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When is Diwali: On which day should Diwali be celebrated this year? There has been a dispute on this among scholars and almanac writers. While Kashi Vidvat Parishad, Kashi Vishwanath Trust is talking about celebrating Diwali on 31st October, some South Indian scholars are talking about celebrating Diwali on 1st November. According to Pandit Ramchandra Pandey, former faculty head of the Astrology Department, the entire controversy is about Amavasya. Kashi Vidvat Parishad believes that October 31 is Amavasya in Pradosh Kaal. Apart from this, there is Amavasya throughout the night and according to the scriptures, if there is Amavasya from Pradosh Kaal to Nisha Vyapi then the festival of Diwali is celebrated. Next day on 1st November it is touching Pradosh Kaal. Amavasya is Pradosh Kaal i.e. Amavasya till 24 minutes after sunset on 1st November, that is why Kashi Parishad and Kashi Main Panchang have requested to celebrate Diwali on 31st October instead of celebrating Diwali on 1st November.
At the same time, Veda Acharya Vishweshwar Shastri Dravid of Geet Veda College does not agree with this. He says that it is said in the scriptures that if there are two days of Amavasya, then the Amavasya of the second day should be taken. Another day in Pradoshkaal is Amavasya on 1st November, hence Diwali should be celebrated on 1st November only. However, it also says that Diwali should be celebrated at home according to the Panchang.
Vishal Pandit Vishal ji, editor of Rishikesh Panchang, one of the oldest almanacs of Kashi, believes that almanacs are made in two types. One is from Surya Siddhanta and the other Panchang Surya Siddhanta gives dates in Panchang based on local Garhwa and calculates Panchang by considering Ujjain as base, which is mostly based on computer. That is why there is such confusion. In many places in the West there is no Amavasya during Pradosh Kaal and the scriptures mention that Diwali should be celebrated on the day when Amavasya is high and from Pradosh Kaal till 31 October there is Amavasya all night. Therefore, the festival of Diwali and Lakshmi puja should be done on 31st October only.
Other scriptures also believe that Amavasya should be kept for the whole night, because in Pradosh Kaal, after Lakshmi Puja, there are many auspicious times which are suitable for Sadhana Puja at night. Kali Puja also happens at midnight, hence Amavasya is on 31st October and the festival of Diwali should be celebrated on the same day. However, Indian Vedic scholars based in South India disagree. They believe that Lakshmi is worshiped on Diwali during Pradosh Kaal only and Pradosh Kaal is found on 1st November but for a short period of time, hence Diwali should be celebrated on 1st November only as said. The scriptures say that if Amavasya is for two days then it should be taken on the second day of Amavasya, this is the word of Sanak Rishi.