✦ Island-wide, Jaffna · Hindu festival
Deepavali
The Hindu festival of lights in October or November — oil lamps, sweets and temple pujas.
Photo: Rrthakur22 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
When it usually happens
- JanNot usually
- FebNot usually
- MarNot usually
- AprNot usually
- MayNot usually
- JunNot usually
- JulNot usually
- AugNot usually
- SepNot usually
- OctUsually takes place
- NovUsually takes place
- DecNot usually
Many Sri Lankan festivals follow the lunar calendar, so exact dates change every year — check the official dates before booking.
Overview
Deepavali (Diwali), the Hindu festival of lights, celebrates the victory of light over darkness. It falls in October or November according to the Hindu lunar calendar and is a public holiday in Sri Lanka.
Homes are lit with oil lamps, families share sweets and new clothes, and temples hold special pujas — especially in Jaffna, the hill country and Colombo.
Highlights
- Oil lamps and decorations
- Temple pujas
- Festive sweets
Good to know
- A public holiday — some businesses close
References / Sources
- Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau: https://www.srilanka.travel
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