Naraka Chaturdashi
| Naraka Chaturdashi | |
|---|---|
| Also called | Roop Chaturdashi Kali Chaturdashi |
| Observed by | Hindus |
| Type | Religious |
| Significance | Commemoration of the victory of Krishna over Narakasura |
| Observances | Prayers, religious rituals |
| Date | 29 Ashvin (amanta tradition) 14 Kartika (purnimanta tradition) |
| Frequency | annual |
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. | |
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Naraka Chaturdashi (also known as Kali Chaudas, Narak Chaudas, Roop Chaudas, Choti Diwali, 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). 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 (sometimes translated as hell or a demon from hell, lit. [nr/nar] “man” and [aka] “unhappiness: man's unhappiness") was killed on this day by Krishna and Satyabhama. The day is celebrated by early morning religious rituals, followed by festivities.