List of unique Diwali traditions of different Indian states — Bandi Chhor Divas, Bestu Baras, Narkasur Vadh & more

Diwali, the festival that revolves around the triumph of light over darkness, is celebrated across India with a diverse tapestry of rituals and stories.

From worshipping different deities to lighting jute stems for ancestors, every region observes the festival through its own unique cultural and historical lens.

Here is a look at the distinct traditions that define Diwali across various Indian states:

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Bandi Chhor Divas commemorates Guru Hargobind’s release from Gwalior Fort along with 52 detained Rajput princes. The Golden Temple is illuminated, and devotees take part in langar and a special karah prasad.

Chopda Pujan marks a spiritual and commercial renewal at the start of the Gujarati Vikram Samvat New Year. Traders worship their new account books for an auspicious and prosperous start to the financial year.

Communities build colourful paper-mache effigies of Narakasura, parade them in neighbourhood competitions and set them alight to symbolise the destruction of evil. Families then have an oil bath and a festive breakfast of poha with jaggery and coconut.

In West Bengal, devotees worship Goddess Kali, seeking her protection and strength. The celebration focuses on the divine force that destroys evil, rather than solely on wealth.

Kaunria Kathi is a ceremony in which families burn jute stems to create a glowing signal to the heavens. The ritual honours departed forefathers and seeks their guidance and blessings.

For the Sikh community, the Diwali season coincides with Bandi Chhor Divas, or the “Day of Liberation”.

The day commemorates the historic release of Guru Hargobind from the Gwalior Fort, where he secured not only his own freedom but also the release of 52 Rajput princes unjustly detained by Mughal Emperor Jahangir.

To mark the occasion, the Golden Temple in Amritsar is brilliantly illuminated with thousands of lamps and fireworks reflecting in the sarovar. Devotees participate in the langar and a special karah prasad.

Gujarat: Bestu Baras and Chopda Pujan

In Gujarat, Diwali is closely intertwined with Bestu Varas, the beginning of the Gujarati Vikram Samvat New Year. The festival represents both a spiritual and commercial renewal.

Traders and business owners close their old account books and perform Chopda Pujan, worshipping their new ledgers to ensure an auspicious and prosperous start to the financial year.

Families also prepare elaborate rangolis and share a widespread feast of savoury farsan and sweet mohanthal.

Goa: Narkasur Vadh

Goa kicks off its Diwali celebrations in the early, pre-dawn hours with a dramatic focus on the mythology of Narakasura. Local communities spend weeks building massive, colourful paper-mache effigies of the arrogant demon king.

These towering figures are paraded through the streets in fierce neighbourhood competitions before being set ablaze to symbolise the destruction of evil.

Following the burning, families return home for a traditional oil bath and a festive breakfast of flattened rice (poha) mixed with jaggery and coconut.

West Bengal: Kali Puja

While the northern and western parts of India perform Lakshmi Puja on Diwali night, households and temples in West Bengal and Assam observe Kali Puja.

Devotees worship the fierce Goddess Kali, seeking her protection and strength. Rather than focusing solely on wealth, the night is dedicated to celebrating the ultimate divine force that destroys evil, accompanied by brightly lit pandals and regional delicacies.

Odisha: Kaunria Kathi

Odisha observes a deeply poignant Diwali ritual centred around memory and family roots rather than purely festive celebrations.

Families perform Kaunria Kathi, a quiet ceremony where they burn the stems of the jute plant to produce fire as a glowing signal to the heavens.

This ritual is performed to honour, guide, and seek blessings from the spirits of their forefathers who have passed on.

Tamil Nadu: Pre-dawn Deepavali and oil baths

In Tamil Nadu and other parts of southern India, the primary celebration is often observed a day earlier, on Naraka Chaturdashi, which commemorates Lord Krishna's victory over Narakasura.

Families wake up well before sunrise to take a traditional abhyanga snan—a customary oil massage and bath believed to wash away sins. This is followed by wearing new clothes, enjoying an early-morning festive breakfast, and consuming Deepavali marundhu, a herbal preparation meant to aid digestion during the heavy festive feasting.

Maharashtra: Vasu Baras

In Maharashtra, the Diwali festivities commence with Govatsa Dwadashi, locally known as Vasu Baras.

On this day, women perform a puja to honour cows and their calves, viewing them as symbols of divine nourishment and prosperity. To respect the calf’s right to its mother’s milk, households traditionally avoid consuming dishes made from milk and wheat, instead feeding the cattle millet rotis and jaggery.

Following the prayers, families indulge in a grand feast known as Faral, featuring snacks like chakli, karanji, and laddoo.

Karnataka: Bali Padyami and cow dung forts

For communities in Karnataka, the third day of the festival, known as Bali Padyami, holds special significance. This day honours the generous demon king Bali, who was sent to the netherworld by Lord Vishnu's Vamana avatar.

Women draw intricate rangolis at the entrances of their homes and build miniature forts from cow dung to commemorate King Bali's legendary reign.

Families also gather to recount the mythological stories associated with the king and celebrate his annual return to earth.

Uttar Pradesh: Dev Deepawali

While the rest of the country wraps up its celebrations, the holy city of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh experiences its most spectacular event 15 days after Diwali, on Kartik Purnima.

Known as Dev Deepawali, or the “Diwali of the Gods,” this festival is rooted in the belief that millions of deities descend from heaven to bathe in the river Ganges.

To welcome them, devotees and priests illuminate all 84 ghats of the city with millions of earthen oil lamps, creating a breathtaking, glowing spectacle alongside a grand Ganga Aarti.

Bihar and Northern India: Yam Ke Diya

In Bihar and several other northern regions, the festival features a unique and slightly solemn ritual known as Yama Deepam, or Yam Ka Diya.

Rather than focusing solely on wealth or light, this tradition is intended to please Yama, the Hindu god of death. Families light a solitary earthen lamp filled with sesame oil and place it at the back of their homes, facing south.

It is widely believed that this offering helps ward off untimely death and protects the household from misfortune.