Diwali 2025 diya guide: How many lamps to light on each day for luck and positivity

Diwali, also known as Deepavali or the Festival of Lights, is among India’s most cherished Hindu festivals.

It celebrates the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil. In 2025, Diwali will fall on Monday, 20 October, marking the Amavasya Tithi of the Kartik month in the Hindu lunar calendar. The festival spans five days, beginning with Dhanteras and concluding with Bhai Dooj.

Lighting diyas — small clay lamps — is one of the most important Diwali rituals, representing enlightenment, positivity, and divine blessings. While the number of diyas may differ across regions, Hindu customs offer symbolic guidance for each day of the celebration.

Dhanteras: 13 Diyas for Prosperity and Protection

On Dhanteras, lighting 13 diyas is considered auspicious. Each lamp is believed to carry spiritual meaning and invite prosperity. Diyas are traditionally placed:

• At the entrance to welcome wealth and guests
• In the kitchen to symbolise nourishment and abundance
• In the puja room to honour deities and seek blessings

Each diya radiates positive energy, illuminating the home and marking the start of the festive season with divine grace.

Choti Diwali (Kali Chaudas): 14 Diyas for Cleansing and Harmony

On Choti Diwali, or Kali Chaudas, 14 diyas are lit. A common tradition involves placing 11 diyas around a plate and one four-faced diya at the centre, which should be lit first. Some also add sugar or sweets to the diyas, symbolising sweetness and harmony in life.

Lighting these lamps is believed to dispel negative energy and prepare the home for Lakshmi Puja the following day.

Badi Diwali (Lakshmi Puja): Light the Home for Abundance

On the main day of Diwali, also known as Badi Diwali or Lakshmi Puja, homes glow with numerous diyas arranged across courtyards, balconies, and puja rooms. The light is a call for Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, to bless the household with prosperity and happiness.

Families may vary in how many diyas they light — some choose dozens, others hundreds — but the essence lies in lighting them with sincerity and devotion. Diyas on balconies and entrances also share warmth and joy with neighbours and the community.

Diwali’s tradition of lighting diyas dates back thousands of years, symbolising not just light, but knowledge, hope, and renewal. Each of the five days of Diwali carries a unique spiritual message — from honouring health and wealth on Dhanteras to celebrating sibling bonds on Bhai Dooj.

The act of lighting diyas at dusk signifies dispelling ignorance and negativity while invoking divine blessings. Across India, households decorate their homes with rangoli, flowers, and rows of diyas, transforming neighbourhoods into radiant displays of unity and devotion.

While customs such as the number of diyas differ across regions and families, the true spirit of Diwali lies in spreading warmth, gratitude, and light — both within and beyond one’s home.

Safety Tip: Ensure diyas and candles are placed securely and never left unattended. This simple care ensures your celebration remains safe, bright, and joyous.