Deepavali

Diwali is an official public holiday in many parts of India and is part of a five-day Hindu observance known as the ‘Festival of Lights’. Diwali is always celebrated between mid-October and mid-November in the western calendar, depending upon the lunar cycle each year. In 2025, Diwali will be celebrated across India on Tuesday 21 October. In 2026, Diwali falls on Sunday 8 November. The Festival of Lights is a colourful and happy celebration. Families prepare their homes and themselves for the special festivities that symbolise the victory of spiritual goodness and the lifting of spiritual darkness. Firecrackers are set off to drive away evil, oil lamps are lit, flower garlands are made, candles float in bowls of water outside homes and sweets are shared as part of the festivities. Diwali can also represent the awareness of inner light within a person when ignorance is pushed aside by understanding and enlightenment. In many regions, the five days of Diwali go something like this: Although these days of celebration occur in many places, in north India, Diwali celebrates Rama’s homecoming and his coronation as king. In Gujarat, the festival honors Lakshmi, and in Bengal, Diwali is associated with the goddess, Kali.