Diwali Calendar 1966
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 1966, from Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) on 9 November through Labh Pancham on 17 November. November holds the most with 11 dates. The year runs through Vikram Samvat 2022 – 2023. 1966 carries an Adhik Maas (Shravana (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several dates later than usual.
November 1966
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Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi)
Tithi 10:20 AM, Nov 8 – 7:28 AM, Nov 9
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 4:32 AM, Nov 10 – 1:32 AM, Nov 11
The first day of Diwali — gold, silver and new utensils are bought to invite prosperity.
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Bhoot Chaturdashi
Tithi 1:32 AM, Nov 11 – 10:35 PM, Nov 11
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 1:32 AM, Nov 11 – 10:35 PM, Nov 11
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 1:32 AM, Nov 11 – 10:35 PM, Nov 11
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 10:36 PM, Nov 11 – 7:52 PM, Nov 12
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 10:36 PM, Nov 11 – 7:52 PM, Nov 12
On Diwali's new-moon night, Goddess Kali is worshipped through the night across Bengal.
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Govardhan Puja / Annakut
Tithi 7:53 PM, Nov 12 – 5:32 PM, Nov 13
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 7:53 PM, Nov 12 – 5:32 PM, Nov 13
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 5:30 PM, Nov 13 – 3:42 PM, Nov 14
Sisters apply a tilak and pray for their brothers' well-being, closing the Diwali festival.
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Labh Pancham
Tithi 1:48 PM, Nov 16 – 2:10 PM, Nov 17
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 1966
Beyond the dates the Diwali Calendar lists, 1966 brought 4 eclipses - 2 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 Shravana, running from 19 July 1966 to 16 August 1966. Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) fell on 12 November, 19 days later in the year than in 1965 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1966
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Hindu date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 May 2:41 AM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Vaishakha Krishna Pratipada | Penumbral only |
| 20 May 3:08 PM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Jyeshtha Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 29 Oct 3:42 PM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Kartika Purnima | Penumbral only |
| 12 Nov 7:52 PM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) on Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) | Kartika Amavasya | Not visible |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 1 of these. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.
Guru and Shani in 1966
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Jan 3:20 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Mithuna → Vrishabha re-entry while retrograde |
| 24 Mar 5:00 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Vrishabha → Mithuna |
| 9 Apr 5:00 AM | Shani (Saturn) | Kumbha → Meena |
| 21 Aug 11:30 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Mithuna → Karka |
| 3 Nov 12:00 PM | Shani (Saturn) | Meena → Kumbha re-entry while retrograde |
| 20 Dec 1:40 AM | Shani (Saturn) | Kumbha → Meena |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Mesha on 25 June 1966, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Diwali Calendar 1966
How many festivals and vrats does the Diwali Calendar list in 1966?
The Diwali Calendar lists 11 dates in 1966. The first is Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) on Wednesday, 9 November 1966, and the last is Labh Pancham on Thursday, 17 November 1966.
What are the main festival dates in the Diwali Calendar for 1966?
The first major observances of 1966 are:
- Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) - Wednesday, 9 November 1966
- Dhanteras - Thursday, 10 November 1966
- Bhoot Chaturdashi - Friday, 11 November 1966
- Kali Chaudas - Friday, 11 November 1966
- Narak Chaturdashi (Abhyang Snan) - Friday, 11 November 1966
- Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) - Saturday, 12 November 1966
Which month of 1966 has the most observances in the Diwali Calendar?
November 1966 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 1966 correspond to in the Diwali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1966 spans Vikram Samvat 2022 – 2023. 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 1966 have an Adhik Maas?
Yes. 1966 carried an Adhik Maas (Shravana (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 1966 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.
Were there any eclipses in 1966?
1966 had 4 eclipses:
- 5 May 1966 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
- 20 May 1966 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 29 October 1966 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
- 12 November 1966 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
Sutak Kaal is observed only for an eclipse actually visible where you are, so 1 of these was kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 1966?
Yes - 6 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1966:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Vrishabha on 10 January 1966, moving retrograde
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Mithuna on 24 March 1966
- Shani (Saturn) entered Meena on 9 April 1966
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Karka on 21 August 1966
- Shani (Saturn) entered Kumbha on 3 November 1966, moving retrograde
- Shani (Saturn) entered Meena on 20 December 1966
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 1966 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.
