Festival Guide · October 2027
On Diwali night, India does not celebrate in one place — it celebrates in ten different ways at once. In Ayodhya, millions of lamps float on the Saryu. In Varanasi, all 84 ghats burn two weeks later for Dev Deepawali. In Jaipur, whole bazaars compete to be the brightest street in the city. In Amritsar, the Golden Temple glows for a different story entirely. Diwali 2027 falls on Friday 29 October, and this is the guide to where to spend it.
Diwali 2026 concluded on 8 November 2026. This guide covers the 2027 edition. Diwali — the festival of lights — is the five-day cluster from Dhanteras on Wednesday 27 October to Bhai Dooj on Sunday 31 October 2027, with the main night of Lakshmi Puja on Friday 29 October. The dates follow the panchang for New Delhi; in Tamil Nadu, Deepavali falls a day earlier, on Thursday 28 October. The destinations below are the ones with a real, public celebration worth travelling for — not just a city that happens to have fireworks.
Diwali 2027 falls on Friday 29 October, with Dhanteras on Wednesday 27 October and Bhai Dooj on Sunday 31 October. If you can only pick one place, pick Ayodhya for Deepotsav — the largest public Diwali celebration in India — or Varanasi for Dev Deepawali on 13 November 2027, the separate festival of lights on the ghats two weeks after Diwali.
The single most important planning fact: Deepotsav in Ayodhya happens on Diwali eve, not on Diwali night. A trip planned only for Diwali day itself misses it. And the famous ghat illumination in Varanasi belongs to Dev Deepawali, not to Diwali night — so if Varanasi is your plan, you need to be there in mid-November, not late October.
For families, Jaipur and Mysuru are the easiest picks. Jaipur's lit bazaars are a walk, not a crowd crush, and Mysuru's palace illumination is a single, spectacular evening. For something completely different, Amritsar's Bandi Chhor Divas and Goa's Narkasur Night are the two most distinctive celebrations on this list.
Ayodhya is the number one Diwali destination in India, and it is not close. Deepotsav — the festival of lamps on the Saryu riverfront — is held at Ram Ki Paidi and across 56 ghats, organised by the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department and the district administration, on the evening before Diwali. In 2027 that means Thursday 28 October.
The numbers are extraordinary. The first Deepotsav, in 2017, lit 1.71 lakh diyas. By 2025, the ninth edition, the count had reached 26,17,215 diyas lit simultaneously, with 2,128 people performing aarti together — two Guinness World Records, both certified. In 2026 the press reported over 36 lakh diyas across the 56 ghats, but no Guinness-certified count was published for that year, so treat the 36 lakh figure as reported, not certified. The 2026 edition also featured a 2,100-drone Ramayana show, a 3D holographic projection mapping and laser show at Ram Ki Paidi, a Saryu Maha Aarti with 2,147 participants, and around 35,000 volunteers.
Plan for the eve, not the day. Deepotsav is the evening before Diwali. Arrive in Ayodhya by the afternoon of 28 October 2027, and book your stay well in advance — the city fills completely for Deepotsav week. Read our full Ayodhya Deepotsav guide for the practical details.
Varanasi celebrates Diwali twice — and the second time is the one to travel for. Diwali itself in Varanasi runs from Dhanteras to Annakut, much like anywhere else. But fifteen days later, on Kartik Purnima, the city holds Dev Deepawali — the Diwali of the gods — when all 84 ghats are lit with diyas, from Ravidas Ghat to Rajghat. In 2027 Dev Deepawali falls on Saturday 13 November.
Dev Deepawali marks Shiva's victory over the demon Tripurasura, and tradition says the gods descend to bathe in the Ganga on this night. The mass lamp-lighting tradition began at Dashashwamedh Ghat in 1991, led by Pandit Kishori Raman Dubey, and it has grown every year since. Recent years have seen over a million diyas — around 17 lakh across the 84 ghats in 2024 — and the scale is hard to describe until you see it from a boat on the river.
