Diwali in Pakistan is celebrated by the Hindu community with lamps, prayers to Lakshmi, sweets and fireworks, mostly at home and in temple compounds rather than in public streets. The largest celebrations are in Sindh, especially at Karachi's Shri Swaminarayan Mandir and in Hindu neighbourhoods of Hyderabad, Umerkot and Mithi, while in Lahore the main event is held at the Krishna Mandir on Ravi Road. In 2026 the main night falls on Sunday 8 November, and in 2027 on Friday 29 October.
This guide covers what happens on the night, where it is marked, how the holiday works in Sindh and at federal level, and how to visit a temple on Diwali as a guest.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| What it is | The Hindu festival of lights, marking Rama's return from exile and honouring Lakshmi, goddess of wealth |
| 2026 | Main night (Lakshmi Puja) on Sunday 8 November |
| 2027 | Expected Friday 29 October |
| Main venues | Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Karachi; Krishna Mandir and Valmiki Mandir, Lahore; temples across Sindh |
| Holiday status | Holiday for Hindu employees in Sindh by annual notice; optional holiday for Hindus at federal level |
| Best time to visit a temple | After dark on the main night |
| Entry | Free; expect a security check at the gate |
When is Diwali in 2026 and 2027?
Diwali falls on the new moon night of the Hindu month of Kartik, which places it in October or November. The wider festival lasts several days, but the main night, when Lakshmi Puja is performed and the lamps are lit, is the one that matters for visitors.
The main Hindu almanacs put Lakshmi Puja on Sunday 8 November 2026 and Friday 29 October 2027. Because the date comes from a lunar calendar and temples in Pakistan sometimes mark it a day apart from India, check with the temple, or watch for the Sindh government's holiday notice, which usually comes out a week or two before.
What happens on Diwali night
Diwali is a home festival first. Families clean and decorate their houses, draw rangoli patterns in coloured powder at the door, light clay lamps (diyas) and candles, and perform a puja to Lakshmi in the evening. Sweets are made or bought and sent to neighbours and friends, and new clothes are worn.
At the temples, the compound walls and the homes around them are strung with fairy lights, and people come after dark to pray, light lamps and meet. Children set off firecrackers inside and around the compounds, sometimes enthusiastically: Dawn's report from the Swaminarayan Mandir in 2022 advised readers to cover their ears. If you are not used to it, the noise is the thing to be ready for.
In Lahore, where the Hindu community is small, Diwali has long drawn Muslim and Christian neighbours and friends too. A 2015 report from the Valmiki Mandir in Anarkali described the priest thanking the Christians and Muslims who joined the final meal.
Where Diwali is celebrated
Karachi
The Shri Swaminarayan Mandir on M.A. Jinnah Road is the centre of Karachi's Diwali. It is a large walled compound with a temple, a small resident Hindu community, a cowshed and a gurdwara, and on Diwali night the houses inside it are lit up and the courtyards fill with families. News reports from recent years describe Muslim and Christian friends joining the Hindu community there.
Smaller temples, such as the Panchmukhi Hanuman Mandir in Soldier Bazaar, hold their own pujas, and most families mark the night at home. Our guide to Hindu temples in Karachi lists the main ones and how to reach them.
Hyderabad, Umerkot and Mithi
Most of Pakistan's Hindus live in Sindh, and Diwali is widely kept in Hyderabad and in the towns of the lower Sindh and the Thar. In Umerkot and Mithi, where Hindus are a large part of the population, the lights are visible across whole neighbourhoods rather than just inside temple walls. These are family celebrations, so the best way to see them is with a local friend. Our post on Hindu temples in Sindh covers the main temples outside Karachi, and Mithi in Tharparkar covers the town itself.
Lahore
Lahore has two working Hindu temples, both managed by the Evacuee Trust Property Board. The Krishna Mandir on Ravi Road, opposite the timber market, hosts the main Diwali event, organised by the ETPB, which brings together several hundred people from the Hindu community along with religious, political and minority leaders. The Valmiki Mandir on Bhim Street in the Neela Gumbad area of Anarkali celebrates with rangoli, hand-painted diyas, bhajans and fireworks. Our guide to Hindu temples in Punjab has more on both, and on the older temple sites elsewhere in the province.
Is Diwali a holiday in Pakistan?
Not a general one. At the federal level, Diwali is among the optional holidays that Hindu government employees can take. Sindh issues its own notice each year. In 2025 the provincial government gave Hindu employees in government departments, autonomous bodies, local councils and public schools, colleges and universities 20 and 21 October off, which with the Sunday before made a three-day break. The notice said plainly that the holiday was "for the Hindu community only".
For anyone else, Diwali does not change much. Offices, banks, markets and transport run as normal in Karachi and Lahore, and you will not find road closures or crowds outside the temple areas.
How to visit a temple on Diwali
Temples in Karachi and Lahore welcome respectful visitors on Diwali, and people who come with a Hindu friend or colleague are usually received warmly. A few things help:
- Go after dark. The lamps and lights are the point, and the temples are busiest in the evening.
- Take your shoes off before entering any temple building or the area around the shrine, and follow where others leave theirs.
- Dress modestly. Long sleeves and loose clothes are sensible; women may want a dupatta.
- Don't touch the idols or the puja items, and don't walk in front of people who are praying.
- Ask before photographing people. Many families are happy to be photographed lighting lamps, but ask first, especially with women.
- Expect security. The police guard the main temples on festival nights, and you may be asked who you are visiting.
- Mind the fireworks. Keep children close and stand back from crackers in crowded courtyards.
- Take sweets if you want to bring something. Mithai is the usual gift, and you will very likely be offered some in return.
Who should go, and who might skip it?
If you live in Karachi or Lahore and have Hindu friends, Diwali night at the Swaminarayan Mandir or the Krishna Mandir is an easy and welcoming outing, and it shows a side of both cities many residents have never seen. The same goes for families visiting Hyderabad or the Thar in early winter.
If you have no local contact, it is still fine to visit, but keep the visit short and quiet. This is a religious night for a small community, not a public festival with stalls and stages, and turning up with a large group or a film crew is out of place.
Nobody needs to travel across the country for it. If you want a Hindu festival that is more public, Holi in Pakistan is the more outward celebration, especially in Mithi and Umerkot. For other festivals that suit visitors, see our experiences page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Diwali celebrated in Pakistan?
Yes. Pakistan's Hindu community, most of which lives in Sindh, celebrates Diwali every year at home and in temples, with the largest gatherings in Karachi, Hyderabad, Umerkot and Mithi and at the Krishna Mandir in Lahore.
When is Diwali in Pakistan in 2026?
The main night, Lakshmi Puja, falls on Sunday 8 November 2026 by the main Hindu almanacs. Local temples sometimes differ by a day, so confirm with the temple.
Is Diwali a public holiday in Pakistan?
Not for everyone. Sindh gives Hindu employees the day off by an annual notice, and at federal level it is an optional holiday for Hindus. Offices and shops otherwise stay open.
Can non-Hindus visit a temple on Diwali?
Yes, temples in Karachi and Lahore welcome respectful visitors. Take off your shoes, dress modestly, don't touch the idols and ask before photographing people.
Where is the biggest Diwali celebration in Karachi?
The Shri Swaminarayan Mandir on M.A. Jinnah Road, where the temple and the homes in its compound are lit up and families gather after dark.
Is there Diwali in Lahore?
Yes. The Evacuee Trust Property Board hosts a Diwali event at the Krishna Mandir on Ravi Road, and the Valmiki Mandir in Anarkali holds its own celebration.
