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Lamps for Rama's homecoming, Lakshmi at the door, Kali at midnight, a demon burned at dawn in Goa, a new year in Gujarat, a Guru's release for Sikhs and Mahavira's liberation for Jains. Here is how India celebrates the festival of lights.
By GenXT Labs · 20 October 2026 · 7 min read
Lighting diyas for Diwali. Photo: Khokarahman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Lakshmi Puja on 8 November is consistent across calendars. Some list Naraka Chaturdashi, Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj a day later, and muhurat times change by city, so check your local panchang.1,2
Diwali, from Deepavali ("a row of lamps"), falls on the new-moon night of the month of Kartika, usually in October or November.3 In the Ramayana tradition it follows Dussehra by about three weeks: Dussehra marks Rama's victory over Ravana, and Diwali his return home to Ayodhya, when people lit lamps to welcome him.3,4 In many homes it is above all the night of Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity.
But Diwali is not one story. Different regions and faiths remember different events on these days, which is why the festival looks so different from Kolkata to Chennai to Amritsar.
Across much of north India, Diwali remembers Lord Rama's return to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana, when people lit rows of lamps to welcome him. On the main night families clean and decorate their homes, draw rangoli at the door and perform Lakshmi Puja for prosperity.3,4
In Bengal the new-moon night is Kali Puja. Instead of Lakshmi, families and neighbourhood pandals worship Maa Kali, the fierce form of the goddess, with the puja often reaching its height around midnight.5
In Tamil Nadu, Deepavali is celebrated mainly on Naraka Chaturdashi, Krishna's victory over Narakasura. Families wake before dawn for an oil bath, put on new clothes, burst crackers in the early morning and share sweets and savouries.5
For many Gujaratis, the day after Diwali is the start of the new year in the Vikram Samvat calendar. Called Bestu Varas, it is a day for visiting relatives, exchanging greetings and sweets, and starting fresh accounts.5
The day after the main night honours Krishna lifting Govardhan hill to shelter the people of Braj from a storm. Temples and homes offer Annakut, a "mountain of food" made of dozens of dishes, which is later shared as prasad.2
Sikhs mark the same day as Bandi Chhor Divas, the release of the sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind Ji, from imprisonment at Gwalior Fort in 1619, along with 52 princes. When he returned to Amritsar, the Golden Temple was lit with lamps, and gurdwaras glow with lights on this day.7
For Jains, Diwali marks the nirvana (liberation) of Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara, at Pawapuri in Bihar. Many Jains fast, meditate and recite his teachings, and the day also closes the Jain year.8
Maharashtra's Diwali opens with Vasubaras, when cows and calves are washed, decorated and fed. Diwali Padwa celebrates the bond between husband and wife, and Bhau Beej (Bhai Dooj) closes the festival. Homes fill with sweets and snacks such as karanji, laddu, shankarpali and anarsa.6
In Odisha, families light bundles of jute sticks in the ritual of Kauriya Kathi and pray to their ancestors, calling them to bless the household and, by tradition, lighting their way back.6
Customs differ between families, communities and towns; this guide describes common practice, not the only way. Celebrating your own way? Tell us on our contact page.