Diwali in Different Regions: Kali Puja, Bandi Chhor Divas, Jain Diwali and More

For many readers Diwali means Lakshmi Puja and fireworks, but the festival has many forms. A short tour shows how one night of lamps is understood in different traditions. For the overall structure, see Diwali explained.

West Bengal and the east: Kali Puja

On the new-moon night, Bengal, Odisha and Assam worship Kali, the dark and fierce form of the goddess who destroys fear and ignorance. Pandals are set up much as in Durga Puja, and devotees offer hibiscus flowers and light lamps through the night. Homes also light lamps on Bhoot Chaturdashi, a day before, to honour ancestors. The Lakshmi worship takes place earlier, on Sharad Purnima.

South India: Naraka Chaturdashi

In Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala, the main Diwali day is often Naraka Chaturdashi, the early-morning oil bath that remembers Krishna's victory over Narakasura. Families wake before sunrise, apply sesame oil, bathe, wear new clothes and share sweets. Details appear in Dhanteras and Naraka Chaturdashi.

Punjab and Sikh communities: Bandi Chhor Divas

For Sikhs, Diwali coincides with Bandi Chhor Divas, the "day of liberation". It commemorates the release of the sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind, from imprisonment in the Gwalior Fort, along with fifty-two other princes held with him. When he reached Amritsar, the Golden Temple was lit with lamps. Today the Harmandir Sahib is illuminated with thousands of lights, and families visit gurdwaras.

Jain Diwali

Jains observe Diwali as the day on which Mahavira, the twenty-fourth Tirthankara, attained nirvana. Observances include fasting, prayer, and the lighting of lamps symbolising the light of knowledge. Many Jain communities in Gujarat and Rajasthan also begin their business year on this occasion.

Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan: the new year

In Gujarat the day after Diwali is Bestu Varas, the first day of the Vikram Samvat year. Traders worship their account books on Diwali night in Chopda Pujan. See Govardhan Puja for how the new year coincides with the Annakut festival.

Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh: toward Chhath

After Diwali, six days later, comes Chhath Puja, a four-day festival in which devotees fast and offer arghya to the setting and rising sun, standing in rivers or ponds. It is one of the most disciplined and environmentally gentle festivals, and uses only natural, seasonal offerings such as sugarcane, fruits and thekua.

Newar and Nepali traditions

In Nepal, Tihar honours crows, dogs, cows and oxen on successive days, followed by Lakshmi Puja and Bhai Tika, similar to Bhai Dooj.

When you visit friends from another region at this time of year, ask what the night means to them. You will probably learn something new.