The best viewing is from a boat on the Ganga, or from Dashashwamedh Ghat for the grand aarti and Assi Ghat for a calmer evening. Book boats and stays well in advance — Dev Deepawali draws enormous crowds, and the ghats are closed to vehicles. Read our Varanasi Diwali guide and our Dev Deepawali page for the full details.
Jaipur does Diwali differently from anywhere else: it turns the whole walled city into a competition. The merchant associations of Johari, Bapu, Tripolia and Kishanpole bazaars compete to light their streets the brightest, and the result is whole market streets wrapped in coordinated lighting — not single shops, but entire streets glowing at once.
Johari Bazaar, the jewellery market running from Badi Chaupar towards Sanganeri Gate, is lit in gold. Bapu Bazaar is the place for textiles and mojari; Tripolia for brassware and lac bangles. Hawa Mahal, the City Palace and Albert Hall are all lit for the festival, and Nahargarh Fort glows above the city. Dhanteras evening — Wednesday 27 October 2027 — is the busiest shopping night of the year.
The walled city has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2019, and it was founded in 1727 by Sawai Jai Singh II as a planned city. Hawa Mahal itself was built so the royal women could watch Johari Bazaar from its jharokhas — and on Diwali night, that is still the best view in the city. Read our Jaipur Diwali markets guide for the bazaar-by-bazaar details.
Udaipur's Diwali is quieter than Ayodhya's and prettier than most. The City Palace and Lake Pichola are lit with diyas and lanterns, fireworks reflect on the water, and the signature experience is a night boat ride on the lake, watching the palace glow from the water. Sky lamps are flown over the lake through the evening.
Udaipur is the best pick on this list for a slow or romantic Diwali — the celebration is spread around the lake rather than concentrated in one crush. Read our Udaipur Diwali guide for the details.
Mysuru's Diwali draw is the Mysore Palace — Amba Vilas Palace — illuminated with 97,000 electric bulbs. The palace is lit on Sundays, national holidays and during the ten days of Dasara, and Diwali 2027 falls on a Friday, so the regular illumination schedule applies rather than a special Diwali programme. That is worth knowing honestly: Mysuru's Diwali is the palace lighting coinciding with Diwali, not a Diwali-specific festival.
Pair the palace evening with Chamundi Hill and Devaraja Market, which is at its most festive through Diwali week. The palace illumination usually runs from around 7 PM. Read our Mysuru Diwali guide for the details.
Delhi and Mumbai do not have a single signature Diwali event like Deepotsav. What they have is scale: markets, melas, fireworks and illuminated monuments across a whole city.
In Delhi, Chandni Chowk and the Diwali melas and bazaars are the heart of it, with the Akshardham light show and illuminated monuments — India Gate, the Red Fort, Humayun's Tomb — across the city. Read our Delhi Diwali guide.
In Mumbai, Marine Drive and Girgaum Chowpatty are the fireworks spots, the early-morning Diwali Pahat music events are a Maharashtrian tradition worth waking for, and Siddhivinayak Temple and the festive markets fill the days. Read our Mumbai Diwali guide.
Both cities are best for a Diwali holiday that mixes the festival with everything else the city offers — food, shopping, and a long weekend — rather than a single event.
For Sikhs, Diwali is Bandi Chhor Divas — the day Guru Hargobind was released from Gwalior Fort, with 52 princes, and returned to Amritsar, where the city welcomed him with lamps. In 2027 it falls on the same day as Diwali, Friday 29 October.
The Golden Temple is illuminated, lamps are set around the sarovar, and the evening is filled with kirtan and fireworks. It is the most distinctive Diwali in India that is not a Hindu celebration, and the most moving — the story is one of freedom, and the lamps are a welcome home. The exact year of the release is disputed among sources, so we do not state one here.
On Diwali night, Bengal worships Goddess Kali, not Lakshmi. Neighbourhood pandals hold large Kali idols, Kalighat and Dakshineswar temples are at their busiest, and the main puja happens at midnight — Nishita. The previous night is Bhoot Chaturdashi, when 14 diyas are lit and 14 leafy greens are eaten.
