T&T marks Divali today with deyas, prayers and a public holiday. India and other countries are also celebrating.
Trinidad and Tobago is marking Divali today, Sunday, Nov. 8, with prayers, rows of lit deyas and family gatherings. The festival of lights is a public holiday, which President Christine Kangaloo declared by notification on Oct. 20. Divali is among the most widely observed events on the national calendar, and homes, temples and villages are lit across the country, especially in central and south Trinidad.
The National Council of Indian Culture’s Divali Nagar at Endeavour, Chaguanas, ran from Oct. 30 to Nov. 7, closing the night before Divali. The council has run the fair since 1986, with stage shows, food stalls and exhibitions. Organizers said this year’s event went ahead without an entrance fee, despite sponsors withdrawing.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar urged citizens to celebrate safely. Fireworks are allowed on public holidays only between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., with no permit needed, under the Summary Offences (Amendment) Act, 2025. They are banned within half a mile of hospitals, airports, zoos, registered animal shelters, animal farms, forest reserves and national parks.
Divali, also spelled Diwali or Deepavali, is observed by Hindus, and by Sikh, Jain and some Buddhist communities. It is widely associated with the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil. In India, the five-day festival began with Dhanteras on Friday, Nov. 6, with the main Lakshmi Puja today. The President of India sent greetings to Indians at home and abroad, recalling the return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya. In Ayodhya, devotees gathered at the Saryu ghats for prayers after the city’s 10th Deepotsav lamp-lighting festival. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also wished the nation a happy Diwali.
Elsewhere, Singapore observes Deepavali as a public holiday today, with a replacement holiday Monday. Little India has been lit up nightly since Oct. 3. In Leicester, England, Diwali Day events are being held around the Golden Mile, which the city describes as one of the largest celebrations outside India. Divali is also an official holiday in Guyana, Suriname, Fiji, Mauritius, Malaysia, Nepal and Sri Lanka. UNESCO added Deepavali to its list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2025.
This report draws on the Trinidad Guardian, ETV Bharat, a statement by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Visit Leicester and HinduTone.