Tue Oct 29 14:20:18 UTC 2024: ## Diwali to be Celebrated for 6 Days, Confusion Remains Over Exact Date

**Indore, Madhya Pradesh:** This year’s Diwali celebrations will span six days instead of the usual five, with confusion surrounding the exact date of Diwali itself. While the festival will be celebrated on both October 31st and November 1st due to discrepancies in astrological calculations, Govardhan Puja will be observed on November 2nd and Bhai Dooj on November 3rd.

Ujjain astrologer Pt. Amar Dibbawala explained that the Kartik Krishna Paksha Ekadashi, known as Rama Ekadashi, is a five-day period starting with a fast and followed by special worship of Goddess Lakshmi. This year, the Ekadashi falls on Monday, October 28th, and due to a temporal overlap, the Govatas Dwadashi will also be observed on the same day.

Dibbawala further clarified that the five-day festival period includes Rama Ekadashi, Govatas Dwadashi, Dhanvantari Jayanti (Dhanteras), Rupa Chaudas, and Diwali. However, differences in astrological interpretations and locations have led to the confusion regarding the exact date of Diwali. While Dibbawala insists that Diwali falls on October 31st, some panchangs (calendars) indicate November 1st as the correct date.

He added that experts from the Banaras Hindu University and Rajasthan’s Department of Astrology also concur with the October 31st date for Diwali.

Additionally, Dhanteras coincides with Bhaum Pradosh, a special kind of Pradosh that falls on a Tuesday. This combination makes the day auspicious for purchasing new items, especially gold, silver, utensils, and other valuables.

The article also provides information regarding the auspicious times for shopping during Dhanteras, highlighting the significance of the Budh Adity Yoga formed by the conjunction of Sun and Mercury in Libra.

The news piece concludes by reiterating the disagreement among astrologers regarding the exact date of Diwali and highlights the ongoing debate between those advocating for October 31st and those favoring November 1st.

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