Diwali — the festival of lights

Homes and streets are lit with oil lamps (diyas) and string lights, families perform Lakshmi puja for prosperity, and fireworks are widespread, especially on the main night. It is as much a family and business festival as a public spectacle — many Indian businesses close for several days around it and it functions similarly to how Christmas closes down parts of the West.

• Varanasi's Dev Diwali — the ghats lit with thousands of lamps, held on the full moon about fifteen days after the main Diwali, a specifically striking sight.
• Jaipur and Amritsar — both known for elaborate market and public lighting displays.
• Anywhere you're staying — most neighbourhoods put on a genuine home-and-street display worth simply walking through in the evening.

Diwali falls on Kartika Amavasya (the new moon of Kartika), typically in October or November, shifting each year on the Gregorian calendar. Dev Diwali in Varanasi follows about fifteen days later, on the next full moon. Confirm the current year's exact dates before booking. (confirmed on enquiry)

Expect closures at many shops, some offices and reduced services around the main festival days, and heavier-than-usual air pollution in cities from fireworks, particularly in North India — worth knowing if you have respiratory sensitivities. Domestic flights and trains get busy as people travel home for the holiday, so book ahead.