Naraka Chaturdashi illustration

Annual festival

Naraka Chaturdashi 2028नरक चतुर्दशी

Naraka Chaturdashi commemorates the triumph of Lord Krishna and Satyabhama over the tyrant demon Narakasura on Kartika Krishna Chaturdashi.

Date · New Delhi (28.6139° N, 77.2090° E)

Monday, 16 October 2028

Tradition harmony

All regional traditions Chakra tracks agree on this date:

North (Purnimanta)
16 Oct 2028
South (Amanta)
16 Oct 2028
Tamil
16 Oct 2028
Bengali
16 Oct 2028
ISKCON
16 Oct 2028
Smarta
16 Oct 2028

Tithi window

Begins 16 Oct, 3:46 pm

Ends 17 Oct, 12:05 pm

October 2028

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  • 3 TueSharad Purnima →Sharad Purnima marks the harvest full moon of autumn when the moon radiates nectar-like rays and Lord Krishna danced the divine Raas Leela.
  • 7 SatKarva Chauth →Karva Chauth is a day-long fast kept without food or water for the well-being of a husband, broken after sighting the moon.
  • 11 WedAhoi Ashtami →Ahoi Ashtami is a traditional fasting day observed by mothers for the long life and wellbeing of their children on Kartika Krishna Ashtami.
  • 15 SunDhanteras →Dhanteras opens the Diwali period and is considered auspicious for buying metal, and for honouring Dhanvantari and Lakshmi.
  • 16 MonNaraka Chaturdashi(this page)Naraka Chaturdashi commemorates the triumph of Lord Krishna and Satyabhama over the tyrant demon Narakasura on Kartika Krishna Chaturdashi.
  • 17 TueDiwali →Diwali is the festival of lights marking the victory of light over darkness and the return of Rama to Ayodhya.
  • 17 TueTula Sankranti →Tula Sankranti is the moment the Sun enters the sidereal sign of Libra, marking the start of the harvest month in several regions.
  • 18 WedGovardhan Puja →Govardhan Puja recalls Krishna lifting Mount Govardhan to shelter the people of Braj, and is kept the day after Diwali.
  • 19 ThuBhai Dooj →Bhai Dooj is the day at the close of Diwali on which sisters apply a tilak to their brothers and pray for their long life.
  • 21 SatChhath Puja →Chhath is a four-day festival of thanksgiving to the Sun and the goddess Chhathi Maiya, with offerings made standing in water at sunset and sunrise.
  • 28 SatDev Uthani Ekadashi →Dev Uthani Ekadashi marks the awakening of Lord Vishnu from his four-month cosmic slumber, concluding Chaturmas and opening the Hindu wedding season.
  • 30 MonTulsi Vivah →Tulsi Vivah is the ceremonial wedding of the sacred holy basil plant (Tulsi) to Lord Vishnu in the form of Shaligram on Kartika Shukla Dwadashi.

Also this month: Purnima (1), Satyanarayan Puja (1), Sankashti Chaturthi (1), Ekadashi (2), Pradosh Vrat (2), Masik Shivratri (1), Amavasya (1), Vinayaka Chaturthi (1), Masik Durga Ashtami (1).

Local horizon calculations

City-wise timings

CityLocal dateTithi window (local)vs. New Delhi
New Delhi16 Oct 20283:46 pm – 17 Oct, 12:05 pmSame day
Varanasi16 Oct 20283:46 pm – 17 Oct, 12:05 pmSame day
Mumbai16 Oct 20283:46 pm – 17 Oct, 12:05 pmSame day
Bengaluru16 Oct 20283:46 pm – 17 Oct, 12:05 pmSame day
Kolkata16 Oct 20283:46 pm – 17 Oct, 12:05 pmSame day
Chennai16 Oct 20283:46 pm – 17 Oct, 12:05 pmSame day
London16 Oct 202811:16 am – 17 Oct, 7:35 amSame day
San Francisco16 Oct 20283:16 am – 11:35 pmSame day

Tithi window shown in each city’s own local time — the underlying instant is the same worldwide.

Naraka Chaturdashi, widely celebrated as Choti Diwali, Roop Chaudas, or Kali Chaudas, falls on the fourteenth day (Chaturdashi) of the waning fortnight (Krishna Paksha) in the lunar month of Kartika. It precedes the grand Diwali night of Lakshmi Puja.

The festival marks the historic victory of Lord Krishna and his consort Satyabhama over the tyrannical demon king Narakasura, liberating sixteen thousand captive maidens and restoring justice. In western and southern traditions, it also honors the day Lord Krishna cleansed the stains of battle with fragrant herbal oils.

A central ritual on this day is the Abhyanga Snan—an auspicious pre-dawn oil bath taken during the Arunodaya period before sunrise, using sesame oil and herbal paste (ubtan) to wash away impurities and fatigue. Households illuminate fourteen clay diyas at dusk to ward off negativity and honor Yama, the guardian of righteousness.

Read and recite

The katha and prayers for Naraka Chaturdashi

Multi-year archive

Naraka Chaturdashi in other years