Patna: The Bihar government has officially changed the date of the Diwali holiday. Earlier, the festival was to be celebrated on October 22, but now the government has announced that the official holiday will be on October 20. The General Administration Department has issued a gazette notification confirming this change. The new date has been decided after reviewing the lunar calendar and festival timings.
According to the notification, October 22, which was previously declared as a public holiday under the Negotiable Instruments (NI) Act, will now be replaced by October 20, a Monday. This year, Diwali and Lakshmi Puja will be celebrated on the same day, October 20. The new moon date, or Amavasya Tithi, will continue till the evening of October 21, but because the Pradosh Kaal—the auspicious time for Lakshmi Puja—falls on October 20, most households and temples will celebrate Diwali that day.
Across India, Diwali celebrations generally last between three and six days, starting with Dhanteras and ending with Bhai Dooj. This year, the festive period will begin on October 18 and continue till October 23. In Bihar, celebrations extend even longer because the Chhath festival follows soon after Diwali. Chhath, one of Bihar’s most important festivals, begins with Nahay-Khai on October 25 and ends on October 28 with Usha Arghya.
During this time, schools and many government offices in Bihar remain closed to allow families to participate in the rituals and festivities. The government’s decision to shift the Diwali holiday is expected to make it easier for people to prepare for both Diwali and Chhath, two of the state’s biggest and most significant celebrations.
