Diwali
Long ago, the story of this radiant night began with an epic triumph of righteousness over evil, tracing back to the time when Lord Rama waged a monumental war against Ravana, the ten-headed king of Lanka, to rescue his abducted wife, Sita. After striking down the demon king to destroy human vices like ego and greed, Rama's glorious victory set the stage for his eventual return home.
To honor this monumental triumph and welcome the divine presence back into their lives, the people illuminated their surroundings, giving birth to what we now universally celebrate as the festival of lights.
Today, that ancient victory continues to echo through a vibrant five-day festive cluster where modern families recreate that original devotion by lighting earthen diyas across their homes. Bathed in this warm glow, communities gather to perform sacred Lakshmi-Ganesh pujas to invite deep prosperity into their lives.
Puja Muhurat
6:02 PM to 7:57 PM (IST)
Abhyanga Snan
Just before sunrise
Puja Muhurat
5:54 PM to 7:40 PM (IST)
The Five-Day Celebration Sequence
Diwali is not a single-day event; it is a five-day sequence of rituals, each with its own story and significance. In 2026, the celebration runs from November 6 to November 10.
Day 1
Dhanteras
Nov 6, 2026
The festival begins with Dhanteras, honouring Lord Dhanvantari, the divine physician who emerged from the churning of the ocean holding the pot of nectar. Families buy gold, silver or new utensils as a symbol of incoming wealth and light the first lamps of the season, along with a diya for Lord Yama at the doorstep.
Day 2
Choti Diwali / Naraka Chaturdashi
Nov 7, 2026
On this day Lord Krishna (with Satyabhama) is believed to have slain the demon Narakasura, freeing 16,000 captive women. Devotees rise before dawn for an Abhyanga Snan (oil bath), apply ubtan, and light small lamps in the evening to drive away negativity.
Day 3
Main Diwali & Lakshmi Puja
Nov 8, 2026
The heart of the festival falls on the new-moon (Amavasya) night. Homes glow with diyas and rangoli, and in the auspicious Pradosh Kaal families worship Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha, inviting wealth, wisdom and good fortune to enter every corner of the house.
Day 4
Govardhan Puja / Annakut
Nov 9, 2026
Celebrating Lord Krishna lifting Mount Govardhan to shelter the people of Vrindavan from Indra's storms, devotees prepare a 'mountain of food' (Annakut) of many dishes as an offering. In many regions this day also marks the Gujarati New Year and Bali Pratipada.
Day 5
Bhai Dooj
Nov 10, 2026
The festival closes with a celebration of the sibling bond. Recalling Yamuna welcoming her brother Yama, sisters apply tilak on their brothers' foreheads and pray for their long life, while brothers offer gifts and a promise of protection.
The Ritual Steps
Step 1
Prepare the Altar and Establish the Kalash
Clean the puja area thoroughly and draw a rangoli at the entrance. Place a wooden chowki covered with a red or yellow cloth and spread a handful of grains in the centre.
Set a Kalash filled with water, a betel nut, a coin and rice on the grains. Arrange five mango leaves around its mouth and place a coconut wrapped in red cloth on top.
Step 2
Place the Deities
Place the idols of Goddess Lakshmi in the center and Lord Ganesha to her right (your left). If you worship Goddess Saraswati or Lord Kubera, place them on the altar as well. Draw a lotus flower using turmeric or kumkum powder on the cloth in front of the idols, and place a few silver or gold coins on it.
Step 3
Invoke Lord Ganesha First
Every puja begins with Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles. Light a ghee diya, offer durva grass, modak or laddoos and red flowers.
Chant: Om Gam Ganapataye Namah (11 or 108 times) to seek an obstacle-free worship.
Step 4
Bathe and Worship Goddess Lakshmi
The core ritual of the night. Invoke Goddess Lakshmi by holding a red flower (red lotuses or roses are highly auspicious) or kumkum-dyed rice in your cupped hands. Visualize the Goddess bringing prosperity, and chant:
Om Shreem Hreem Shreem Kamale Kamalalaye Praseed Praseed, Om Shreem Hreem Shreem Mahalaxmayai Namah.
Gently offer the flower or rice to the idol. If you have a small, bathable idol or a symbolic silver coin, bathe it in Panchamrit (a mixture of milk, curd, ghee, honey, and sugar), followed by clean water. Wipe it dry and return it to the altar. Apply kumkum and haldi to the Goddess.
Step 5
Present the Offerings (Bhog)
Offer sweets, kheer, batasha, puffed rice (khil), seasonal fruits, dry fruits, paan and supari to the deities.
