On Monday, diplomatic missions from Finland, Israel, Austria, Brazil, the EU, and Switzerland extended Diwali greetings to the people.
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Diwali (Deepavali) 2025 Puja Date, Muhurat Timings, Wishes, Images, Quotes Highlights: India celebrates Diwali, or Deepavali—one of the country’s eagerly awaited Hindu festivals, today, on Monday, October 20. According to drikpanchang.com, the Amavasya will begin on October 20, 2025, at 3:44 PM and conclude on October 21, 2025, at 5:54 PM, while the Lakshmi Puja Muhurta starts from 7:21 PM to 8:19 PM, on the same day.
The festival marks the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after a 14-year exile, signifying the triumph of good over evil. On the day of the festival, devotees worship Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Kubera, decorate their homes with vibrant rangoli, exchange sweets, and illuminate every corner with diyas and lights. Diwali, often called the “Festival of Lights,” stands as a symbol of joy, prosperity, and the power of righteousness.
Celebrate this joyous festival by sending heartfelt messages and warm wishes to family, friends, and colleagues; it’s a beautiful way to strengthen bonds and spread positivity.
Wishing you a Diwali full of lights, laughter, and endless happiness. May 2025 bring prosperity and joy to you and your loved ones!
May the festival of lights illuminate your life with peace, prosperity, and good fortune. Happy Diwali 2025!
Let this Diwali burn all your worries and brighten your life with happiness and success. Have a sparkling 2025!
On Monday, diplomatic missions from Finland, Israel, Austria, Brazil, the EU, and Switzerland extended Diwali greetings to the people.
Diwali 2025 will be celebrated with great devotion and joy, and the most auspicious event of the evening is Lakshmi Puja, dedicated to invoking the blessings of Goddess Lakshmi for wealth, prosperity, and happiness. This year, the Puja falls on Monday, October 20, 2025, and devotees can perform it during the most favourable period to maximise its spiritual significance.
The Lakshmi Puja Muhurta is from 07:21 PM to 08:19 PM, lasting 58 minutes, which is considered the ideal time for offering prayers.
The ceremony also coincides with the Pradosh period from 05:51 PM to 08:19 PM, enhancing the auspiciousness of the rituals.
Additionally, the Taurus period, from 07:21 PM to 09:22 PM, provides a favourable astrological window, making this an ideal evening for celebration and devotion.
Source referred: Drik Panchang
The Kapoor family came together this year to celebrate Diwali, and the festivities were as lavish as ever. From Alia Bhatt and Kareena Kapoor to Neetu Kapoor, several family members shared glimpses of the celebration on Instagram. Check here.
Diwali, or Deepavali? Deepavali is celebrated differently in Tamil Nadu and across South India. According to writer Sabita Radhakrishna, the event is known as Deepavali in Tamil Nadu, and there are some distinct distinctions between how the north and south celebrate it, particularly in the food items and customs they follow.
This 70-year-old former school teacher is spreading the Diwali cheer by surprising Kolkata residents with Rangoli designs on their doorsteps.
Diwali, from the Sanskrit Deepavali, means ‘festival of lights’. While the festival is often linked to Rama’s triumphant return to Ayodhya after exile, Devdutt Pattanaik shares with us that this is just one story among many that light up Diwali. Read more here.
Send warm wishes this festive season with IndianExpress.com's vibrant Diwali 2025 greeting image cards, perfect for sharing joy and light with loved ones.
Tamil superstar Rajinikanth greets fans on Diwali from his Poes Garden residence, extending festive wishes to his admirers gathered outside.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued his annual tradition of marking Diwali with the Indian armed forces, joining Navy personnel aboard INS Vikrant near the coasts of Goa and Karwar (Karnataka) on Monday to celebrate the festival of lights. Watch the live speech below.
Diwali is being celebrated today, Monday, October 20. This year’s Festival of Light festivities began with Dhanteras on Saturday, October 19, and are set to conclude with Bhai Dooj on Thursday, October 23. Check the complete 5-day Diwali calendar with muhurat timings for each day here.
Mark this joyous festival by sharing heartfelt messages and warm wishes with family, friends, and colleagues--a wonderful way to nurture connections and spread positivity. Take a look.
Wishing you a Diwali full of lights, laughter, and love. May this festival bring happiness and prosperity to your life.
दीपों का यह पर्व आपके जीवन में खुशियाँ और समृद्धि लेकर आए। आपको और आपके परिवार को दिवाली की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएँ।
May Goddess Lakshmi bless you with wealth, health, and happiness this Diwali and always. Have a joyous Diwali 2025!
इस दिवाली, आपके जीवन की अंधकार दूर हो जाए और खुशियों की रौशनी फैल जाए। हैप्पी दिवाली 2025!
May this Diwali bring joy, wealth, and success to you and your family. Wishing you a sparkling and joyous Diwali!
लक्ष्मी माता आपके घर में धन, सुख और समृद्धि लाएँ। इस दिवाली आपके जीवन में खुशियों की रोशनी छा जाए।
Diwali Muhurat Trading has been a tradition since 1957, marking an auspicious time for new investments, symbolising the start of the Hindu fiscal year. This year, in 2025, Muhurat Trading is scheduled for Tuesday, October 21. Check the schedule here.
