Diwali Calendar 2017
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 2017, from Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) on 16 October through Labh Pancham on 25 October. October holds the most with 11 dates. The year runs through Vikram Samvat 2073 – 2074.
October 2017
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Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi)
Tithi 1:04 AM, Oct 16 – 12:20 AM, Oct 17
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 12:26 AM, Oct 17 – 12:02 AM, Oct 18
The first day of Diwali — gold, silver and new utensils are bought to invite prosperity.
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Bhoot Chaturdashi
Tithi 12:08 AM, Oct 18 – 12:06 AM, Oct 19
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 12:08 AM, Oct 18 – 12:06 AM, Oct 19
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 12:08 AM, Oct 18 – 12:06 AM, Oct 19
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 12:12 AM, Oct 19 – 12:34 AM, Oct 20
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 12:12 AM, Oct 19 – 12:34 AM, Oct 20
On Diwali's new-moon night, Goddess Kali is worshipped through the night across Bengal.
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Govardhan Puja / Annakut
Tithi 12:41 AM, Oct 20 – 1:29 AM, Oct 21
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 12:41 AM, Oct 20 – 1:29 AM, Oct 21
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 1:36 AM, Oct 21 – 2:51 AM, Oct 22
Sisters apply a tilak and pray for their brothers' well-being, closing the Diwali festival.
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Labh Pancham
Tithi 7:02 AM, Oct 24 – 9:38 AM, Oct 25
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 2017
Beyond the dates the Diwali Calendar lists, 2017 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) fell on 19 October, 12 days earlier in the year than in 2016 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 2017
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Hindu date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Feb 6:13 AM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Magha Krishna Pratipada | Penumbral only |
| 26 Feb 8:23 PM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Phalguna Amavasya | Not visible |
| 7 Aug 11:50 PM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Shravana Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 21 Aug 11:55 PM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Bhadrapada 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 2017
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 26 Jan 7:40 PM | Shani (Saturn) | Vrishchika → Dhanu |
| 21 Jun 4:40 AM | Shani (Saturn) | Dhanu → Vrishchika re-entry while retrograde |
| 12 Sep 7:00 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Kanya → Tula |
| 26 Oct 3:30 PM | Shani (Saturn) | Vrishchika → Dhanu |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Karka on 18 August 2017, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Diwali Calendar 2017
How many festivals and vrats does the Diwali Calendar list in 2017?
The Diwali Calendar lists 11 dates in 2017. The first is Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) on Monday, 16 October 2017, and the last is Labh Pancham on Wednesday, 25 October 2017.
What are the main festival dates in the Diwali Calendar for 2017?
The first major observances of 2017 are:
- Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) - Monday, 16 October 2017
- Dhanteras - Tuesday, 17 October 2017
- Bhoot Chaturdashi - Wednesday, 18 October 2017
- Kali Chaudas - Wednesday, 18 October 2017
- Narak Chaturdashi (Abhyang Snan) - Wednesday, 18 October 2017
- Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) - Thursday, 19 October 2017
Which month of 2017 has the most observances in the Diwali Calendar?
October 2017 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 2017 correspond to in the Diwali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2017 spans Vikram Samvat 2073 – 2074. 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 2017 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 2017 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 2017?
2017 had 4 eclipses:
- 11 February 2017 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
- 26 February 2017 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 7 August 2017 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 21 August 2017 - 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 2017?
Yes - 4 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2017:
- Shani (Saturn) entered Dhanu on 26 January 2017
- Shani (Saturn) entered Vrishchika on 21 June 2017, moving retrograde
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Tula on 12 September 2017
- Shani (Saturn) entered Dhanu on 26 October 2017
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 2017 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.
