Lakshmi / Vishnu
Diwali
The festival of lights
Lamps are lit to welcome Rama home from exile and to invite Lakshmi across the threshold. It is the most domestic of the great festivals: the observance is the house itself, cleaned, opened and lit.
Add Diwali to calendar (downloads an .ics file)
A recommended mantra for this sacred day
Lakshmi is invoked alongside Narayana rather than apart from him; the Ashtakshara is the chant that holds the household prayer of the night.
Read the Sanskrit and meaning on the Om Namo Narayanaya — Ashtakshara Mantra page, or explore the full mantra library.
Date shown for New Delhi, India. Observance can differ by location because tithi, sunrise and timezone affect the applicable date — please confirm local temple or pañcāṅga timings if precise observance times matter to your practice.