When Rujuta Limaye moved to Australia in the ’90s, Diwali – one of the largest religious festivals in the world – was mostly observed in the homes of the Indian diaspora. But now the five-day festival, which is as important to Hindus as Christmas is to Christians, is celebrated in schools, offices, parks and stadiums across the nation.

“My mum works for a corporate and they’re having a dress up and bring your own Diwali food day and a Diwali-themed quiz,” says Rujuta, who was born in Maharashtra in western India.

In Australia, more than a million people celebrate Diwali, along with the Nepalese version, Tihar, and the Sikh festival Bandi Chhor Diwas. Around the world, more than a billion observe the festival of light.

“Diwali celebrations are a lot bigger here now – there’s just more awareness of other places and cultures,” Rujuta says. “I think Australia is a lot more welcoming than it was 30 years ago.”

She says the meaning behind Diwali is beautiful. “It’s about good winning over evil or light over darkness. I think that’s universal, no matter where you come from.”

But what is Diwali? Why is it observed by so many faiths? Are there rules and traditions? And can you celebrate if you are not religious?

What is Diwali?

Diwali, also known as the festival of lights, is India’s most important holiday. Mentioned in multiple ancient texts such as the Padma Purana and the Skanda Purana, it’s likely to have been a fusion of harvest festivals in India, dating back more than 2500 years.

Today it has different meanings for different religious communities. “Although Diwali originates from Hindu traditions, it’s significance resonates far beyond its religious roots because it is not confined to only one faith,” says Dr Surjeet Dhanji, the former director of cultural diplomacy at the Australia India Institute. “It’s a celebration shared by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists alike.”

For Hindus, more than 680,000 of whom live in Australia, Diwali marks the triumph of deity Lord Rama over the evil spirit Ravana.

Sikhs – there are more than 210,000 in Australia – commemorate the release from jail in about 1619 of Guru Hargobind Singh and other prisoners incarcerated by a Mughal emperor.

The Jains celebrate the enlightenment of Lord Mahavira, the founder of Jainism, and Newar Buddhists commemorate the day in which Emperor Ashoka converted to Buddhism in the third century BC.

“So this is what truly makes Diwali remarkable,” says Dhanji, who is a Sikh. “It’s the ability to unite diverse communities coming together to light up their own and their communities lives with lamps and candles, embracing the festival spirit of hope, looking beyond our differences and celebrating our shared humanity.”

The common theme of all the religious communities who celebrate Diwali, Dhanji says, is the victory of good over evil. “In effect, it’s really reinforcing the value of love and togetherness.”

When is it held?

The exact date of Diwali varies each year depending on the position of the moon, but it usually falls between October and November. “It’s a very auspicious month, in the Hindu calendar it is called the month of Kartik,” says Reverend Albert Lange, former chairperson of the Faith Communities Council of Victoria, who is an adherent of Vaishnava Hinduism.

There are five days of ritual and festivities.

Day one is known as Dhanteras, according to the Hindu Council of Australia, which is the day of fortune and marks the arrival of the goddess Lakshmi. Next is Naraka Chaturdasi, the day of knowledge, when the demonic Narakasur was slain by Lord Krishna.

The third and main day is Deepavali, the day of light, when Lord Ram returned to Ayodhya after vanquishing Ravana. Ever since then, this day symbolises the victory of good over evil.

Day four, says the council, is Govardhan Puja, which “commemorates Lord Krishna’s feat of lifting the Govardhan mountain on his little finger in order to save the residents of Vrindhavan from the torrential rains”.

Finally, Bhai Duj is the day of love between siblings when brothers and sisters pray together.

How is Diwali celebrated?

Diwali comes from the Sanskrit word deepawali, meaning “row of lamps”. In the lead-up, many people clean then decorate their homes, temples and offices and light oil lamps made of clay called diyas. This is to welcome Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of prosperity, into the home.

“The oil lamps emanate a lot of positive energy, this period is very spiritual and emotionally healing for all people involved,” says Srinivas Shesham, who has organised Diwali festivities in a Melbourne park since 2013.

Many families also buy new clothes and exchange gifts and sweets called mithai. In India, the festive season is a fillip for the economy, with spending reportedly booming this year.

