Diwali Traditions and Customs: 15 Rituals and What They Mean

What are the main Diwali traditions?

The main Diwali traditions are cleaning and decorating the home, drawing rangoli at the entrance, lighting rows of clay diyas, performing Lakshmi and Ganesha Puja on the new-moon evening, buying gold or utensils on Dhanteras, wearing new clothes, sharing sweets and gifts, fireworks, cow worship, the Annakut offering on Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj. In 2026 the festival runs from Dhanteras on Friday, 6 November to Bhai Dooj on Wednesday, 11 November, with Lakshmi Puja on Sunday, 8 November.

• 15 traditions at a glance
• Traditions by day
• The traditions explained
• Regional customs
• Why Diwali is celebrated
• FAQ

15 Diwali traditions at a glance

Diwali traditions day by day in 2026

Each day of Diwali follows a lunar tithi, so the customs move with the calendar every year. In 2026 Choti Diwali and the main Diwali fall on the same date, and Monday 9 November is a gap day.

For the meaning of each day and future Diwali dates, see the Diwali 2026 guide.

Diwali traditions and customs explained

1. Cleaning and decorating the home

Preparations start days before Dhanteras. Homes are scrubbed, whitewashed or repainted, and old or broken things are cleared out, because Goddess Lakshmi is believed to visit only clean, well-kept homes. Doorways are then hung with torans of marigold and mango leaves, and balconies with lanterns and strings of lights.

2. Rangoli at the entrance

Rangoli is a decorative pattern drawn on the floor at the entrance or in the courtyard with coloured powder, rice flour, sand or flower petals. It welcomes Lakshmi and marks the house as ready for the festival, and many families draw a fresh design every day. The same art is called kolam in Tamil Nadu, muggu in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and alpana in Bengal, where it is painted with rice paste. For patterns to copy, see our Diwali rangoli designs.

3. Lighting diyas

The name Diwali comes from the Sanskrit Deepavali, "a row of lamps", and lighting clay diyas filled with oil or ghee is the festival's defining custom. Rows of lamps are set on doorsteps, windows, walls and rooftops. The tradition recalls the people of Ayodhya lighting the way for Lord Rama's homecoming, and because Diwali falls on Amavasya, the darkest night of the month, the lamps are also meant to guide Lakshmi to the home. Many families keep at least one lamp burning through the night.

4. Lakshmi and Ganesha Puja

The central ritual of Diwali is the evening puja of Goddess Lakshmi, who brings wealth and prosperity, together with Lord Ganesha, who is worshipped first at every auspicious beginning. Many families also honour Kubera, the treasurer of the gods. The puja is done in Pradosh Kaal, the period after sunset, while the new-moon tithi is running. In 2026 Lakshmi Puja is on Sunday, 8 November; Drik Panchang gives the muhurat for New Delhi as about 5:54 PM to 7:50 PM, and it shifts with local sunset in other cities.

The usual puja items include a Lakshmi and Ganesha idol or picture, a red cloth for the platform, a kalash of water, silver or gold coins, unbroken rice (akshat), kumkum and turmeric, betel leaves and nuts, flowers and marigold garlands, incense, camphor, diyas, sweets and dry fruit. Lamps are lit, the deities are offered flowers and sweets, aarti is sung, and the house lights are turned on together once the puja ends.

5. Chopda Pujan: worship of new account books

For many Gujarati and Marwari business families, Diwali marks the start of the new financial year. New ledgers, called chopda, are marked with swastika and shubh-labh symbols and placed before Lakshmi during the Diwali puja, so that the year's accounts begin with her blessing. Shops and offices often hold their own puja the same evening.

6. Buying gold, silver and utensils on Dhanteras

Dhanteras, the first day of Diwali, honours Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods, and Goddess Lakshmi. It is considered the luckiest day of the year to buy gold or silver coins, jewellery, or a new steel or brass utensil, and in many homes a new broom, as a sign of sweeping away poverty. In 2026 Dhanteras is on Friday, 6 November.

