithi 2:58 PM, Nov 17 – 5:32 PM, Nov 18
Sisters apply a tilak and pray for their brothers' well-being, closing the Diwali festival.
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Labh Pancham
Tithi 10:09 PM, Nov 20 – 11:58 PM, Nov 21
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 1963
Beyond the dates the Diwali Calendar lists, 1963 brought 5 eclipses - 2 solar and 3 lunar - of which 3 were above the horizon somewhere in India. The year also carried an Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month of Kartika, running from 18 October 1963 to 16 November 1963. Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) fell on 16 October, 11 days earlier in the year than in 1962 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1963
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Hindu date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Jan 4:49 AM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Pausha Krishna Pratipada | Penumbral only |
| 25 Jan 7:06 PM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Magha Amavasya | Not visible |
| 7 Jul 3:32 AM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Ashadha Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 21 Jul 2:05 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Shravana Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 30 Dec 4:36 PM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Pausha Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.
Guru and Shani in 1963
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Mar 6:50 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Kumbha → Meena |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Mithuna on 19 May 1963, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Diwali Calendar 1963
How many festivals and vrats does the Diwali Calendar list in 1963?
The Diwali Calendar lists 11 dates in 1963. The first is Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) on Sunday, 13 October 1963, and the last is Labh Pancham on Thursday, 21 November 1963.
What are the main festival dates in the Diwali Calendar for 1963?
The first major observances of 1963 are:
- Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) - Sunday, 13 October 1963
- Dhanteras - Monday, 14 October 1963
- Bhoot Chaturdashi - Tuesday, 15 October 1963
- Kali Chaudas - Tuesday, 15 October 1963
- Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) - Wednesday, 16 October 1963
- Kali Puja - Wednesday, 16 October 1963
Which month of 1963 has the most observances in the Diwali Calendar?
October 1963 is the fullest month with 9 dates, including Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi), Dhanteras, Bhoot Chaturdashi, Kali Chaudas, Diwali (Lakshmi Puja), Kali Puja, Narak Chaturdashi (Abhyang Snan), Bali Pratipada (Diwali Padwa / Bestu Varas).
Which traditional year does 1963 correspond to in the Diwali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1963 spans Vikram Samvat 2019 – 2020. 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 1963 have an Adhik Maas?
Yes. 1963 carried an Adhik Maas (Kartika (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 1963 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.
Were there any eclipses in 1963?
1963 had 5 eclipses:
- 10 January 1963 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
- 25 January 1963 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 7 July 1963 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 21 July 1963 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 30 December 1963 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra 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 1963?
Yes - 1 sign change among the slow grahas in 1963:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Meena on 7 March 1963
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 1963 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.
