Gish/Cultural Templates/Diwali
Cultural template · Diwali

A Diwali celebration, five days lit.

The festival of lights — across five days, in homes and temples, with diyas, rangoli, sweets, fireworks, and family. The template is built for the home-host: not a single party, but a week of meaningful evenings.

Hindu, Jain, Sikh and Newar communities celebrate Diwali with distinct theology and customs — Hindus emphasize Lakshmi puja, Jains mark the nirvana of Mahavira, Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas. Regional traditions vary widely. The template supports the most common shape and toggles for tradition.

01 · The festival at a glance

Five days, in order.

The classical five-day calendar — Dhanteras through Bhai Dooj. Many families today center the third day (Diwali / Lakshmi puja); the template lets you scale up or down.

Hindu / Jain / Sikh / Newar variations supported
01
Day 1
Dhanteras
Honoring wealth and well-being. Traditional to buy metal — gold, silver, or kitchenware — as an auspicious purchase. Evening lamps lit.
02
Day 2
Naraka Chaturdashi / Choti Diwali
Pre-dawn oil bath in many regions, defeat of the demon Narakasura commemorated. Smaller-scale lights, abhyanga snan.
03
Day 3
Diwali / Lakshmi puja
The main night. Lakshmi puja at dusk — invoking the goddess of prosperity. Diyas placed at every window and door. New clothes, family feast, fireworks (where permitted).
04
Day 4
Govardhan Puja / Annakut
Annakut — "mountain of food" — offered to the deity. New Year in many Hindu calendars. Vaishnava communities especially emphasize this day.
05
Day 5
Bhai Dooj
Brothers and sisters honoring each other — sister applies tilak, brother brings gifts. Shared meal, blessings exchanged.
06
Throughout
Rangoli
Doorstep patterns drawn in colored powder, flower petals, or rice — welcoming the goddess. Refreshed daily.
07
Throughout
Mithai & dry-fruit exchange
Sweets boxes given to neighbors, family, colleagues. The week's signature gesture.
08
Throughout
Fireworks / sparklers
Where legal and safe — fireworks on the main night, sparklers (phuljhadis) for children. Increasingly, low-emission and noise-conscious options.
02 · Suggested microsite structure

Microsite defaults.

Pages

  • Home / countdownDiwali night date, countdown to Lakshmi puja muhurat.
  • What we're doingFamily schedule across the five days.
  • Open house / dinnerIf hosting — date, time, dress code, parking.
  • Rangoli & décorPhotos of the home, themes for the year.
  • Sweets exchangeCoordination for sweets-box swaps with neighbors and friends.
  • RSVPPer-evening RSVP for hosted nights.
  • Cultural glossaryFor non-Hindu friends and colleagues — what each day means.
  • CharityDonation link for Diwali (giving is part of the festival).

Defaults & toggles

  • TraditionHindu / Jain / Sikh / Newar — sets defaults for prayers and days emphasized.
  • BilingualEnglish + Hindi / Tamil / Telugu / Gujarati / Punjabi / Marathi.
  • Muhurat timeAuspicious window for Lakshmi puja, looked up per year and region.
  • Color paletteDefault marigold, deep red, gold.
  • Low-noise fireworks toggleFor homes with pets, elderly, infants.
  • Diaspora modeFor Diwali outside India — adjusts vendor and timing guidance.
03 · Paper goods that fit

Lit, layered, gifted.

StationeryDiwali open-house invitationBilingual DécorRangoli stencilsReusable templates FavorsMithai-box tagsSweets gifting FavorsBlessing cards (Shubh Diwali)Multi-script FavorsDry-fruit box wrappersFamily monogram DécorDiya placement cardsWindow labels TabletopAnnakut menu cardsGovardhan day DécorWelcome bannerLakshmi or Om motif FavorsBhai Dooj tilak cardSibling keepsake DrinkwareChai-set keepsakeGuest takeaway
04 · Roles & honorees

A home-led festival.

Household

  • Eldest woman of the homeOften leads the Lakshmi puja and lights the first diya.
  • ChildrenLead sparklers, rangoli, and the sweets distribution.
  • Family priest / purohit (optional)Some families invite a priest for the formal Lakshmi puja.

Community

  • NeighborsThe sweets exchange — sweets given and received with everyone nearby.
  • Sisters & brothers (Bhai Dooj)The honored relationship of day 5.
  • Local templeMany families attend community puja on the main night.
05 · Gifting traditions

Sweets, dry fruits, and lights.

What people give

  • Mithai boxesIndian sweets — kaju katli, soan papdi, ladoo, barfi — boxed and labeled.
  • Dry fruitsAlmonds, cashews, pistachios in decorated boxes — increasingly the alternative to sweets.
  • Diyas, candles, idolsDecorative gifts for the home altar.
  • CharityDonations to temples, schools, food drives — daan is a Diwali tradition.

What hosts give

  • Take-home mithaiEvery guest leaves with a small sweets pack.
  • Diya keepsakeA clay diya as memento of the open house.
  • Blessing cardPrinted message of prosperity, signed by the family.
06 · Sample template preview

Microsite home page.

Diwali · 2027
शुभ दीपावली — light a diya with us

The Kapoor Family

02 · Nov · 2027 · Open House · Bengaluru
Day 1–2
Dhanteras · Choti Diwali
Day 3
Lakshmi puja · Open house
Day 4–5
Annakut · Bhai Dooj
ScheduleOpen houseGlossaryCharityRSVP

Start an Occasion from this template

The five-day Diwali structure pre-loaded. Your family, hosted nights, tradition, and language(s) in the next step.

Use this template All cultural templates