Amavasya in the context of "Diwali"

Paksha (Sanskrit: पक्ष, romanized: pakṣa) refers to a fortnight period consisting of various lunar phases in a month of the Hindu lunar calendar. Literally meaning "side" in Sanskrit, it refers to the periods between amavasya (new moon) and purnima (full moon), and vice versa.

A lunar month in the Hindu calendar has two fortnights, with each fortnight subdivided into lunar days called tithis. A paksha consists of 15 such tithis, each of which correspond to a 12-degree angular motion of the Moon. The fortnight between amavasya and purnima is called as Shukla Paksha (bright side) or Gaura Paksha, which corresponds to the period of the waxing moon. The second fortnight is called Krishna Paksha (dark side) or Vadhya Paksha' and corresponds to the period of the waning moon. Amavasya corresponds to the period when the Moon is within 12 degrees of angular distance from the Sun before their conjunction.

Lakshmi Puja ( Odia: ଲକ୍ଷ୍ମୀ ପୂଜା, romanized: Lakṣmīpūjā), Sanskrit: लक्ष्मीपूजा, romanized: Lakṣmīpūjā, Bengali/Assamese: লক্ষ্মী পূজা is a Hindu occasion for the veneration of Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and the Supreme Goddess of Vaishnavism. The occasion is celebrated on the amavasya (new moon day) in the Vikram Samvat Hindu calendar month of Ashvin (according to the amanta tradition) or Kartika (according to the purnimanta tradition), on the third day of Deepavali (Tihar) in Nepal and most parts of India.

According to tradition, Lakshmi is believed to visit her devotees and bestow good fortune and her blessings upon them on this occasion. To welcome the goddess, devotees clean their houses, decorate them with finery and lights, and prepare sweet treats and delicacies as offerings. Devotees believe that the happier the goddess is during her visit, the more she blesses the family with health and wealth.

Kumbh Mela (Sanskrit: Kumbha Mēlā, pronounced [kʊˈmbʱᵊ melaː]; lit. 'festival of the Sacred Pitcher') is a Hindu pilgrimage, celebrated every four or twelve years, correlated with the partial or full revolution of Jupiter. These are held at four locations–Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik, and Ujjain, with varying time intervals. As per the Puranas, these sites are considered to have received the drops of the divine nectar (amrita) during the Samudra Manthana (churning of the ocean of milk). The Kumbh Mela lasts between one and three months, with the Amavasya day attracting the largest crowds. The festival attracts millions of people, with the largest gathering recorded at Prayag. About 660 million attended the Kumbh Mela in 2025, and 200 million in 2019, making it one of the largest peaceful gatherings in the world. It has been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The Kumbh Mela is observed cycle at each site approximately once every 12 years based on the Hindu luni-solar calendar and the relative positions of the Jupiter, the Sun, and the Moon. As per Hindu astrology, specific alignments of the Jupiter, the Sun, and the Moon only occur at the four Kumbh locations in a 12-year cycle. The Prayag and Haridwar festivals are held with a six year gap in between, and feature a Maha (major) and Ardha (half) Kumbh Melas. The Kumbh Melas at Ujjain and Nashik are observed in the same year or one year apart, typically about three years after the Prayag Kumbh Mela. The festival is held at the confluence of major rivers, and people take a ritual dip in the waters, believed to be a means of prāyaścitta (atonement) for the past mistakes, and cleansing of their sins. Various fairs, educational events, religious discourses, mass gatherings of monks, and entertainment are also conducted during the festivities.

Pitri Paksha (Sanskrit: पितृ पक्ष, lit. '"fortnight of the paternal ancestors"', IAST: Pitṛ pakṣa) is a 16-lunar day period in the Hindu calendar when Hindus pay homage to their ancestors (Pitri), especially through food offerings. The period is also known as Pitarpas, Pitru Paksha/Pitr-Paksha, Pitri Pokkho, Sorah Shraddha ("sixteen shraddhas"), Kanagat, Jitiya, Mahalaya, Apara Paksha and akhadpak.

Pitri Paksha is considered by Hindus to be inauspicious, given the death rite performed during the ceremony, known as Shraddha or Tarpana. In southern and western India, it falls in the second paksha (fortnight) Hindu lunar month of Bhadrapada (September) and follows the fortnight immediately after Ganesh Utsav. It begins on the Pratipada (first day of the fortnight) ending with the no moon day known as Sarvapitri Amavasya, Pitri Amavasya, Peddala Amavasya or Mahalaya Amavasya (simply Mahalaya) Most years, the autumnal equinox falls within this period, i.e. the Sun transitions from the northern to the southern hemisphere during this period. In North India and Nepal, and cultures following the purnimanta calendar or the solar calendar, this period may correspond to the waning fortnight of the luni-solar month Ashvina, instead of Bhadrapada.