Diwali Calendar 1987
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 1987, from Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) on 19 October through Labh Pancham on 27 October. October holds the most with 11 dates. The year runs through Vikram Samvat 2043 – 2044.
October 1987
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Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi)
Tithi 7:54 PM, Oct 18 – 9:37 PM, Oct 19
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 9:33 PM, Oct 19 – 10:44 PM, Oct 20
The first day of Diwali — gold, silver and new utensils are bought to invite prosperity.
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Kali Chaudas
Tithi 9:33 PM, Oct 19 – 10:44 PM, Oct 20
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 10:38 PM, Oct 20 – 11:13 PM, Oct 21
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 10:38 PM, Oct 20 – 11:13 PM, Oct 21
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 11:06 PM, Oct 21 – 11:06 PM, Oct 22
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 11:06 PM, Oct 21 – 11:06 PM, Oct 22
On Diwali's new-moon night, Goddess Kali is worshipped through the night across Bengal.
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Govardhan Puja / Annakut
Tithi 10:59 PM, Oct 22 – 10:25 PM, Oct 23
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 10:59 PM, Oct 22 – 10:25 PM, Oct 23
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 10:19 PM, Oct 23 – 9:15 PM, Oct 24
Sisters apply a tilak and pray for their brothers' well-being, closing the Diwali festival.
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Labh Pancham
Tithi 5:56 PM, Oct 26 – 3:57 PM, Oct 27
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 1987
Beyond the dates the Diwali Calendar lists, 1987 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) fell on 22 October, 10 days earlier in the year than in 1986 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1987
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Hindu date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Mar 6:18 PM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Chaitra Amavasya | Not visible |
| 14 Apr 7:48 AM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Chaitra Purnima | Penumbral only |
| 23 Sep 8:41 AM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Ashwina Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 7 Oct 9:31 AM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Ashwina Purnima | Not visible |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 1 of these. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.
Guru and Shani in 1987
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Feb 1:10 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Kumbha → Meena |
| 16 Jun 9:50 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Meena → Mesha |
| 26 Oct 4:40 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Mesha → Meena re-entry while retrograde |
| 17 Dec 3:00 AM | Shani (Saturn) | Vrishchika → Dhanu |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Diwali Calendar 1987
How many festivals and vrats does the Diwali Calendar list in 1987?
The Diwali Calendar lists 11 dates in 1987. The first is Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) on Monday, 19 October 1987, and the last is Labh Pancham on Tuesday, 27 October 1987.
What are the main festival dates in the Diwali Calendar for 1987?
The first major observances of 1987 are:
- Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) - Monday, 19 October 1987
- Dhanteras - Tuesday, 20 October 1987
- Kali Chaudas - Tuesday, 20 October 1987
- Bhoot Chaturdashi - Wednesday, 21 October 1987
- Narak Chaturdashi (Abhyang Snan) - Wednesday, 21 October 1987
- Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) - Thursday, 22 October 1987
Which month of 1987 has the most observances in the Diwali Calendar?
October 1987 is the fullest month with 11 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 1987 correspond to in the Diwali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1987 spans Vikram Samvat 2043 – 2044. 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 1987 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 1987 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 1987?
1987 had 4 eclipses:
- 29 March 1987 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 14 April 1987 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
- 23 September 1987 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 7 October 1987 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra 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 1987?
Yes - 4 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1987:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Meena on 3 February 1987
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Mesha on 16 June 1987
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Meena on 26 October 1987, moving retrograde
- Shani (Saturn) entered Dhanu on 17 December 1987
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 1987 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.
