Naraka Chaturdashi illustration

Annual festival

Naraka Chaturdashi 2029नरक 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)

Sunday, 4 November 2029

Tradition harmony

All regional traditions Chakra tracks agree on this date:

North (Purnimanta)
4 Nov 2029
South (Amanta)
4 Nov 2029
Tamil
4 Nov 2029
Bengali
4 Nov 2029
ISKCON
4 Nov 2029
Smarta
4 Nov 2029

Tithi window

Begins 4 Nov, 5:30 pm

Ends 5 Nov, 1:45 pm

November 2029

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  • 3 SatDhanteras →Dhanteras opens the Diwali period and is considered auspicious for buying metal, and for honouring Dhanvantari and Lakshmi.
  • 4 SunNaraka Chaturdashi(this page)Naraka Chaturdashi commemorates the triumph of Lord Krishna and Satyabhama over the tyrant demon Narakasura on Kartika Krishna Chaturdashi.
  • 5 MonDiwali →Diwali is the festival of lights marking the victory of light over darkness and the return of Rama to Ayodhya.
  • 6 TueGovardhan Puja →Govardhan Puja recalls Krishna lifting Mount Govardhan to shelter the people of Braj, and is kept the day after Diwali.
  • 7 WedBhai 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.
  • 9 FriChhath 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.
  • 16 FriDev 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.
  • 16 FriVrishchika Sankranti →Vrishchika Sankranti is the moment the Sun enters the sidereal sign of Scorpio, opening the month in which the Kartikai and Mandala pilgrimage seasons begin.
  • 17 SatTulsi 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.
  • 21 WedKartik Purnima →Kartik Purnima is the full moon of the month of Kartika, kept with river bathing, lamp offerings, and worship of Vishnu and Shiva.

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

Local horizon calculations

City-wise timings

CityLocal dateTithi window (local)vs. New Delhi
New Delhi4 Nov 20295:30 pm – 5 Nov, 1:45 pmSame day
Varanasi4 Nov 20295:30 pm – 5 Nov, 1:45 pmSame day
Mumbai4 Nov 20295:30 pm – 5 Nov, 1:45 pmSame day
Bengaluru4 Nov 20295:30 pm – 5 Nov, 1:45 pmSame day
Kolkata4 Nov 20295:30 pm – 5 Nov, 1:45 pmSame day
Chennai4 Nov 20295:30 pm – 5 Nov, 1:45 pmSame day
London4 Nov 202912:00 pm – 5 Nov, 8:15 amSame day
San Francisco4 Nov 20294:00 am – 5 Nov, 12:15 amSame 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