List of unique Diwali traditions of different Indian states — Bandi Chhor Divas, Bestu Baras, Narkasur Vadh & more
From worshipping different deities to lighting jute stems for ancestors, every region observes the festival through its own unique cultural and historical lens.
Diwali, a festival symbolizing the victory of light over darkness, is observed in various unique ways across different regions of India. In Bandi Chhor Divas, Guru Hargobind’s liberation from Gwalior Fort along with 52 Rajput princes is celebrated with the illumination of the Golden Temple and a special meal called langar. In Gujarat, Diwali aligns with Bestu Varas, the start of the Gujarati Vikram Samvat New Year, where traders perform Chopda Pujan, worshipping new account books for a prosperous financial year.
In West Bengal, devotees pay homage to Goddess Kali, seeking protection and strength, with Kaunria Kathi being a ritual where jute stems are burned to honor departed ancestors. In Tamil Nadu and southern India, Naraka Chaturdashi is celebrated a day before Diwali, focusing on Lord Krishna’s victory over Narakasura, with families waking up early for an oil bath, new clothes, and consuming Deepavali marundhu for digestion.
Maharashtra begins the festivities with Govatsa Dwadashi, where women perform a puja to honor cows, and Bali Padyami, on the third day, celebrates the generous demon king Bali, with homes adorned in rangolis and miniature cow dung forts. In Odisha, Kaunria Kathi is a poignant ritual that honours ancestors through burning jute stems as a signal to the heavens.
In Bihar and northern India, Yama Deepam is observed, symbolizing the lighting of lamps for Yama, the god of death. In Varanasi, Dev Deepawali, or the “Gods’ Diwali,” is celebrated 15 days after Diwali, with the city illuminated by millions of lamps for the deities' divine descent to bathe in the Ganges.
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