October Festivals: From Dussehra and Diwali to Karwa Chauth, Check the Complete List of October 2024 Celebrations

The month of October 2024 is packed with a variety of major festivals, offering people across India plenty of reasons to celebrate. From Karwa Chauth and Durga Puja to Dussehra and Diwali, this month promises numerous cultural and religious events. As preparations begin, people eagerly anticipate the festivities, marking October as one of the most eventful months of the year.

In West Bengal, Durga Puja is celebrated with grand enthusiasm. Elaborate themed pandals are set up, featuring stunning clay idols of Goddess Durga alongside her children Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess Saraswati, Lord Ganesha, and Lord Kartik. The streets come alive with people dressed in new clothes, partaking in the vibrant festival. Pandal hopping, a key feature of Durga Puja, attracts massive crowds.

Meanwhile, Diwali unites the entire country in celebration. Homes are lit up with diyas and candles, and families come together to celebrate the Festival of Lights. Adding to the excitement, Karwa Chauth, a day when married women fast for the long life of their husbands, also falls in October this year.

Here’s the complete list of October 2024 festivals and important dates:

October Festivals 2024: Complete List

• October 2: Celebrated as the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, October 2 also marks the last solar eclipse of the year.
• October 3: Shardiya Navratri begins, with Ghatasthapana performed on this day to initiate the nine-day festival dedicated to Goddess Durga.
• October 10: Navapatrika Puja, an important ritual in Durga Puja, will be performed on this day.
• October 11: This year, both Maha Ashtami and Maha Navami, the eighth and ninth days of Durga Puja, fall on the same day, making October 11 a significant date for the festival.
• October 12: Dussehra, also known as Vijaya Dashami, is observed on this day, marking the victory of good over evil. In Bengal, this day also signifies the conclusion of Durga Puja.
• October 15: Pradosh Vrat (Shukla Paksha) falls on this day, a day dedicated to Lord Shiva worship.
• October 17: Valmiki Jayanti, Ashwin Purnima Vrat, and Tula Sankranti are observed on this day.
• October 20: Karwa Chauth is celebrated on this day, where married women fast from sunrise to moonrise, praying for their husbands’ longevity. Kartik Sankashti Chaturthi also falls on this day.
• October 28: Rama Ekadashi, a day dedicated to Lord Vishnu, will be observed on this date.
• October 29: Dhanteras, the first day of the Diwali celebrations, and Pradosh Vrat (Krishna Paksha) are observed on this day.
• October 30: Monthly Shivratri, a day dedicated to Lord Shiva, will be celebrated on this day.
• October 31: Diwali, one of the largest and most widely celebrated festivals in India, falls on this day in 2024. Naraka Chaturdashi, which is observed a day before Diwali in some regions, also occurs on this day.

With such an extensive lineup of festivals, October 2024 is set to be a month full of joyous celebrations, rituals, and cultural events, bringing communities together across the country.

Sancheti College

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