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Diwali festivities span across five days starting with Dhanteras. Chhoti Diwali is celebrated a day before Diwali. This year it will be celebrated on October 30.
Choti Diwali 2024: The Chaturdashi Tithi will prevail from 1:15 PM on October 30 to 3:52 PM on October 31. (Image: Shutterstock)
The festival of Diwali is considered to be the most important day for Hindus across the world. Preparations are in full swing as people are gearing up for celebrating the festival of lights. With its dazzling displays of fireworks, traditional rituals, and delicious sweets, Diwali is loved by all. This year, Diwali will be celebrated on October 31.
The festivities encompass a flurry of activities, including adorning homes with radiant lights, decorative lanterns, and vibrant colours to hopping to marketplaces for shopping. Diwali celebrations span across five days starting with Dhanteras. A day before Diwali, in many parts of India, people celebrate Choti Diwali.
As per Hindu calendar, Choti Diwali is celebrated on the 14th day, or Chaturdashi Tithi, of the dark fortnight (Krishna Paksha) in the month of Kartik, while Diwali is celebrated the next day on Amavasya Tithi. The festive day often aligns with Narak Chaturdashi.
Let’s look into what Choti Diwali is, its traditions, significance and rituals of this pre-Diwali celebration.
What is Choti Diwali? A Brief Overview
The auspicious day marks the triumph of good over evil and is observed with great enthusiasm across India.
As per Hindu mythology, demon Narakasura had abducted almost 16,000 women. On this day, Lord Krishna, with the help of his wife Satyabhama, defeated the demon king and rescued the women from his captivity. Naraka Chaturdashi is celebrated to mark this victory and to seek blessings of Lord Krishna.
On this day, in many states, devotees worship Lord Krishna and Bhudevi as Satyabhama.
The festival is known by names like Naraka Chaudas and Naraka Nivaran Chaturdashi across different parts of the country.
Choti Diwali 2024: Significance
Choti Diwali holds immense spiritual and religious significance, particularly in Hindu households. People clean and decorate their homes with lights, flowers, diyas, candles and garlands on this day.
The festive day is considered auspicious as it is believed that Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, visits homes of her devotees on Chhoti Diwali. On this day, celebration with family and friends over traditional dishes is a common practice in many states.
Choti Diwali 2024: Rituals and Traditions
Early Morning Bath
People take an early morning bath with oil and herbal ingredients called Abhyanga Snana, or Ganga Snana. It is believed that this oil bath ritual symbolises removing negative elements or energies in one’s life. It also ushers a new beginning of positivity, hope and prosperity.
Godana
In some regions, people also perform the ritual of Godana, where cow dung is smeared on the walls of their homes to bring prosperity and good luck.
Diyas and Rangoli
People light earthen lamps and create colourful rangoli on their doorsteps to welcome Goddess Lakshmi.
Puja
A puja is also performed to worship Lord Krishna and Goddess Lakshmi, seeking their blessings for wealth and prosperity.
Choti Diwali 2024: Step-by-Step Puja Vidhi Guide
1. Clean your home thoroughly and decorate it with flowers and rangoli.
2. Take aAbhyanga Snana, a sacred bath on this day.
3. Face northeast when performing puja on Naraka Chaturdashi.
4. Light a ghee diya and place it in front of idols or photos Lord Krishna, Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Yama and Lord Hanuman.
5. Chant the aavahan mantras of the deities to invoke Lord Krishna and Goddess Lakshmi.
6. Then, flowers, oil, fruits, and sweets are offered to the gods and goddesses. Sesame seeds, rice flakes, ghee, jaggery and sugar are generally offered as prasad.
7. After worship, devotees also pay homage to Lord Yama, the God of Death, by reciting mantras, immersing black sesame seeds in water, and lighting Yama Diya outside the home.
Choti Diwali 2024: Auspicious Timings and Muhurat
The Chaturdashi Tithi will prevail from 1:15 PM on October 30 to 3:52 PM on October 31, as per Drik Panchang. The Abhyang Snan Muhurat is from 5:20 AM to 6:32 AM.
Choti Diwali 2024: Celebrations across India
Naraka Chaturdashi is celebrated as Kali Chaudas, Roop Chaudas, and Bhoot Chaturdashi in some parts of India. People in Maharashtra commemorate Naraka Chaturdashi as Abhyanga Snana. Hindus decorate their houses, light earthen lamps, worship Lord Krishna, and perform a special puja.
Choti Diwali vs Badi Diwali
Both Chhoti Diwali and Badi Diwali are significant festivals for Hindus in India and abroad. Chhoti Diwali, typically celebrated a day before Diwali on the Chaturdashi Tithi, marks the triumph of Lord Krishna over the demon Narakasura.
The day symbolises the victory of good over evil, and devotees take an early morning bath and perform puja to seek blessings of Lord Krishna and Goddess Lakshmi.
Apart from this, people also light a lamp in the name of Lord Yama, the Hindu god of death, on this day. It’s believed that worshipping Lord Yama on this day helps to get rid of punishment for all your sins.
Badi Diwali, on the other hand, is celebrated on the Amavasya Tithi in the month of Kartik. On this day, Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Ganesh, and Goddess Saraswati are worshipped in the evening.
It is believed that Goddess Lakshmi comes to earth and visits the homes of devotees. So, to welcome her, diyas are lit, and homes are decorated with rangoli, lights and flowers. People also burst crackers and perform puja.
The day also marks the return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile. In West Bengal, Goddess Kali is worshipped on this day. In many parts, it’s a traditional practice to launch new business ventures and open new accounts for businesses on Diwali day.
Choti Diwali primarily focuses on the victory of good over evil, while Badi Diwali marks the celebration of the return of Lord Ram as well as the prosperity, wellness and affluence in life with the blessings of Maa Lakshmi and Lord Ganesh.
