Tag: hindu festivals
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Makar Sankranti 2027: Date, Punya Kaal and the Festival of the Turning Sun
Makar Sankranti 2027 falls on Friday, 15 January. A complete guide to the date and Punya Kaal timings, why some calendars say 14 January, what Uttarayana really means, and how one solar festival becomes Pongal, Lohri, Magh Bihu and Maghi across India.
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Gita Jayanti 2026: Date, Meaning and How to Observe the Day the Gita Was Spoken
Gita Jayanti 2026 falls on Sunday, 20 December. Here is what the day commemorates, why the Gita alone among Hindu scriptures has a birthday, how Mokshada Ekadashi shares the date, and how to observe it at home.
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Kartik Purnima and Dev Deepawali 2026: Meaning, Legends and How India Celebrates
Kartik Purnima 2026 falls on Tuesday 24 November — the full moon on which tradition says the gods themselves come down to bathe in the Ganga. The legends behind it, the million lamps at Varanasi, the beacon on Arunachala, and how to keep the day wherever you live.
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The Hindu Calendar Explained: Why Festival Dates Change Every Year
Why is Diwali on a different date every year, why does your mother in Chennai name a different month than your cousin in Delhi, and why does the temple down the road from you keep the festival a day late? A plain-English guide to the tithi, the panchanga, amanta and purnimanta, the extra month, and…
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Why We Light Diyas on Diwali: The Meaning of the Lamp
Deepavali literally means a row of lamps. A close look at why the diya sits at the centre of Diwali: its symbolism, the different stories behind the lamps across India, how many to light and where, the 2026 dates, and why the lamp still matters.
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The Stories Behind Diwali: Every Legend of the Festival of Lights
Rama’s return, Krishna and Narakasura, Lakshmi and the churning ocean, Kali Puja in Bengal, Bali Pratipada, Mahavira’s nirvana and Bandi Chhor Divas — every Diwali legend, the text it comes from, and where the honest uncertainty lies. With Diwali 2026 dates.
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The Five Days of Diwali Explained: Rituals, Dates and Meaning
Diwali is not one evening but five distinct days, each with its own deity, story and rituals. A day-by-day guide to Dhanteras, Naraka Chaturdashi, Lakshmi Puja, Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj, with 2026 dates and honest notes on where calendars disagree.
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Significance of Diwali: The Spiritual Meaning of the Festival of Lights
Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, 8 November. A guide to what the festival actually means — the five days, the regional stories and the texts they come from, the spiritual meaning of lighting a lamp on the darkest night, and why the muhurat timings you read online may not apply where you live.
