Diwali / Deepavali

About Diwali

Diwali, or Deepavali, is the festival of lights celebrated through lamps, prayer, family gatherings and regional religious traditions. There is no single identical observance across India. Lakshmi Puja is central to many households, while other communities connect the festival period with narratives involving Bhagwan Ram, Bhagwan Krishna and other sacred traditions.

Lamps, prayer and home worship

Lighting diyas is one of Diwali's most recognisable practices. Families may clean and decorate their homes, prepare festive food, exchange greetings and perform puja according to household tradition. In many communities Lakshmi Puja is an important part of the main Diwali evening.

A festival period, not one uniform custom

Deepavali traditions vary across states and communities, and the surrounding festival days can carry different names and meanings. Rather than presenting every custom as universal, Darshn connects each practice to the relevant regional or devotional context when that information is governed.

Explore on Darshn

Continue through Darshn's deity and temple discovery to explore sacred places connected with the traditions you follow. Where canonical relationships exist, the Related Knowledge section links Diwali to the relevant deity pages and onward to prayers and temples without creating duplicate festival pages.

Celebrating responsibly

Temple programmes, community events and local regulations vary each year. Confirm current timings before visiting a mandir or public celebration. Calendar information on Darshn is marked verified only when the underlying occurrence has passed governance.