03/11/2026
This Sunday, India lights up. 🪔
Diwali, the festival of lights, falls on 8 November this year, and for a few days homes, temples and streets across the country glow with small clay lamps called diyas. Families clean and decorate their homes, doorsteps are filled with rangoli patterns made from coloured powder, rice or petals, and sweets are passed between neighbours and friends. The lamps are lit as the sun goes down, which is why the evenings are the time to be out walking. In Amritsar, Sikhs mark Bandi Chhor Divas at the same time, and the Golden Temple and its sacred pool shine with light.
If you are travelling through India around Diwali, it pays to know what to expect. Streets are festive and full, fireworks carry on late into the night, and trains, roads and popular sights can be busier than usual as people travel home to their families. Some shops and businesses may close on the main day, so a little flexibility goes a long way. It is also one of the warmest and most welcoming times to see everyday Indian life up close.
Have you ever been in India for Diwali?
Plan your India journey around it: https://bit.ly/4sV2zpn
