Diwali Calendar 2010
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 2010, from Dhanteras on 3 November through Labh Pancham on 10 November. November holds the most with 11 dates. The year runs through Vikram Samvat 2066 – 2067. 2010 carries an Adhik Maas (Vaishakha (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several dates later than usual.
November 2010
-
Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi)
Tithi 9:59 PM, Nov 2 – 7:00 PM, Nov 3
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
Tithi 9:59 PM, Nov 2 – 7:00 PM, Nov 3
The first day of Diwali — gold, silver and new utensils are bought to invite prosperity.
-
Bhoot Chaturdashi
Tithi 6:59 PM, Nov 3 – 3:57 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
Tithi 6:59 PM, Nov 3 – 3:57 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)
Tithi 3:55 PM, Nov 4 – 1:01 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)
Tithi 3:55 PM, Nov 4 – 1:01 PM, Nov 5
The festival of lights — homes glow with diyas and Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped for wealth; Sindhis keep it as Diyari.
-
Kali Puja
Tithi 3:55 PM, Nov 4 – 1:01 PM, Nov 5
On Diwali's new-moon night, Goddess Kali is worshipped through the night across Bengal.
-
Govardhan Puja / Annakut
Tithi 12:55 PM, Nov 5 – 10:21 AM, Nov 6
Krishna lifting Govardhan hill is remembered with mountains of food offered to the deity.
-
Bali Pratipada (Diwali Padwa / Bestu Varas)
Tithi 12:55 PM, Nov 5 – 10:21 AM, Nov 6
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
Tithi 10:08 AM, Nov 6 – 8:06 AM, Nov 7
Sisters apply a tilak and pray for their brothers' well-being, closing the Diwali festival.
-
Labh Pancham
Tithi 5:12 AM, Nov 10 – 5:25 AM, Nov 11
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 2010
Beyond the dates the Diwali Calendar lists, 2010 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 Vaishakha, running from 15 April 2010 to 14 May 2010. Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) fell on 5 November, 19 days later in the year than in 2009 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 2010
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Hindu date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan 12:52 AM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Pausha Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 15 Jan 12:36 PM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Magha Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 26 Jun 5:08 PM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Ashadha Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 12 Jul 1:03 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Ashadha Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 21 Dec 1:46 PM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Pausha Purnima | Not visible |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 3 of these.
Guru and Shani in 2010
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 2 May 8:10 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Kumbha → Meena |
| 1 Nov 1:00 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Meena → Kumbha re-entry while retrograde |
| 6 Dec 9:20 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Kumbha → Meena |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Diwali Calendar 2010
How many festivals and vrats does the Diwali Calendar list in 2010?
The Diwali Calendar lists 11 dates in 2010. The first is Dhanteras on Wednesday, 3 November 2010, and the last is Labh Pancham on Wednesday, 10 November 2010.
What are the main festival dates in the Diwali Calendar for 2010?
The first major observances of 2010 are:
- Dhanteras - Wednesday, 3 November 2010
- Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) - Wednesday, 3 November 2010
- Bhoot Chaturdashi - Thursday, 4 November 2010
- Kali Chaudas - Thursday, 4 November 2010
- Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) - Friday, 5 November 2010
- Kali Puja - Friday, 5 November 2010
Which month of 2010 has the most observances in the Diwali Calendar?
November 2010 is the fullest month with 11 dates, including Dhanteras, Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi), Bhoot Chaturdashi, Kali Chaudas, Diwali (Lakshmi Puja), Kali Puja, Narak Chaturdashi (Abhyang Snan), Bali Pratipada (Diwali Padwa / Bestu Varas).
Which traditional year does 2010 correspond to in the Diwali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2010 spans Vikram Samvat 2066 – 2067. 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 2010 have an Adhik Maas?
Yes. 2010 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 2010 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.
Were there any eclipses in 2010?
2010 had 5 eclipses:
- 1 January 2010 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 15 January 2010 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 26 June 2010 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 12 July 2010 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 21 December 2010 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra 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 2010?
Yes - 3 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2010:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Meena on 2 May 2010
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Kumbha on 1 November 2010, moving retrograde
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Meena on 6 December 2010
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 2010 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.
