Diwali is one of India’s most widely celebrated festivals, yet no two regions mark it in quite the same way. Stories, foods, deities and even the number of days observed shift from state to state and from household to household. Uttarakhand adds its own chapter. In many hill villages, the Diwali celebration does not end with the festival’s final day. It continues to a second festival of lights, Igas Bagwal, about eleven days later.
This guide explains the Diwali meaning, walks through the five days in order, and looks at how the festive season is observed in Uttarakhand.
Diwali Meaning and Significance
The word comes from the Sanskrit Deepavali, joining dipa (lamp) and avali (row). It means “a row of lights”, and rows of lamps are still the festival’s most recognisable image.
Its common theme is light over darkness, and good over evil. The stories behind that theme differ by tradition:
- Many Hindus associate the festival with the worship of Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity.
- Many also link it to Rama’s return to Ayodhya.
- Jains remember the nirvana of Mahavira.
- Sikhs observe Bandi Chhor Divas, recalling Guru Hargobind’s release from imprisonment.
- Newar Buddhists in Nepal also worship Lakshmi at this time.
So it is more accurate to speak of many Diwali traditions than of one single story.
The Five Days of the Diwali Festival
The festival is traditionally counted over five days, running from the dark fortnight of Ashvin into the bright fortnight of Kartik. Names, emphasis and customs vary. Not every household or community observes all five days in the same way, and some skip days entirely.
The Hindu calendar follows lunar days, so the English dates change each year. In 2026, Dhanteras falls on 6 November and the main Diwali celebration on 8 November. Naraka Chaturdashi is also observed on 8 November in some panchang calendars, while Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj are listed for 10 and 11 November respectively. Check a local panchang for exact timings, as dates can vary by regional calendar.
Day 1: Dhanteras (Dhantrayodashi)
Dhanteras falls on the 13th lunar day of the dark fortnight. Homes and shops are cleaned and decorated, lamps are lit, and families pray to Lakshmi and Ganesha. Buying something new, often metal or utensils, is a widespread custom, symbolising prosperity. The day is also linked to Dhanvantari, the deity of healing, so it carries a theme of health as well as wealth.
Day 2: Naraka Chaturdashi (Chhoti Diwali)
On the 14th lunar day, many communities recall Krishna’s victory over the demon Narakasura. Typical customs include an early-morning oil bath and extra lamps lit at dusk. Regional versions differ. In some places the day is dedicated to other deities, and in Bengal and parts of eastern India the focus shifts to Kali worship.
Day 3: Lakshmi Puja (Main Diwali)
This is the new-moon night and the festival’s peak. Families clean and decorate their homes, light diyas, worship Lakshmi (often with Ganesha), and share sweets and meals. Fireworks are a modern addition in many places, though they are now restricted or discouraged in several cities for environmental reasons.
Day 4: Govardhan Puja (Annakut)
Observed on the first day of the bright fortnight, this day recalls the story of Krishna lifting Govardhan Hill to shelter villagers from Indra’s storms. Communities that observe it prepare large offerings of food, called Annakut (“mountain of food”). In some regions, including Gujarat, this day also marks the new year.
Day 5: Bhai Dooj (Bhaiya Dooj)
The final day celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. Sisters pray for their brothers’ well-being, apply a tilak and offer food, and brothers give gifts in return.
How Is Diwali Celebrated in Uttarakhand?
Across Garhwal and Kumaon, many families follow the widely shared customs above. They clean and decorate homes, light lamps, worship Lakshmi and Ganesha, prepare sweets and visit relatives. Reports on the hill regions add that the festive mood can stretch well beyond the main night, with the season in some hill areas lasting up to a month and closing with Igas Bagwal.
It is worth being careful about specifics, because Uttarakhand is not uniform. Customs differ between Garhwal and Kumaon, and between valley towns, mountain villages and migrant families living in cities. A practice described in one village should not be read as the rule for the whole state.
One cultural thread from Kumaon is Aipan, a ritual folk art made with rice-flour paste on brick-red walls and floors, used in household ceremonies and rituals. Published descriptions link it to rituals in general, so it is best seen as part of Kumaon’s festive and domestic ritual culture rather than a Diwali-only custom.
Igas Bagwal: Uttarakhand’s Own Festival of Lights
Igas Bagwal, also called Budhi Diwali (“old Diwali”), is a traditional festival of Uttarakhand, especially in Garhwal. Sources describe it as observed across the state’s hill communities, and the word Bagwal is also used in Kumaoni. In some high-altitude areas a similar celebration is reported a month after Diwali, in the month of Mangsir, and is called Mangsir Bagwal.
When does it fall?
Igas refers to Ekadashi, the 11th lunar day of the bright fortnight of Kartik, also known as Devutthana Ekadashi. The festival is traditionally celebrated about eleven days after Diwali, although the exact Gregorian date may vary by a day depending on the lunar calendar and local panchang. Igas Bagwal is not a “sixth day” of Diwali. It is a separate regional festival that follows the main Diwali period, and not every part of India or Uttarakhand observes it in the same way.
Customs
Practices vary by village, but commonly described elements include:
- Bhailo torches: Bundles of dry pine wood and grass are lit at dusk. People swing them in circles in open fields while singing and dancing, which is said to symbolise light driving out darkness.
- Music and dance: Dhol and damau drums accompany group singing and dancing, often late into the night.
- Cattle worship: In some places cows and oxen are bathed, garlanded and fed special food in gratitude, reflecting the importance of livestock in hill farming life.
- Food: Families prepare local dishes and sweets such as arsa, puri and pua, and share them with neighbours.
- Gatherings: Households visit relatives, and communities gather for shared celebration. Migrant hill communities in towns and cities also mark the day.
Why Are Diwali and Igas Bagwal Celebrated?
For Diwali, the reasons are layered. Religious accounts include Rama’s homecoming, Krishna’s victory over Narakasura, the worship of Lakshmi and the Govardhan story. These are devotional traditions and sacred narratives rather than events historians can date, and they coexist with the festival’s agricultural and seasonal roots as a celebration around the autumn harvest.
For Igas Bagwal, local explanations are told as tradition, not documented history:
- The late-news belief: One popular account says news of Rama’s return reached the remote Himalayan hills about eleven days late, so villagers celebrated then.
- Madho Singh Bhandari: Another tells of this Garhwal military commander, serving King Mahipat Shah, who went to fight Tibetan raiders. Villagers are said to have skipped Diwali, and celebrated when he returned victorious. Madho Singh Bhandari is a recognised figure in Garhwal’s history, but the link between his campaign and this festival rests on oral tradition.
Neither story is proven, and the festival’s real origins may reflect the way mountain communities adapted a pan-Indian festival to their own rhythm of farming, travel and weather.
Conclusion
The Diwali celebration across India is a shared language of lamps, family meals and gratitude. In Uttarakhand, that language takes on local accents: the burning bhailo, the beat of the dhol, the thanks given to cattle. Together, the national five-day calendar and the hill region’s Igas Bagwal show how faith, family and community keep cultural heritage alive, and how the festivals of Uttarakhand continue to grow from the land itself. If you are visiting or writing about these traditions, remember that customs differ from valley to valley, and local voices are the best guide.