7. Yama Deepam

On the evening of Dhanteras a single lamp, often a four-wicked diya, is lit outside the front door facing south, the direction of Yama, the god of death. The custom is a prayer for the protection and long life of the family.

8. Abhyanga snan, the pre-dawn oil bath

On Naraka Chaturdashi, families rise before sunrise, massage their bodies with sesame oil and bathe with ubtan, a paste of gram flour and herbs. The ritual recalls Lord Krishna cleansing himself after defeating the demon Narakasura. In Tamil Nadu this bath, greeted with the question "Ganga snanam aacha?" (have you had your Ganga bath?), is the start of Deepavali itself.

9. New clothes

Wearing new clothes after the morning bath is one of the most widely followed Diwali customs, symbolising a fresh start. Shopping for festive clothes for the whole family is a big part of the build-up to the festival.

10. Sweets and gifts

Homes make or buy ladoos, barfis, kaju katli, chaklis, karanjis and other snacks, and boxes of sweets and dry fruit are exchanged with relatives, friends, neighbours and colleagues. Gifts often include clothes, silver, home items and diyas. Find easy recipes on our Diwali recipes page.

11. Fireworks

Sparklers, flowerpots, chakris and rockets light up the sky on Diwali night, and the noise and light are traditionally believed to drive away evil spirits. Because of air pollution, many Indian cities now allow only green crackers or limit fireworks to fixed hours, so check the local rules first and read our fireworks safety tips.

12. Card games on Diwali night

In parts of North and West India, families and friends play cards or dice on Diwali night. The custom is linked to a legend in which Goddess Parvati played dice with Lord Shiva on this night and declared that whoever played on Diwali would prosper through the year.

13. Cow worship

Cattle are honoured as a source of nourishment and wealth. In Maharashtra the festival opens with Vasu Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi), when cows and calves are bathed, decorated with vermilion and garlands, and fed; in 2026 it falls on Thursday, 5 November. Cattle are worshipped again on Govardhan Puja in North and West India, and in Nepal one day of Tihar is set aside for cows.

14. Govardhan Puja and Annakut

The day after Diwali remembers Lord Krishna lifting Govardhan Hill to shelter the people of Braj from Indra's storms. Homes and temples build a small hill of cow dung or food and offer Annakut, literally a "mountain of food" made of dozens of dishes, to Krishna. In 2026 Govardhan Puja is on Tuesday, 10 November.

15. Bhai Dooj

The festival ends with Bhai Dooj, which celebrates brothers and sisters. Sisters apply a tilak on their brothers' foreheads, perform aarti and pray for their long life, and brothers give gifts in return. It is called Bhai Phonta in Bengal, Bhau Beej in Maharashtra and Bhai Tika in Nepal. In 2026 Bhai Dooj is on Wednesday, 11 November.

Regional Diwali customs across India

The core rituals are shared everywhere, but each region adds its own. These are some of the best known.

For more on how the festival is marked across the country and abroad, read Diwali celebrations in India and Diwali around the world.

Why Diwali is celebrated: the stories behind the traditions

Every Diwali custom points back to the same idea: the victory of light over darkness and good over evil. Different communities remember different stories on the same night.

• Rama's return to Ayodhya: in North India, Diwali marks Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana coming home after 14 years of exile and the defeat of Ravana, when the city was lit with lamps.
• Goddess Lakshmi: the goddess of wealth is believed to visit clean, well-lit homes on the new-moon night.
• Krishna and Narakasura: in South India and Goa, the festival celebrates Krishna's victory over the demon Narakasura.
• Goddess Kali: in Bengal, Assam and Odisha the same night is given to Kali, the fierce goddess who destroys evil.
• Bandi Chhor Divas: Sikhs celebrate the release of Guru Hargobind from Gwalior Fort.
• Mahavira's nirvana: for Jains, Diwali marks the day Lord Mahavira attained liberation.

Read the full stories in History of Diwali and About Diwali.

Diwali traditions: frequently asked questions