Festival of lights
Divali in Mauritius 2026
Divali 2026: Sunday, 8 November 2026
Dates and venues checked against the organisers’ own pages on .
Divali 2026 in Mauritius is on Sunday, 8 November 2026. The sun sets at 6:22 pm in Port Louis. Lakshmi Puja is performed in the evening after sunset, in the pradosh period — roughly the first two and a half hours after it; the lamps are lit as it gets dark.
Divali is a public holiday in Mauritius, an island with a large Hindu community. The Prime Minister’s Office lists it for Sunday 8 November 2026 (General Notice No. 611 of 2026), and in a communiqué dated 2 October it confirmed that Monday 9 November is a public holiday too, under an amendment to the Public Holidays Act that came into force on 13 August 2026. Six days before Divali, Monday 2 November is the Arrival of Indentured Labourers holiday, which recalls the labourers who landed at the Aapravasi Ghat in Port Louis from 1834 and from whom many of the island’s Hindu families descend.
On Divali evening Hindu families light oil lamps (diyas) at their doors and in the temples, perform the Lakshmi puja at dusk and share sweets with neighbours and relatives. Temples and Hindu associations announce their programmes only a few days ahead, and none for 2026 had been found by 30 October.
Sunset on Divali 2026 in Mauritius
Sunday, 8 November 2026 · local time, worked out for each city centre
| City | Sunset |
|---|---|
| Port Louis | 6:22 pm |
Divali 2026 dates
Friday, 6 November
Dhanteras
Saturday, 7 November
Naraka Chaturdashi (Choti Diwali)
Sunday, 8 November
Diwali — Lakshmi Puja
Monday, 9 November
Govardhan Puja and Annakut
Tuesday, 10 November
Bhai Dooj
Divali events in Mauritius0 listed
Where to celebrate Divali in Mauritius, city by city
Divali in Port Louis
Port Louis keeps Divali as the capital of an island where it is a public holiday: Sunday 8 November, with Monday 9 November also a public holiday under the Prime Minister’s Office communiqué of 2 October. Six days before Divali, on Monday 2 November, the Arrival of Indentured Labourers holiday recalls the labourers who landed at the Aapravasi Ghat from 1834; on Divali itself the capital’s temples hold the Lakshmi puja at dusk. No municipal or temple programme for 2026 had been found by 30 October.
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What Divali is
The biggest night of the Indian year: lamps, sweets, new clothes and fireworks. Abroad it is celebrated over the surrounding weekends, with one large public event in most big cities.
Diwali marks the return of Rama to Ayodhya and the victory of light over darkness; for many families it is also the day of Lakshmi Puja and the start of a new business year. Homes are cleaned and lit with diyas, sweets are exchanged, and the evening ends with fireworks.
If it is your first one in Mauritius
- Book restaurant tables two weeks ahead — the Diwali weekend fills every Indian restaurant in town.
- Check local fireworks rules before buying any; most European towns restrict them to New Year.
- Sweets (mithai) can be ordered from Indian grocers a week ahead; many deliver nationwide.
- The big city events sell tickets in advance and sell out; children under a certain age are usually free.
Questions people ask
- When is Divali 2026 in Mauritius?
- Divali 2026 falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026. Divali is a public holiday in Mauritius; in 2026 it falls on Sunday 8 November, and the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed on 2 October that Monday 9 November is a public holiday too, under the amended Public Holidays Act. Events are listed on this page as organisers post them, usually four to six weeks ahead.
- What time is sunset on Divali 2026 in Mauritius?
- On Sunday, 8 November 2026, the sun sets at 6:22 pm in Port Louis. The times are worked out for each city centre with a flat horizon, as every published table gives them; behind buildings or hills it appears a few minutes later. Lakshmi Puja is performed in the evening after sunset, in the pradosh period — roughly the first two and a half hours after it; the lamps are lit as it gets dark.
- Where can I celebrate Divali in Mauritius?
- Divali is a public holiday in Mauritius, an island with a large Hindu community. The Prime Minister’s Office lists it for Sunday 8 November 2026 (General Notice No. 611 of 2026), and in a communiqué dated 2 October it confirmed that Monday 9 November is a public holiday too, under an amendment to the Public Holidays Act that came into force on 13 August 2026. Six days before Divali, Monday 2 November is the Arrival of Indentured Labourers holiday, which recalls the labourers who landed at the Aapravasi Ghat in Port Louis from 1834 and from whom many of the island’s Hindu families descend.
- Can non-Indians go to Divali events in Mauritius?
- Yes. Almost every community event is open to everyone and runs in English; temple and gurdwara celebrations welcome visitors too — dress modestly, and cover your head in a gurdwara.
- Is Divali a public holiday in Mauritius in 2026?
- Yes. The Prime Minister’s Office lists Divali as a public holiday on Sunday 8 November 2026 (General Notice No. 611 of 2026), and its communiqué of 2 October says Monday 9 November 2026 is a public holiday as well, because Divali falls on a Sunday, under an amendment to the Public Holidays Act that came into force on 13 August 2026.
- What date is Divali in Mauritius in 2026?
- Sunday 8 November 2026, the day of the Lakshmi puja. Dhanteras is Friday 6 November, Govardhan Puja Monday 9 November and Bhai Dooj Tuesday 10 November.
- What other holiday falls near Divali in Mauritius?
- The Arrival of Indentured Labourers, on Monday 2 November 2026, six days before Divali. It marks the landing of indentured labourers at the Aapravasi Ghat in Port Louis from 1834.
- How is Divali kept in Mauritius?
- Hindu families light oil lamps (diyas) at their doors and in the temples on Divali evening, perform the Lakshmi puja at dusk and share sweets with neighbours and relatives. Temples and Hindu associations announce their programmes only a few days ahead, and none for 2026 had been found by 30 October.
Organising something?
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