Diwali in India

I’m not sure what I was expecting— more spectacle perhaps? Everything glowing with lights? Candles let out en masse over water? Balloons with lights in them floating overhead? Or was that Japan...

When I was doing my initial trip planning and found out Diwali was at the end of October, I almost decided not to go to Nepal so I could stay in India for this important holiday. In the end, it was for other reasons that I decided not to go to Nepal. But I’m glad it wasn’t so I could be in India for Diwali. 

It turns out that Diwali is kind of like Lunar New Year, without the lion dancing, or Christmas, without all of the decorations. It’s the biggest holiday in India, particularly in Rajasthan. Rajasthan is the place to celebrate Diwali. An Indian tourist told me that Diwali a five-day holiday in Rajasthan but in Bengal it’s only a two-day holiday. Holi is a five-day holiday in Bengal and only a two-day holiday in Rajasthan. But it’s not really a public holiday.

The third night of Diwali is the day of the biggest celebration. Families light little candles and place them all around the front and inside of the house. People clean their houses because otherwise Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, good fortune, and prosperity, won’t come in. Apparently, she likes a clean house. They also paint little red footprints to guide her into and around the house so she can find all the right places to bless. 

For people too busy or lazy to paint, you can buy red footprint stickers. Families also make rangoli, colored patterns on the ground in front of their house using colored rice, colored sand or flower petals. 

There are also stickers you can buy for that too. Then families do pooja (prayer) and then have a meal, followed by firecrackers. Lots of firecrackers. Hour and hours. Everyone shoots off sparklers, firecrackers, and most annoyingly, some that make a huge noise but give off zero light. Their main purpose is to cause temporary deafness. The next day, everyone dresses up in new or their nicest clothes and goes door to door visiting family, bringing sweets. 

Cow dung piles are decorated with flowers, candles, and food.

I spent Diwali in Jaislamar at the Zostel. It was a mix of Indian tourists and foriegners. 

We all lit candles, did pooja first at the Zostel and then at the owner’s house next door. 


Then the owner hosted a big, open dinner for all of the guests and then we watched firecrackers from the roof. It was scary to go out into the streets because all of the children were setting firecrackers and sparklers off in the street. The little boys seemed to particularly like to frighten tourists with the loud ones. 

One clue that I had somewhat unrealistic expectations was at the Suraj Inn. When I checked in, I enthusiastically asked the owner if I could spend Diwali with him and his family. He said yes, but when I saw him on Diwali, I excitedly said, “See you at seven!” And he literally said, “Seven, seven thirty, eight. Don’t expect too much!” followed by “Okay if you come, okay if you go somewhere else.” I get the hint...

Once I got my expectations in check, and realized Diwali is like Christmas and that more than anything, it’s a family holiday, I had a good time hanging out with my Zostel friends.