Place a lamp in every room and at the main entrance so the Goddess finds every path into the home illuminated.
Step 6
Perform the Aarti
Light camphor and a multi-wick ghee diya and perform the Aarti of Lakshmi and Ganesha, singing 'Om Jai Lakshmi Mata' with the whole family.
Distribute the prasad, seek blessings from elders and burst eco-friendly crackers or simply sit together in the glow of the diyas.
Special Folklore and Global Traditions
As Diwali spread across the Indian subcontinent and eventually across the world with the Indian diaspora, it absorbed distinct regional and cultural flavours.
1. West Bengal, India (Kali Puja)
While the rest of India worships Lakshmi, eastern India worships the fierce Goddess Kali. According to folklore, Goddess Kali was born from the forehead of Goddess Durga to slay the demons Shumbha and Nishumbha. After killing them, she went on a destructive rampage, threatening the universe. To stop her, Lord Shiva (her husband) lay down in her path. When she accidentally stepped on his chest, she stuck her tongue out in shock and remorse, calming down. Kali Puja on Diwali night honors this fierce protective energy.
2. Sikhism (Bandi Chhor Divas)
For Sikhs, Diwali coincides with Bandi Chhor Divas (Day of Liberation). In 1619, the Mughal Emperor Jahangir imprisoned the sixth Sikh Guru, Guru Hargobind. When the Emperor finally agreed to release him, the Guru refused to leave unless the 52 Hindu princes imprisoned with him were also freed. Jahangir decreed that only those who could hold onto the Guru's cloak could leave. The Guru cleverly had a special cloak made with 52 tassels, freeing them all. He arrived at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Diwali day, and the temple was illuminated with thousands of lamps, a tradition that continues today.
3. Jainism (Mahavira Nirvana Divas)
For Jains, Diwali holds a solemn, deeply spiritual significance. It marks the exact day in 527 BCE when Lord Mahavira, the 24th and final Tirthankara, attained Nirvana (liberation from the cycle of birth and death) at Pavapuri. The lighting of lamps symbolizes keeping the light of Mahavira's knowledge alive after his physical departure.
4. Bali, Indonesia
The Balinese Hindu population celebrates Galungan, which shares thematic similarities with Diwali (the victory of Dharma over Adharma), though it operates on a different 210-day calendar cycle. The streets are lined with Penjor, tall, curved bamboo poles decorated with woven coconut leaves and agricultural produce, symbolizing prosperity and gratitude to the supreme god Sanghyang Widi Wasa.
The Core Sacred Legends
The Epic of Ramayana
In Northern India, Diwali is deeply tied to the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Ramayana. The legend states that Lord Rama (the seventh avatar of Vishnu), his wife Sita, and his brother Lakshmana were exiled to the forest for 14 years by Rama's father, King Dasharatha, due to a deceitful promise made to his stepmother.
During the exile, the demon king of Lanka, Ravana, abducted Sita. After a massive war in which Rama defeated Ravana, the trio returned to their kingdom of Ayodhya. Because the night of their return was a pitch-dark new moon (Amavasya), the citizens of Ayodhya illuminated the entire kingdom with millions of earthen oil lamps (diyas) to guide them home and celebrate the victory of righteousness.
The Slaying of Narakasura
In Southern states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh, Diwali (celebrated predominantly as Naraka Chaturdashi) commemorates Lord Krishna's victory over the tyrannical demon king Narakasura. Narakasura had acquired immense power, conquered both heaven and earth, and imprisoned 16,000 women.
Answering the pleas of the gods, Lord Krishna, accompanied by his fierce wife Satyabhama, fought a brutal battle and beheaded the demon. Before dying, Narakasura requested that his death be celebrated with joy and light rather than mourned. As a result, people wake up before dawn on this day, take a ritualistic oil bath (symbolizing washing away evil), and burst firecrackers to celebrate his defeat.
The Birth and Churning of Goddess Lakshmi
In Western India and many business communities, Diwali is primarily the festival of Goddess Lakshmi. According to the Puranas, when the gods (Devas) and demons (Asuras) churned the cosmic ocean of milk (Samudra Manthan) to obtain the nectar of immortality, many divine entities emerged.
Goddess Lakshmi, radiant and bearing wealth and prosperity, arose from the ocean on the night of Diwali. She chose Lord Vishnu as her husband, and their wedding was celebrated with glorious illuminations. Today, she is invited into clean, well-lit homes to bring fortune for the coming year.