Diwali Calendar 2012
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 2012, from Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) on 10 November through Labh Pancham on 18 November. November holds the most with 11 dates. The year runs through Vikram Samvat 2068 – 2069. 2012 carries an Adhik Maas (Bhadrapada (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several dates later than usual.
November 2012
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Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi)
Tithi 5:35 PM, Nov 9 – 3:52 PM, Nov 10
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 3:57 PM, Nov 10 – 1:30 PM, Nov 11
The first day of Diwali — gold, silver and new utensils are bought to invite prosperity.
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Bhoot Chaturdashi
Tithi 1:38 PM, Nov 11 – 10:34 AM, Nov 12
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 1:38 PM, Nov 11 – 10:34 AM, Nov 12
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 10:42 AM, Nov 12 – 7:13 AM, Nov 13
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 10:42 AM, Nov 12 – 7:13 AM, Nov 13
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 10:42 AM, Nov 12 – 7:13 AM, Nov 13
On Diwali's new-moon night, Goddess Kali is worshipped through the night across Bengal.
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Govardhan Puja / Annakut
Tithi 3:38 AM, Nov 14 – 11:56 PM, Nov 14
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 3:38 AM, Nov 14 – 11:56 PM, Nov 14
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 11:56 PM, Nov 14 – 8:16 PM, Nov 15
Sisters apply a tilak and pray for their brothers' well-being, closing the Diwali festival.
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Labh Pancham
Tithi 1:43 PM, Nov 17 – 11:23 AM, Nov 18
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 2012
Beyond the dates the Diwali Calendar lists, 2012 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 Bhadrapada, running from 18 August 2012 to 16 September 2012. Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) fell on 13 November, 19 days later in the year than in 2011 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 2012
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Hindu date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 May 5:22 AM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Jyeshtha Shukla Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 4 Jun 4:33 PM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Jyeshtha Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 14 Nov 3:41 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) on Bali Pratipada (Diwali Padwa / Bestu Varas) | Kartika Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 28 Nov 8:03 PM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Margashirsha Purnima | Penumbral only |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.
Guru and Shani in 2012
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 16 May 6:40 AM | Shani (Saturn) | Tula → Kanya re-entry while retrograde |
| 17 May 9:40 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Mesha → Vrishabha |
| 4 Aug 8:50 AM | Shani (Saturn) | Kanya → Tula |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Tula on 23 December 2012, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Diwali Calendar 2012
How many festivals and vrats does the Diwali Calendar list in 2012?
The Diwali Calendar lists 11 dates in 2012. The first is Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) on Saturday, 10 November 2012, and the last is Labh Pancham on Sunday, 18 November 2012.
What are the main festival dates in the Diwali Calendar for 2012?
The first major observances of 2012 are:
- Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) - Saturday, 10 November 2012
- Dhanteras - Sunday, 11 November 2012
- Bhoot Chaturdashi - Monday, 12 November 2012
- Kali Chaudas - Monday, 12 November 2012
- Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) - Tuesday, 13 November 2012
- Kali Puja - Tuesday, 13 November 2012
Which month of 2012 has the most observances in the Diwali Calendar?
November 2012 is the fullest month with 11 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 2012 correspond to in the Diwali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2012 spans Vikram Samvat 2068 – 2069. 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 2012 have an Adhik Maas?
Yes. 2012 carried an Adhik Maas (Bhadrapada (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 2012 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.
Were there any eclipses in 2012?
2012 had 4 eclipses:
- 21 May 2012 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 4 June 2012 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 14 November 2012 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 28 November 2012 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak 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 2012?
Yes - 3 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2012:
- Shani (Saturn) entered Kanya on 16 May 2012, moving retrograde
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Vrishabha on 17 May 2012
- Shani (Saturn) entered Tula on 4 August 2012
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 2012 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.
