Diwali, the festival of lights, is one of the most loved celebrations in India, and Kashmir has its own version of it. Many people picture Diwali in north Indian cities, with rows of lamps, crowded bazaars and fireworks over the rooftops. In Kashmir the festival has a longer history and a quieter rhythm. For many families it is about cleaning the house, decorating it with flowers, lighting diyas, visiting a temple, sharing sweets with neighbours and spending the evening together.
This post explains how Diwali has been observed in the valley, what Kashmiri Pandit families traditionally do, how our family celebrates at home, and where visitors can see the festival in Srinagar.
The five days of Diwali
Diwali is a five-day festival, and each day has its own observance. It opens with Dhanteras, followed by Naraka Chaturdashi, also called Chhoti Diwali. The main night is Lakshmi Puja on the new moon of Kartika, which falls in October or November depending on the year. Govardhan Puja comes next, and Bhai Dooj, the day that honours the bond between brothers and sisters, closes the festival.
The Lakshmi Puja muhurat, the auspicious window for worship, is calculated for each city, so the timing in Srinagar can differ from the one published for Delhi or Mumbai. Check a Srinagar panchang for the exact evening window before you begin the puja.
Diwali's roots in Kashmir
Kashmir has an early written record of this festival. The Nilamata Purana, a religious text composed in the region around the seventh and eighth centuries CE, describes the celebration under the name Sukhasuptika. The name is usually translated as "sleep with happiness", a phrase that suggests a restful, contented night.
According to the text, the new moon night of the month of Kartika was set aside for worshipping Goddess Lakshmi. Earthen lamps were placed outside homes and at places people visited often. Over time the lamps appeared in temples, at crossroads, on riverbanks, near lakes and streams, at the foot of trees, in cowsheds, in courtyards and in shops. Kashmiri texts also refer to the festival as Deepamala, a row or garland of lamps, which describes the picture the valley presented on that night.
The traditional observation included a fast on the new moon day, worship of the deities in the morning and an evening puja when strings of lamps were lit in honour of Lakshmi. A Kashmiri Pandit account notes that electric lights now join the earthen lamps on houses, temples and shops, so the festival has taken on modern lighting while keeping its older core.
Some local accounts also describe lamps lit in honour of ancestors on the new moon night. That sense of remembering those who came before is part of the family side of the festival, alongside the celebration of Lakshmi.
How Kashmiri Pandit families observe Diwali
Kashmiri Pandit families have kept many of these customs alive, and they give the festival its distinctive character in the valley. On the new moon day, many adults keep a fast, while the sick and young children are generally excused. In the evening, Lakshmi is worshipped, and the family sits down together afterwards.
Offerings are central to the worship. Sweets, dry fruits, fresh fruit, grains and flowers are placed before the deities with prayers. Traditional accounts describe a sequence of observances that includes a ritual bath, giving donations, sharing a feast, fasting, temple visits and recitations of scripture and devotional songs. Each part of the day has its own purpose, and families often follow the sequence in their own way.
Temples are decorated for the festival too. Local reports from Pulwama and Shopian describe Pandit families crowding into temples from the morning of Diwali, decorating them with flowers and buntings. Rangoli is also a common feature inside homes. A Kashmiri Pandit family making a rangoli has been described as following a centuries-old custom, and the design is a way of welcoming guests and the goddess.
Food follows the traditions of the community. Kashmiri Pandit cooking is traditionally made without onion or garlic. Families who keep that practice in ordinary life often carry it over to festival days, and that is also how our family observes Diwali.
Sweets have their own Kashmiri touch. Traditionally, Kashmiri Pandit families offered sweet puris to the deity instead of ordinary sweets. Sweet puri, known in some homes as modur puri, is a sweet flatbread. One Kashmiri family recalls waiting for the Lakshmi puja to finish, then sharing puris with kahwa, the traditional Kashmiri green tea, before lighting the lamps. That simple sequence of puja, food and then lamps shows how closely the sweets are tied to the worship.
Our Diwali at home
Here is how our family celebrates, from the first day of preparation until the last firework of the night.
Cleaning the house
Preparation begins with cleaning. Before anything else, we clean the house from top to bottom. The aim is to welcome the goddess into a clean, well-kept home, and the work brings everyone together in the days before the festival.
Decorating with flowers
Once the house is clean, we decorate it with fresh flowers. They fill the living areas and the entrance with colour and fragrance, so the house feels bright and festive from the moment guests arrive.
Buying sweets and making sweet puris
Next, we buy sweets from our favourite shop, because a good selection of mithai is part of Diwali. At home we also make sweet puris. The kitchen is busy for a while, and the smell of the festival fills the house.
Making rangoli and placing diyas
Then we make a beautiful rangoli. Once it is complete, we place diyas around it. As evening arrives, the lamps glow, and the rangoli and the flames give the home a warm, welcoming look.
Visiting the Shankaracharya Temple
After the lamps are lit, we visit the Shankaracharya Temple for blessings. The temple stands on a hill above Srinagar, and the view over the city is part of the visit.
Sharing sweets
After the temple, we share sweets with our relatives and friends. Sharing sweets is one of the most important parts of Diwali for us, because it carries the joy of the festival beyond our own home.