In many rural regions of India, people continue to use geru (red ochre) and chawal ka atta (rice flour) to create intricate Lakshmi-Ganesh designs on walls. At the same time, sustainable lighting options such as solar lanterns and bamboo or rattan lamps are being embraced. The use of green crackers is also supporting this eco-friendly shift. Discover more about these homegrown ways to celebrate the festival of lights.
Photo: Swasti Pachauri
Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished everyone a happy Diwali on X, saying, âMay this festival of lights fill our lives with harmony, happiness, and prosperity, and may the spirit of positivity surround us all.â
PM Modi further tweeted, wishing all the citizens, "Heartiest greetings of Diwali to all my fellow citizens. May this auspicious festival of lights illuminate everyone's lives with happiness, prosperity, and harmony."
Diwali is the festival of lights and flavour. From traditional sweets to crunchy snacks, try out these must-have festive treats that brighten up your celebrations.
Aloo Tikki: Pan-fried, spicy, and crunchy outside with soft insides. A festive snack that works as an appetiser or party finger food.
Besan Chakli: Crispy, spiral-shaped snack made from gram flour and spices. Perfect for nibbling with chai and a Diwali favourite across India.
Dry Fruit Laddoo: Rich, energy boosting, and guilt-free. Made with dates, almonds, cashews, and ghee, these laddoos are a nutritious sweet option for the festive season.
As people celebrate Diwali today, on Monday, October 20, the Festival of Lights, with enthusiasm and joy, banks across several Indian cities, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and more, are closed today. However, banks will remain in operation in Agartala, Aizawl, and Patna, as stated in the RBI Holiday Calendar 2025.
India’s biggest festival, Diwali — the festival of lights — is here, celebrated across the country for the joy and warmth it brings. It’s a time for giving, sharing, and indulging in delightful sweets.
One must-try treat is the Rajasthani Malpua: flat, thick, round dumplings which are infused with fennel seeds, soaked in syrup, and made with a rich blend of paneer, sugar, ground nutmeg, cornflour, saffron, ghee, almonds, and pistachios.
Read to discover more unique sweets that may be hard to find but are absolutely worth tasting.
(Image Source: Canva Pro)
Mathura was aglow today as a magnificent Deepdaan marked the celebrations of Diwali. Thousands of lamps were lit at the birthplace of Lord Krishna, creating a mesmerising spectacle. Devotees thronged in large numbers, celebrating the festival of lights with heartfelt devotion.
"As my students scribble in their notebooks, they don’t know that I am secretly, silently, weirdly, grownup-ly, sending to them the sum of my old and new Diwali," writes Devapriya Roy. Read here.
As Delhi prepares to celebrate Diwali today, the city is already shrouded in a dense layer of smog. Firecracker bursts, stubble burning, and vehicular emissions from heavy traffic have pushed Delhi’s air quality into the ‘hazardous’ range, with a reported AQI of 354 at 7 a.m., according to private monitor and forecaster AQI.in.
(File Image)
According to drikpanchang.com, on the day of Diwali, devotees rise early to honour their ancestors and family deities, seeking their blessings. Being a new moon day, it is also considered auspicious for performing Shraddha rituals for departed ancestors. Traditionally, a fast is observed throughout the day. Worshippers of Goddess Lakshmi refrain from eating until after the evening Lakshmi Puja, breaking their fast only once the rituals are complete. (File Image)
Rangoli is an integral part of Diwali celebrations, adorning homes with vibrant patterns to welcome the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity.
Rangoli, which comes from a Sanskrit word ‘rangavalli’, which is a combination of the words rang and aavalli. Rang means colour, and aavalli means rows or lines; hence the colourful patterns.
Take a look at simple yet beautiful Rangoli design inspiration that can elevate your festive décor.
Diwali is celebrated in the Hindu lunisolar months of Ashvin and Kartika, which fall between mid-October and mid-November in the Gregorian calendar. It falls on Kartik Amavasya, the new moon night of Kartik, known as the darkest night of the year. This year, Diwali is being marked on Monday, October 20, 2025.
According to drikpanchang.com, the Amavasya will begin on October 20, 2025, at 3:44 PM and conclude on October 21, 2025, at 5:54 PM, marking the new moon phase and a significant time for spiritual practices and offerings.
The Lakshmi Puja Muhurta is from 7:21 PM to 8:19 PM, lasting 58 minutes. The Pradosh period is from 5:51 PM to 8:19 PM, and the Taurus period is from 7:21 PM to 9:22 PM.
We celebrate Diwali today, Monday, October 20 — a day to light up your home, your heart, and share warm wishes with loved ones. The Indian Express has compiled a collection of heartfelt Diwali wishes and greetings to share the joy of the season.
May the festival of lights brighten your life with happiness, prosperity, and good health. Happy Diwali 2025
Wishing you a sparkling Diwali filled with joy, love, and laughter. Have a blessed Diwali 2025
May Goddess Lakshmi shower her choicest blessings on you this Diwali. Wishing you a prosperous and happy Diwali 2025
