सनातन पुस्तकालय Sanatan Cultural Library

Diwali — Deepavali, "a row of lamps" — is the Hindu festival of the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil. In the north it marks Rama's return to Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile and the defeat of Ravana, when the city welcomed him home with rows of lamps. In most homes the heart of the festival is Lakshmi Puja: on the darkest night of the year, the goddess of prosperity is invited into a clean, lamp-lit home. In Bengal the same night is Kali Puja; in South India, Naraka Chaturdashi — Krishna's victory over Narakasura — is the principal day. Many strands, one meaning: when the night is darkest, light the lamp.

Dhanteras opens the festival — the day of Dhanvantari and of wealth, when families traditionally buy metal (gold, silver, or simply a new utensil) and light the first lamp. Naraka Chaturdashi (Chhoti Diwali) follows, commemorating Krishna's dawn victory over Narakasura, with oil baths before sunrise in the south. The third day is Diwali proper: Lakshmi Puja on Kartik Amavasya, performed in the fixed evening muhurta while lamps burn at every threshold. The fourth day is Govardhan Puja (Annakut), honouring Krishna's lifting of Govardhan hill, when mountains of food are offered. Bhai Dooj closes the festival — sisters honour brothers, mirroring Raksha Bandhan. The exact Ottawa date and timing for each day appears in the Festivals & Dates list on this page, computed from the actual positions of the sun and moon for your timezone.

Because tithis begin and end at precise astronomical moments, the Ottawa date of Diwali can differ by a day from the date observed in India — always check a Canadian-timezone calendar rather than an Indian one; the dates on this page are computed exactly for Ottawa. Lakshmi Puja is a home worship at heart, and it travels beautifully: clean the house, set diyas at the door and windows, draw a small rangoli, and perform the puja in the evening muhurta shown on our Muhurat page. Ottawa's mandirs hold Diwali and Annakut celebrations — see our guide to Hindu temples in Ottawa for locations, and confirm each temple's programme directly. October–November in Ottawa is cold: battery tealights on windowsills work well outdoors, and fireworks rules vary by municipality, so check City of Ottawa bylaws before planning any.

The essentials are simple. Clean the home before sunset — tradition says Lakshmi enters the welcoming house. Set up the altar with images of Lakshmi and Ganesha (Ganesha is always worshipped first), a kalash, flowers, and sweets. In the evening muhurta, light the lamp, offer flowers, kheer or batasha, recite Lakshmi mantras or the Lakshmi Chalisa and aarti — Om Jai Lakshmi Mata — and place lit diyas through the house, letting at least one burn through the night. Our library has the full Lakshmi Chalisa, the aarti, and the 108 names of Lakshmi, each with meaning, linked below.