Naraka Chaturdashi: What, Why, When, How

What it is

Naraka Chaturdashi is the second day of Diwali, the fourteenth tithi (Chaturdashi) of the dark half of the moon. Its morning bath falls on the day before Lakshmi Puja or, in many years, on the morning of the same day. In North India it is called Choti Diwali, "little Diwali", and families light lamps in the evening. In Gujarat it is Kali Chaudas, and in Rajasthan Roop Chaudas, a day of bathing and self-care.

In Tamil Nadu this morning is Deepavali itself. In Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Goa the Deepavali days begin with this dawn; Karnataka also keeps Bali Padyami, the day after the new moon, as a main day. Families wake before dawn, take an oil bath, put on new clothes, light lamps and fireworks, share sweets and greet one another. Tamil families greet each other by asking whether they have had their "Ganga snanam", their holy bath, that morning. In Goa, large figures of the demon Narakasura are burned before dawn. In Bengal the night is Bhoot Chaturdashi, when families light fourteen lamps for their ancestors.

The day recalls Krishna's victory over Narakasura, a cruel king who had seized treasures and captives, and the freeing of everyone he held.

Why it is kept

Indra's complaint. The Vishnu Purana tells that Indra came to Krishna at Dwaraka with a grievance against Naraka, the son of the Earth, who ruled the city of Pragjyotisha. Naraka carried off the daughters of gods, sages and kings and kept them in his palace, and had taken, in H. H. Wilson's translation, “the celestial nectar-dropping earrings of my mother Aditi” (book 5, chapter 29).

Krishna and Satyabhama. Krishna set out on Garuda with his queen Satyabhama, broke through the defences of Pragjyotisha and defeated Naraka. The Earth, Naraka's mother, gave the earrings back, and Krishna freed the women held in the palace, sixteen thousand and more, and took them under his protection. The Bhagavata Purana (book 10, chapter 59) tells the same story. Many South Indian tellings give the final victory to Satyabhama herself.

A last wish. A loved telling, kept above all in South India, says that Naraka, at the end, asked that the day of his defeat be remembered with lamps and joy, so that people would celebrate the victory of light over darkness. That wish is why the day begins in the dark with lamps and the oil bath, and why Goa burns his figure before dawn.

The oil bath. The texts on festival rules set an oil bath (abhyanga snan) before sunrise on this Chaturdashi, in arunodaya, the hour and a half before dawn. Families take it as a cleansing for the new season.

The texts behind the story

• Vishnu Purana, book 5, chapter 29 (Naraka). H. H. Wilson (tr.), The Vishnu Purana (London: John Murray, 1840). Wilson died 1860: public domain. Quoted verbatim. (book 5, chapter 29, p. 581)
• Bhagavata Purana, book 10, chapter 59 (Narakasura). Summarised in our own words. Naraka's last wish is a South Indian telling, not read in a text.
• The oil bath about the time of arunodaya on this Chaturdashi (Bhavishyottara Purana and the digests, with the Dharmasindhu's discussion), the belief that Lakshmi dwells in oil and the Ganga in all waters on this day, the Deccan custom of crushing the bitter karit fruit after the bath, and the lamp and tarpana for Yama. Read in P. V. Kane, History of Dharmasastra, vol. 5, part 1 (Poona: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, 1958). Kane died 1972: cited, not quoted. (vol. 5, part 1, pp. 196–198)

When it is kept

Naraka Chaturdashi is the Krishna Chaturdashi of Ashvin in the amanta calendar (Kartika in the purnimanta calendar) that is present before sunrise, in arunodaya, the 96 minutes before sunrise at your location, when the oil bath is taken. If Chaturdashi holds arunodaya on both days, the first is taken; if on neither, the day whose sunrise has Chaturdashi. This follows the Dharmasindhu. The app shows the arunodaya window for the bath.

The date, from the calendar engine

• Naraka Chaturdashi 2027: Abhyanga Snan falls on Thursday, October 28, 2027 in Washington DC (computed for this city). The date is the same in New Delhi.

The date depends on your city. Every city we cover is on the year page.

Traditions and regional customs

• Smarta (Dharmasindhu): Krishna Chaturdashi in arunodaya
• South Indian and Goan: Deepavali morning
• Gujarati: Kali Chaudas; Rajasthani: Roop Chaudas
• Bengali: Bhoot Chaturdashi, fourteen lamps

Why the day can differ

Arunodaya is the end of your own night, so the bath day can differ between cities. In many years the Chaturdashi of the bath and the Amavasya of Lakshmi Puja fall on the same date, and Choti Diwali and Diwali are kept together. Some panchangs time the bath between moonrise and sunrise instead of in arunodaya; the day is usually the same, but the time window differs.

How to keep it at home

1. Wake before dawn. Within the arunodaya window shown in the app, massage sesame oil into the hair and body, apply a paste of gram flour and turmeric if you wish, and bathe. In South Indian homes the eldest woman often applies the oil to everyone.
2. Put on new or clean clothes, light lamps and say a prayer to Krishna and to the family deity. In South Indian homes this is followed by sweets, greetings and, where allowed, fireworks. Marathi families crush a small bitter fruit (karit) underfoot as a sign of Naraka's defeat.
3. In the evening, light lamps at the door and around the home. Bengali families light fourteen lamps for the ancestors; many North Indian families light a lamp for Yama.
4. Prayers often said: "Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya", the Vishnu Sahasranama and prayers to Krishna. Some North Indian families also worship Hanuman on this day.

Fasting

Naraka Chaturdashi is a feast, not a fast. In South India the day starts with sweets after the oil bath. Anyone with a health condition should take care with a very early cold bath.

Food

South Indian Deepavali sweets and savouries: Mysore pak, adhirasam, murukku, ribbon pakoda and laddoos, often with a small spoon of Deepavali lehiyam, a herbal paste, after the oil bath. Goan homes eat poha dishes in several styles. Bengali families eat a dish of fourteen leafy greens (choddo shaak).

For children

Long ago, a cruel king called Narakasura took away treasures that did not belong to him and locked many people in his palace. Krishna and his brave queen Satyabhama rode on the great eagle Garuda, stopped him and set everyone free. The people were so happy that they lit lamps before sunrise. On this morning many families wake up early, have a special oil bath, wear new clothes and light lamps, because light has won over darkness.

Something to do together

Set an alarm with a grown-up to wake up before sunrise. Light one lamp together while it is still dark, and watch the sky slowly get bright.

Sources

• Panchang engine rule naraka-chaturdashi (packages/panchang/data/festivals.json), with the sources it lists and its note on the moonrise-to-sunrise bath window used by some panchangs.
• H. H. Wilson (tr.), The Vishnu Purana (London, 1840), book 5, chapter 29. Public domain.
• Wikipedia, "Diwali" (the five days and regional customs; Naraka Chaturdashi the day before Diwali).
• P. V. Kane, History of Dharmasastra, vol. 5, part 1 (Poona, 1958), pp. 196–198 (Naraka Chaturdashi). Cited, not quoted.

Related guides

• Diwali (Deepavali)
• Dhanteras (Dhanatrayodashi)
• Govardhan Puja (Annakut)
• Bhai Dooj (Yama Dvitiya)