Suraj Tal and Baralacha La — the lake below the pass where four roads meet
Suraj Tal, India's third-highest lake, lies below the 4,890 m Baralacha La on the Manali–Leh road, 65 km from Keylong, and is closed by snow November to April.
ArticleVerified 2026-10-26
Deepavali before sunrise — the south begins Diwali at dawn
In Tamil Nadu, Deepavali is kept on Naraka Chaturdashi with an oil bath before dawn; Goa burns Narkasur effigies in the dark. In 2026 it falls on 8 November.
Ask most of north India when Diwali begins and the answer is the evening: lamps at dusk on the new moon, Lakshmi Puja, then the sky full of light. Ask in Tamil Nadu and the answer is the dark before sunrise. There, Deepavali is kept a day earlier, on Naraka Chaturdashi, and the first thing a family does is wake up while it is still night.
The day Narakasura fell
Naraka Chaturdashi is the fourteenth day of the waning moon in Ashvin or Kartika, depending on the calendar, and the second of the five days of Diwali. On this day Shri Krishna, with Satyabhama at his side, killed the demon Narakasura. The festival keeps that victory, and so its day begins early, with lamps, before the sun is up.
Tamil Nadu: an oil bath in the dark
In Tamil Nadu, Deepavali is traditionally kept on Naraka Chaturdashi, while the rest of India keeps it on Amavasya, the new moon night, which comes the next day. Families get up earlier than usual for an oil bath, then aarti and pooja, and the festival goes on through the day. In some parts of South India the day is also called Deepavali Bhogi. Some Tamil homes keep a nombu, a vow, and do Lakshmi Puja on this day. Crackers usually follow on Deepavali.
Goa: Narkasur burns before dawn
In Goa the night before is for building. Paper effigies of Narakasura, stuffed with grass and firecrackers, go up in the streets. Early in the morning they are burnt and the crackers inside them burst. Then everyone goes home for a scented oil bath. Lamps are lit in a row, the women of the house perform aarti for the men, gifts are given, and a bitter berry, the kareet, is crushed underfoot for the killing of Narakasura. Then come many kinds of poha and sweets with family and friends.
Karnataka and Maharashtra: the first of the days
In Karnataka and Maharashtra, Deepavali begins on Naraka Chaturdashi with an early-morning oil bath and aarti, followed by crackers. From there the festival runs on to Bali Padyami, the main day of Deepavali in these states, when cows are decorated and worshipped.
Photos: Portvp (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Mughal (Public domain) · Borkareklavya (CC0) · Nagagold (CC BY-SA 3.0) · humdingor (CC BY-SA 2.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
In 2026, dawn and dusk on one day
In 2026 the two Diwalis meet. By Drik Panchang, Tamil Deepavali falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026, and Lakshmi Puja in the north falls on the same Sunday. So the south's oil bath before sunrise and the north's lamps at dusk are the same day this year. Bath and puja times change from city to city; check a panchang for your own town.
Read next
Before Diwali come the full moon of Sharad Purnima and the fast of Karva Chauth. For more of India's stories, read how phulkari is embroidered from the back. Or browse every destination.
Places to visit
All destinations →More stories to read
All stories →
Himachali food guide — siddu, dham, babru, chha gosht, Chamba chukh and the trout
The dishes of Himachal and where they come from: dham feasts, siddu buns, babru, sepu badi, chha gosht, Chamba chukh and the Kullu trout, from open sources.
Best time to visit Meghalaya and Nagaland — month by month, with India Meteorological Department weather for Shillong, Cherrapunji and Kohima
Meghalaya and Nagaland month by month: IMD highs, lows and rain for Shillong, Cherrapunji and Kohima, plus the monsoon, cherry blossom and Hornbill.
How to reach Himachal from Delhi and Chandigarh — by train, bus and flight
Himachal from Delhi and Chandigarh by road, rail and air: distances and drive times to 16 hubs, the Kalka–Shimla and Kangra Valley trains, and the airports.
How to reach Kedarnath — the road to Gaurikund and the 17 km walk
How to reach Kedarnath: road distances to Gaurikund from Delhi, Rishikesh and Dehradun, the 17 km walk, the helicopter option and the yatra registration.
Things to do in Kohima — the war cemetery, the museum, Kisama, Khonoma and Dzükou
Things to do in Kohima: the war cemetery, the Nagaland State Museum, Kohima Village, Kisama and the Hornbill Festival, Khonoma, Japfü and the Dzükou Valley.
Destinations to explore
All destinations →
Today on HimLocal
Been here?Help the next traveller — our team checks every contribution.
Questions people ask
Why is Deepavali celebrated in the morning in Tamil Nadu?
Because in Tamil Nadu Deepavali is kept on Naraka Chaturdashi, the day Shri Krishna and Satyabhama killed the demon Narakasura. Families get up earlier than usual for an oil bath, then aarti and pooja, while most of India keeps Deepavali the next evening, on the new moon night of Amavasya.
When is Tamil Deepavali in 2026?
On Sunday, 8 November 2026, by Drik Panchang. In 2026 Lakshmi Puja in the north falls on the same Sunday, so the south's dawn and the north's dusk are one day. Bath and puja times change from city to city, so check a panchang for your own town before the morning comes.
What is Naraka Chaturdashi?
It is the fourteenth day of the waning moon in Ashvin or Kartika, depending on the calendar, and the second day of the five days of Diwali. On this day Shri Krishna and Satyabhama killed the demon Narakasura. It is also called Choti Diwali, Narak Chaudas and Kali Chaudas in different parts of India.
What happens on Narak Chaturdashi in Goa?
Goans build paper effigies of Narakasura, stuffed with grass and firecrackers, and burn them early in the morning. Then people go home for a scented oil bath. Lamps are lit in a row, the women of the house perform aarti for the men, and a bitter berry, the kareet, is crushed underfoot for the killing of Narakasura.