About Diwali.info
Diwali.info is a small, focused English-language guide to Diwali — the Festival of Lights celebrated across India and by communities of Indian origin around the world.
Last reviewed on 30 April 2026.
What this site covers
The site exists to answer three kinds of questions a reader typically arrives with: when Diwali falls in a given year, what happens during the five days of the festival, and how people celebrate it — from rangoli designs at the doorway to the words used in greetings and the food served at home. Everything on Diwali.info is written for a general audience: family members planning a celebration, students researching the festival, friends and colleagues sending Diwali wishes, and anyone curious about the customs.
Who the site is for
Readers come to Diwali.info from a wide range of backgrounds. Some grew up with Diwali and want a quick reference for dates or wishes; others are encountering the festival for the first time and want a clear, respectful introduction. The pages are written to work for both groups: short summaries up top, fuller context further down, and links between pages so readers can follow whichever thread interests them.
Editorial approach
Pages are written in plain English, kept free of religious advocacy, and focus on widely shared, well-documented aspects of the festival rather than personal interpretation. Where a tradition varies by region or community — for example, the story behind Naraka Chaturdashi — we say so rather than presenting one version as universal.
Three things we try to keep consistent across the site:
- Accuracy over flourish. Dates are checked against the lunar calendar; descriptions of rituals stay general where regional variation is significant.
- No invented sources. Pages don't quote unnamed experts or fabricate statistics. When something is general practice, we say so plainly.
- Respectful tone. Diwali is a meaningful festival to many people. The site treats its rituals and stories as living traditions rather than curiosities.
How content is produced
Articles are written and reviewed in-house by editors familiar with the festival. Each substantive page carries a "Last reviewed" date so you know how recent the information is. When dates or other facts change — for example, when next year's lunar calendar is finalised — the relevant pages are updated rather than left to drift. Imagery on the site is either original or sourced under permissive licences and is captioned where context is useful.
Corrections and feedback
If you spot an error or have a suggestion, please get in touch via our contact page. Corrections are welcome and reviewed promptly. For how we handle data and cookies, see our privacy policy and cookie policy.
What you'll find on the site
The site is organised around the questions readers usually arrive with. The dates page answers "when is Diwali?" for the next several years and explains why the date moves. The traditions page covers the meaning of each of the five days and the regional variations across India and the diaspora. The rangoli gallery collects more than fifty floor-art designs across simple, peacock, floral and geometric styles, with a beginner's tutorial. The wishes page gathers messages for family, friends, colleagues and clients, plus downloadable cards. Beyond those four anchors, separate pages take a longer look at sweets and festive food, diyas, Lakshmi Puja step by step, home decoration and an eco-friendly approach to the festival.
What the site is not
Diwali.info is not a religious authority and doesn't try to be. We don't issue ritual rulings, recommend specific priests, or take a position on the variations between regional traditions — where practice differs we say so plainly and leave the choice to readers. The site doesn't sell products, doesn't run an affiliate marketing programme, and doesn't carry sponsored content. The only commercial element on the site is third-party advertising served by Google AdSense; how that works and how to opt out of personalised advertising is described in our privacy policy and cookie policy.
Accessibility and language
We try to keep the site readable for the widest possible audience. Pages use plain English with short paragraphs, descriptive headings and meaningful alt text on images. The site avoids modal pop-ups, autoplay video and forced sign-ins. Sanskrit and Hindi terms are used where they are the most accurate words for what's being described — diya, panchamrit, annakut — and a short gloss is given on first use within each page.
About the name
"Diwali.info" reflects the site's purpose — an information-first resource for the festival, focused on being useful rather than commercial. The site is independent and not affiliated with any temple, organisation or government body. If you'd like to reach the editors with a correction, suggestion or question, the contact page has the details.