There is much confusion about whether Diwali is to be celebrated on October 31 or November 1, with different Vedic experts putting forth a case for both dates.
This confusion arises as the Vedic calendar has two nights with no moon –October 31 and November 1. Diwali is celebrated on a night without the moon. The belief behind the celebration is that when Ram returned to Ayodhya from his 14-year exile, the moon was not up so the people of Ayodhya put out earthen lamps (diyas) to welcome him, Sita and Laxman.
The belief behind the worship of Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth) is that it is this day the Goddess had appeared when the gods and the demons churned the seas in search of nectar.
According to Acharya Chandrashekhar Shastri, October 31 is the correct date as it is amawasya (no moon) and also the night when the constellation is Swati. This is in contrast with the Ganga Sabha which has announced that if there are two no moon nights, the festival should be celebrated on the second day.
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Pandit Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid who consults the Vedic calendar for auspicious dates at the Ram Mandir, Ayodhya and the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi said the festival should be celebrated on November 1. The logic offered is that the no moon phase will kick in only at mid-day on October 31 while on November 1, the day will start off in a no moon phase.
Different experts on the panchang (alamanc) have calculated the day of the festival based on not just the placement of the moon but also on the place of other prominent constellations on the day.
In Uttarakhand, Diwali will be celebrated on October 31 while it will be celebrated the next day at the Chardham. In Uttar Pradesh, the festival will be celebrated on October 31.
