The Origins of Diwali

Diwali, or Deepavali, falls on Sunday 8 November 2026. This film explains the festival of lights from the ground up: what the name means, why a lunisolar calendar puts it on a new-moon night that moves by weeks from year to year, and why the same night is called Ashvin in one region and Kartika in another. Then what the oldest texts and inscriptions say; the five days from Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj; the stories told about the night, in their own terms, from Rama's return in the Ramayana to Krishna and Narakasura and the goddess Lakshmi; how Jains, Sikhs and Newar Buddhists mark the same time for their own reasons; how fireworks joined the lamps and why Delhi's air worsens after the festival; and how Diwali became a public holiday from Singapore to Trinidad, a celebration in Bangkok's Little India and, in 2025, part of UNESCO's intangible heritage list.

The Origins of Diwali

One dark night, a row of lights, many faiths

Lamps and the Moon

A row of lamps, on the darkest night.

In the record

Where Diwali comes from: old plays, inscriptions and travellers.

Five days

Two days before the dark moon, two days after.

Stories of the night

Several stories, told differently by region.

One night, many faiths

Jains, Sikhs and Newar Buddhists light lamps for reasons of their own.

Smoke and light

Fireworks came late, and they leave something behind.

Around the world

From Kathmandu to Port of Spain, and Bangkok.

Read the full story as text · อ่านภาษาไทย

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