Kolkata's Kali Puja is the east-India contrast to the rest of this list: darker, later, and more intense. If you are in Kolkata for Diwali, go to a Kali Puja pandal after midnight. And if you are planning a Kolkata trip for the autumn festivals, read our Durga Puja 2027 guide — the city's biggest festival comes three weeks before Diwali.
Goa has the most unusual Diwali in India. On Narkasur Night — the eve of Naraka Chaturdashi — neighbourhoods build giant effigies of the demon Narakasura, parade them through the streets with music, and burn them before sunrise to mark Krishna's victory over the demon. Competitions are held in Panaji, Margao and Vasco, and the effigies grow more elaborate every year.
In 2027 Narkasur Night falls on the night of Thursday 28 October. It is the one Diwali celebration on this list that is best seen after midnight, and it pairs naturally with a Goa beach holiday — the only destination here where the festival and the beach are the same trip.
For the spectacle, go to Ayodhya for Deepotsav on 28 October 2027 — and book now. For the most beautiful single night, go to Varanasi for Dev Deepawali on 13 November 2027. For a family holiday, Jaipur's bazaars or Mysuru's palace are the easiest and most rewarding. For something you will not see anywhere else, Amritsar's Bandi Chhor Divas, Kolkata's Kali Puja or Goa's Narkasur Night.
A note on Gujarat: in Ahmedabad, the day after Diwali is Bestu Varas, the Gujarati New Year, with Annakut temple food offerings, and Chhoti Diwali is observed as Kali Chaudas. Read our Ahmedabad Diwali guide for the details. And if you are celebrating at home, our Lakshmi Puja guide covers the rituals for Diwali night itself.
Book early. Diwali is the biggest travel week of the Indian year, and the best stays in Ayodhya, Varanasi and Jaipur are gone months in advance. The cities on this list are at their most crowded on the main night — and that is also when they are at their best.
Diwali 2027 falls on Friday 29 October, the night of Lakshmi Puja. The five-day cluster runs from Dhanteras on Wednesday 27 October to Bhai Dooj on Sunday 31 October 2027. In Tamil Nadu, Deepavali falls a day earlier, on Thursday 28 October.
Ayodhya's Deepotsav is the largest public Diwali celebration in India, with over 26 lakh diyas lit on the Saryu riverfront. Varanasi's Dev Deepawali, two weeks later, is the most beautiful single night. Jaipur's lit bazaars and Mysuru's illuminated palace are the best family picks.
For the spectacle, Ayodhya for Deepotsav on 28 October 2027. For the most beautiful night, Varanasi for Dev Deepawali on 13 November 2027. For a family holiday, Jaipur or Mysuru. For something different, Amritsar, Kolkata or Goa.
Sikhs observe Bandi Chhor Divas on the same day as Diwali, marking Guru Hargobind's release from Gwalior Fort and his return to Amritsar. The Golden Temple is illuminated, lamps are set around the sarovar, and the evening is filled with kirtan and fireworks.
Diwali marks the victory of light over darkness and good over evil. In North India it celebrates Rama's return to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile; in South India it marks Krishna's victory over Narakasura; in Gujarat it marks the new year; and for Sikhs it is Bandi Chhor Divas. The common thread is lamps — diyas — lit to welcome light home.
Diwali is the five-day festival in late October, with Lakshmi Puja on the main night. Dev Deepawali is a separate festival on Kartik Purnima, fifteen days later — in 2027, Saturday 13 November — when all 84 ghats in Varanasi are lit with diyas. The famous ghat illumination in Varanasi belongs to Dev Deepawali, not to Diwali night.
Yes. Diwali is celebrated by the Indian diaspora around the world — in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Fiji, Singapore, Malaysia, the UK, the US, Canada and Australia — and it is a public holiday in several of those countries. In India itself, the biggest public celebrations are in Ayodhya, Varanasi, Jaipur, Mysuru, Delhi, Mumbai, Amritsar, Kolkata and Goa.