Diwali Calendar 2013
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 2013, from Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) on 31 October through Labh Pancham on 7 November. November holds the most with 10 dates. The year runs through Vikram Samvat 2069 – 2070.
October 2013
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Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi)
Tithi 10:20 PM, Oct 30 – 10:26 PM, Oct 31
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.
November 2013
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Dhanteras
Tithi 10:19 PM, Oct 31 – 9:42 PM, Nov 1
The first day of Diwali — gold, silver and new utensils are bought to invite prosperity.
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Bhoot Chaturdashi
Tithi 10:19 PM, Oct 31 – 9:42 PM, Nov 1
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 10:19 PM, Oct 31 – 9:42 PM, Nov 1
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 9:36 PM, Nov 1 – 8:19 PM, Nov 2
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 8:16 PM, Nov 2 – 6:23 PM, Nov 3
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 8:16 PM, Nov 2 – 6:23 PM, Nov 3
On Diwali's new-moon night, Goddess Kali is worshipped through the night across Bengal.
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Govardhan Puja / Annakut
Tithi 6:23 PM, Nov 3 – 4:03 PM, Nov 4
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 6:23 PM, Nov 3 – 4:03 PM, Nov 4
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 4:04 PM, Nov 4 – 1:26 PM, Nov 5
Sisters apply a tilak and pray for their brothers' well-being, closing the Diwali festival.
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Labh Pancham
Tithi 10:40 AM, Nov 6 – 7:54 AM, Nov 7
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 2013
Beyond the dates the Diwali Calendar lists, 2013 brought 5 eclipses - 2 solar and 3 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) fell on 3 November, 11 days earlier in the year than in 2012 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 2013
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Hindu date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Apr 1:37 AM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Vaishakha Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 10 May 5:55 AM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Vaishakha Amavasya | Not visible |
| 25 May 9:40 AM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Jyeshtha Purnima | Not visible |
| 19 Oct 5:20 AM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Kartika Krishna Pratipada | Penumbral only |
| 3 Nov 6:16 PM | Partial 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 2013
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 31 May 7:00 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Vrishabha → Mithuna |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Diwali Calendar 2013
How many festivals and vrats does the Diwali Calendar list in 2013?
The Diwali Calendar lists 11 dates in 2013. The first is Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) on Thursday, 31 October 2013, and the last is Labh Pancham on Thursday, 7 November 2013.
What are the main festival dates in the Diwali Calendar for 2013?
The first major observances of 2013 are:
- Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) - Thursday, 31 October 2013
- Bhoot Chaturdashi - Friday, 1 November 2013
- Dhanteras - Friday, 1 November 2013
- Kali Chaudas - Friday, 1 November 2013
- Narak Chaturdashi (Abhyang Snan) - Saturday, 2 November 2013
- Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) - Sunday, 3 November 2013
Which month of 2013 has the most observances in the Diwali Calendar?
November 2013 is the fullest month with 10 dates, including Bhoot Chaturdashi, Dhanteras, Kali Chaudas, Narak Chaturdashi (Abhyang Snan), Diwali (Lakshmi Puja), Kali Puja, Bali Pratipada (Diwali Padwa / Bestu Varas), Govardhan Puja / Annakut.
Which traditional year does 2013 correspond to in the Diwali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2013 spans Vikram Samvat 2069 – 2070. 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 2013 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 2013 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 2013?
2013 had 5 eclipses:
- 26 April 2013 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 10 May 2013 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 25 May 2013 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
- 19 October 2013 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
- 3 November 2013 - Partial 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 2013?
Yes - 1 sign change among the slow grahas in 2013:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Mithuna on 31 May 2013
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 2013 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.
