Diwali Calendar 2020
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 2020, from Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) on 12 November through Labh Pancham on 19 November. November holds the most with 11 dates. The year runs through Vikram Samvat 2076 – 2077. 2020 carries an Adhik Maas (Ashwina (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several dates later than usual.
November 2020
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Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi)
Tithi 12:42 AM, Nov 12 – 9:36 PM, Nov 12
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 9:32 PM, Nov 12 – 6:01 PM, Nov 13
The first day of Diwali — gold, silver and new utensils are bought to invite prosperity.
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Bhoot Chaturdashi
Tithi 9:32 PM, Nov 12 – 6:01 PM, Nov 13
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 9:32 PM, Nov 12 – 6:01 PM, Nov 13
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 6:00 PM, Nov 13 – 2:18 PM, Nov 14
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 6:00 PM, Nov 13 – 2:18 PM, Nov 14
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 6:00 PM, Nov 13 – 2:18 PM, Nov 14
On Diwali's new-moon night, Goddess Kali is worshipped through the night across Bengal.
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Govardhan Puja / Annakut
Tithi 2:16 PM, Nov 14 – 10:37 AM, Nov 15
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 2:16 PM, Nov 14 – 10:37 AM, Nov 15
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 10:28 AM, Nov 15 – 7:06 AM, Nov 16
Sisters apply a tilak and pray for their brothers' well-being, closing the Diwali festival.
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Labh Pancham
Tithi 11:14 PM, Nov 18 – 9:49 PM, Nov 19
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 2020
Beyond the dates the Diwali Calendar lists, 2020 brought 6 eclipses - 2 solar and 4 lunar - of which 4 were above the horizon somewhere in India. The year also carried an Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month of Ashwina, running from 18 September 2020 to 16 October 2020. Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) fell on 14 November, 19 days later in the year than in 2019 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 2020
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Hindu date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Jan 12:40 AM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Pausha Krishna Pratipada | Penumbral only |
| 6 Jun 12:54 AM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Jyeshtha Krishna Pratipada | Penumbral only |
| 21 Jun 12:10 PM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Ashadha Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 5 Jul 9:59 AM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Ashadha Purnima | Not visible |
| 30 Nov 3:12 PM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Margashirsha Purnima | Penumbral only |
| 14 Dec 9:43 PM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Margashirsha 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 2020
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Jan 10:00 AM | Shani (Saturn) | Dhanu → Makara |
| 30 Mar 4:00 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Dhanu → Makara |
| 30 Jun 5:30 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Makara → Dhanu re-entry while retrograde |
| 20 Nov 1:30 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Dhanu → Makara |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Vrishabha on 23 September 2020, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Diwali Calendar 2020
How many festivals and vrats does the Diwali Calendar list in 2020?
The Diwali Calendar lists 11 dates in 2020. The first is Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) on Thursday, 12 November 2020, and the last is Labh Pancham on Thursday, 19 November 2020.
What are the main festival dates in the Diwali Calendar for 2020?
The first major observances of 2020 are:
- Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) - Thursday, 12 November 2020
- Bhoot Chaturdashi - Friday, 13 November 2020
- Dhanteras - Friday, 13 November 2020
- Kali Chaudas - Friday, 13 November 2020
- Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) - Saturday, 14 November 2020
- Kali Puja - Saturday, 14 November 2020
Which month of 2020 has the most observances in the Diwali Calendar?
November 2020 is the fullest month with 11 dates, including Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi), Bhoot Chaturdashi, Dhanteras, Kali Chaudas, Diwali (Lakshmi Puja), Kali Puja, Narak Chaturdashi (Abhyang Snan), Bali Pratipada (Diwali Padwa / Bestu Varas).
Which traditional year does 2020 correspond to in the Diwali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2020 spans Vikram Samvat 2076 – 2077. 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 2020 have an Adhik Maas?
Yes. 2020 carried an Adhik Maas (Ashwina (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 2020 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.
Were there any eclipses in 2020?
2020 had 6 eclipses:
- 11 January 2020 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
- 6 June 2020 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
- 21 June 2020 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 5 July 2020 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
- 30 November 2020 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
- 14 December 2020 - 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 2020?
Yes - 4 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2020:
- Shani (Saturn) entered Makara on 24 January 2020
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Makara on 30 March 2020
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Dhanu on 30 June 2020, moving retrograde
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Makara on 20 November 2020
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 2020 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.