Avoiding onion and garlic
During Diwali we avoid onion and garlic in our food. It is part of the way we mark the festival, and it sets the tone for the day's meals.
Evening visits and gifts
In the evening, our relatives and friends visit our home with gifts, and the whole family gathers together. The evening is about conversation, sweets and spending time with the people we care about.
Fireworks at night
Once night falls, we light fireworks and celebrate together. The fireworks close a long day of preparation, worship and sharing. The rules for fireworks in Srinagar are covered later in this post.
Diwali across the valley
Diwali in Kashmir is not only a Pandit festival. Friends and neighbours from other communities take part in many ways. Reports from recent years describe Muslim residents exchanging sweets and greetings with their Hindu friends. One Srinagar resident said that festivals such as Diwali and Eid bring people together across religion, and that he visited his Pandit friends that day to pray for them.
The markets also come alive in the days before the festival. In recent years, shoppers have crowded sweet shops, gift stores and markets along Lal Chowk, Hari Singh High Street and Jawahar Nagar, buying decorative items, diyas and candles. Demand for locally made diyas and pottery has risen in recent years, which gives local artisans a welcome boost.
Public celebrations have grown as well. In one recent year, reports said Lal Chowk would be lit with 20,000 lamps, and the historic Clock Tower on Lal Chowk was lit up on the eve of the festival. In an earlier year, hundreds of people gathered at the Clock Tower, known locally as Ghantaghar, to light traditional diyas. Events like these bring people from many backgrounds together in the heart of the city.
Where to celebrate Diwali in Srinagar
If you are visiting Srinagar for Diwali, these are the places we suggest.
Lal Chowk and the Clock Tower
This is the most visible public setting for the festival in the city. In the evenings, the square and its surrounding markets glow with lamps, and shoppers come for sweets, decorations and diyas. It is busy, so plan to arrive early and allow time to walk around.
Temples in the old city
Temples in the old city, including those at Amira Kadal and Habba Kadal, are busy in the evenings. Devotees pray and light lamps there, and an evening visit gives the best chance to see the lamps and the worship up close. Dress modestly and keep your voice low when you visit an active place of worship.
Shankaracharya Hill
The Shankaracharya Temple is dedicated to Shiva and sits on a hill that overlooks Srinagar. Accounts of its age differ. Kalhana's chronicle links it to King Gopaditya, while other sources place the earliest temple around 200 BCE and the present structure around the ninth century CE. Tradition also connects the site with the eighth-century philosopher Adi Shankara, and the hill and the temple take their name from him. Access to the hill and its opening hours can change, so check locally before you go.
Dal and Nigeen lakes
A shikara ride on Dal or Nigeen Lake is one of Kashmir's classic experiences, and an evening ride gives a different view of the city from the water. Ask your hotel to arrange one in advance, especially during the festival week.
A note on Jammu
If you want to see Diwali temples and markets lit up, Jammu is the usual choice, and the Vaishno Devi shrine at Katra sees pilgrims during the festival. Srinagar and Jammu are separate cities, so plan your travel with that in mind.
Gifts and sweets: what we give
Sharing is at the heart of Diwali. Across India, people greet one another with gifts and sweets, and the same is true in Kashmir. In our home, that means sweets for relatives and friends, and the gifts they bring when they visit in the evening.
If you are choosing a Diwali gift, the most traditional options are a box of sweets from a good shop, a packet of sweet puris made at home, and a set of handmade diyas from local potters. Diyas and pottery are especially fitting, because they are used on the night itself and support local craft. Candles and decorative lamps are also popular choices in Srinagar's markets.
A few thoughtful gestures go a long way: a plate of sweets for a neighbour, a visit to friends, or a short message wishing them a happy and safe Diwali. Many households also observe Diwali Milan, a day for meeting friends, relatives and colleagues.
Staying safe with fireworks
Fireworks are part of the night for many families, including ours, and they need care. Past orders from the Jammu and Kashmir administration have allowed only green crackers in Srinagar and Jammu, with bursting restricted to a two-hour window from 8 pm to 10 pm on Diwali. Look for the green logo and the QR code on the pack, and buy only from licensed sellers.
Rules can change from year to year, so check the latest district order before the festival and share the timing with your guests, especially if there are children or elderly relatives in the house.
Some simple precautions help. Keep children supervised, light fireworks in an open space away from buildings, keep a bucket of water nearby, and never go back to a firework that has not fully fired. Keep pets indoors while the fireworks are going off.
Closing thoughts
Diwali in our home is about preparing the house together, sharing sweets, honouring the goddess and welcoming guests. In Kashmir, the festival carries older layers of history, from the Nilamata Purana to the lamps lit at temples and crossroads today, and it makes room for neighbours from every community. Whether you celebrate at home or visit the valley during the festival, the lamps, the sweets and the warm welcome are a good way to experience Kashmir.
If you are planning a trip to Srinagar or the wider valley around Diwali, the Stay Pattern team can help you plan your stay and itinerary. Visit staypattern.com to get in touch, and we will help you find the right option for your dates.
