Naraka Chaturdashi

Naraka Chaturdashi
Also calledRoop Chaturdashi
Kali Chaturdashi
Observed byHindus
TypeReligious
SignificanceCommemoration of the victory of Krishna over Narakasura
ObservancesPrayers, religious rituals
Date29 Ashvin (amanta tradition)
14 Kartika (purnimanta tradition)
2023 date12 November
Frequencyannual
Explanatory note
Hindu festival dates

The Hindu calendar is lunisolar but most festival dates are specified using the lunar portion of the calendar. A lunar day is uniquely identified by three calendar elements: māsa (lunar month), pakṣa (lunar fortnight) and tithi (lunar day).

Furthermore, when specifying the masa, one of two traditions are applicable, viz. amānta / pūrṇimānta. If a festival falls in the waning phase of the moon, these two traditions identify the same lunar day as falling in two different (but successive) masa.

A lunar year is shorter than a solar year by about eleven days. As a result, most Hindu festivals occur on different days in successive years on the Gregorian calendar.

Naraka Chaturdashi (also known as Kali Chaudas, Narak Chaudas, Roop Chaudas, Choti Diwali,[1] Narak Nivaran Chaturdashi and Bhoot Chaturdashi) is an annual Hindu festival that falls on Chaturdashi (the 14th day) of the Krishna Paksha in the Hindu calendar month of Ashvin (according to the amanta tradition) or Kartika (according to the purnimanta tradition).[2] It is the second day of the five-day long festival of Diwali (also known as Deepavali). Hindu literature narrates that the asura (demon) Narakasura (lit. "The demon from hell") was killed on this day by Krishna and Satyabhama.[3] [1]The day is celebrated by early morning religious rituals, and festivities follow on.

Bhoot Chaturdashi is celebrated in Bengal. Fourteen pradips (diyas) are lighted in this occasion.
  1. ^ a b "Naraka Chaturdashi | religious observance | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Ray, Dipti (2007). Prataparudradeva, the Last Great Suryavamshi King of Orissa (A.D. 1497 to A.D. 1540). Northern Book Centre. p. 89. ISBN 978-8172111953. Retrieved 22 October 2014.

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