Diwali Calendar 2028
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 2028, from Dhanteras on 15 October through Labh Pancham on 22 October. October holds the most with 11 dates. The year runs through Vikram Samvat 2084 – 2085.
October 2028
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Dhanteras
Tithi 10:30 PM, Oct 14 – 7:21 PM, Oct 15
The first day of Diwali — gold, silver and new utensils are bought to invite prosperity.
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Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi)
Tithi 10:30 PM, Oct 14 – 7:21 PM, Oct 15
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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Kali Chaudas
Tithi 7:19 PM, Oct 15 – 3:47 PM, Oct 16
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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Bhoot Chaturdashi
Tithi 7:19 PM, Oct 15 – 3:47 PM, Oct 16
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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Diwali (Lakshmi Puja)
Tithi 3:46 PM, Oct 16 – 12:05 PM, Oct 17
The festival of lights — homes glow with diyas and Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped for wealth; Sindhis keep it as Diyari.
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Narak Chaturdashi (Abhyang Snan)
Tithi 3:46 PM, Oct 16 – 12:05 PM, Oct 17
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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Kali Puja
Tithi 3:46 PM, Oct 16 – 12:05 PM, Oct 17
On Diwali's new-moon night, Goddess Kali is worshipped through the night across Bengal.
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Govardhan Puja / Annakut
Tithi 12:02 PM, Oct 17 – 8:26 AM, Oct 18
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 12:02 PM, Oct 17 – 8:26 AM, Oct 18
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 5:01 AM, Oct 19 – 1:47 AM, Oct 20
Sisters apply a tilak and pray for their brothers' well-being, closing the Diwali festival.
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Labh Pancham
Tithi 9:45 PM, Oct 21 – 8:44 PM, Oct 22
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 the sky brings in 2028
Beyond the dates the Diwali Calendar lists, 2028 brings 5 eclipses - 2 solar and 3 lunar - of which 3 are above the horizon somewhere in India. Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) falls on 17 October, 11 days earlier in the year than in 2027 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 2028
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Hindu date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jan 9:43 AM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Pausha Purnima | Not visible |
| 26 Jan 8:37 PM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Magha Amavasya | Not visible |
| 6 Jul 11:49 PM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Ashadha Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 22 Jul 8:25 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Shravana Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 31 Dec 10:22 PM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Pausha Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal is observed for 3 of these.
Guru and Shani in 2028
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Feb 7:30 PM | Shani (Saturn) | Meena → Mesha |
| 28 Feb 7:20 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Kanya → Simha re-entry while retrograde |
| 24 Jul 3:40 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Simha → Kanya |
| 26 Dec 1:50 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Kanya → Tula |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu enters Dhanu on 24 June 2028, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Diwali Calendar 2028
How many festivals and vrats does the Diwali Calendar list in 2028?
The Diwali Calendar lists 11 dates in 2028. The first is Dhanteras on Sunday, 15 October 2028, and the last is Labh Pancham on Sunday, 22 October 2028.
What are the main festival dates in the Diwali Calendar for 2028?
The first major observances of 2028 are:
- Dhanteras - Sunday, 15 October 2028
- Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) - Sunday, 15 October 2028
- Bhoot Chaturdashi - Monday, 16 October 2028
- Kali Chaudas - Monday, 16 October 2028
- Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) - Tuesday, 17 October 2028
- Kali Puja - Tuesday, 17 October 2028
Which month of 2028 has the most observances in the Diwali Calendar?
October 2028 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 2028 correspond to in the Diwali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2028 spans Vikram Samvat 2084 – 2085. 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.
Will there be an Adhik Maas in 2028?
No. 2028 has 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.
Will there be any eclipses in 2028?
2028 has 5 eclipses:
- 12 January 2028 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
- 26 January 2028 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 6 July 2028 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal will be observed
- 22 July 2028 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal will be observed
- 31 December 2028 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal will be observed
Sutak Kaal is observed only for an eclipse actually visible where you are, so 3 of these will be kept in India.
Will Guru or Shani change sign in 2028?
Yes - 4 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2028:
- Shani (Saturn) enters Mesha on 23 February 2028
- Guru (Jupiter) enters Simha on 28 February 2028, moving retrograde
- Guru (Jupiter) enters Kanya on 24 July 2028
- Guru (Jupiter) enters Tula on 26 December 2028
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 2028 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.