The weekend before Diwali, Rujuta, her mother and aunt prepared a feast for their November 12 celebration, including a deep-fried savoury snack called chakli and sweet coconut-filled dumplings called karanji.

The family create rangoli patterns – intricate designs using coloured powders, rice or flower petals – in their front and backyards. “Each day you can make a different rangoli pattern. We normally do a chalk one but this year I have actually bought the colours.”

On the main day of Diwali, families gather to pray, eat, sing, dance and share gifts. “Like Christmas, there’s a religious and spiritual aspect,” says Lange. “It’s a camaraderie and love for one another. That’s the kind of thing that appeals to most people. And also the remembrance of those past times of the Supreme Lord. So it brings that spirituality.”

Diwali is also often marked with fireworks. “If you go to India it’s like World War III – there’s so many different fireworks and crackers and rockets,” Lange says.

However, the smoke worsens India’s already toxic air and this year New Delhi authorities have warned again that there is a ban on firecrackers ahead of Diwali. (Its government even plans to induce rain through cloud seeding in a bid to clear the air over the capital, according to reports.)

Where is Diwali celebrated?

All over the world! The main day of the festival of Diwali – the day of Lakshmi Puja – is an official holiday in many countries including India, Nepal, Fiji, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Singapore, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Suriname in South America.

Diwali events at the White House began with former president George W. Bush in 2003, and last year saw the largest ever celebration with vice president Kamala Harris, who is black and Indian American. In 2023, it was announced that Diwali would be a public holiday in New York City, with students to have a day off school for the first time in 2024.

Dhanji, from the Australia India Institute, says the Indian diaspora would like to see that happen here. “So it should be for Eid as well – those who observe religious faith holidays should be allowed to take a day off.”

In 2022, UK leader Rishi Sunak, who is a Hindu, was named as prime minister on Diwali. Two years earlier, as chancellor, he had marked Diwali by lighting candles on the doorstep of No 11 Downing Street. He told The Times this had been one of his proudest moments.

Despite simmering tensions between India and Pakistan, the soldiers guarding each side of the border have in some years exchanged sweets on Diwali.

Can anyone go to Diwali celebrations?

The festivities are open to everyone, says Shesham, who organises Diwali events in Melbourne’s west.

He remembers being delighted that the first family to arrive at the inaugural Diwali celebration at a park in Wyndham Vale in 2013 was European. “I thought ‘OK, this is a very good sign that the universal theme has really registered’,” Shesham says. “Since then, I would say about 40 to 50 per cent of the families who come to the event are from other communities.”

Lange says many of the Indian diaspora invite their friends and relatives to celebrations.

“On Diwali we open up our doors to all faiths and our Muslim brothers will come, our Christian brothers will come to celebrate Diwali. And, similarly, on Ramadan or Easter or Christmas, the reverse would happen,” Lange says.

“That brings about social cohesion in difficult times like we’re living in at the moment. We need that companionship of each other, whatever tradition we’re in, and we put our political beliefs aside, and just come together in friendship and love.”

How is Diwali celebrated in Australia?

Hundreds of events will be held across the nation, from small local temples to major stadiums in capital cities.

In Melbourne, thousands of revellers attended a huge festivity in Federation Square on November 4. Landmarks including the MCG and Old Treasury Building were lit up in the Indian tricolours on the night of the event. However, this year the Sydney Opera House will not be lit up for Diwali for the first time since 2014. NSW authorities told a local Indian media outlet the decision had been made due to the sensitivities around the Gaza conflict.

Many of the most popular events are in local communities with large numbers of Hindus, such as Blacktown City in Sydney’s west, where the council has run a Diwali lights competition for residents since 2017.

Lange says people attending public events hosted by councils or community groups will be “blown away by the foods and sweets”.

“They’re absolutely delicious. You’ll be confronted with a lot of food, friendly people dressed up in their finery, lots of singing and Bollywood dancing.”

Rujuta is hosting her family and friends for Diwali. They will eat together, exchange gifts and then someone might play music. “The traditions are quite varied across the country,” Rujuta says. “I feel there’s a freedom to celebrate it my way and what suits my family in Australia. It’s important because it’s a sense of where you come from and passing that on to the kids.”

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