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In a Gujarati home, Diwali isn’t one night. It’s a whole season: the polishing of steel, the new account books, the sweets arriving from every neighbour, the “Saal Mubarak!” visits, and the shops that stay closed until Labh Pancham.
This guide explains Gujarati Diwali traditions for children aged 2–6, day by day, with the 2026 dates, simple meanings, Bestu Varas wishes and one activity for each day.
Gujarati Diwali 2026 dates: Vagh Baras Thu 5 Nov (confirm locally) · Dhanteras Fri 6 Nov · Kali Chaudas Sat 7 Nov night (confirm locally) · Diwali and Chopda Pujan Sun 8 Nov · Bestu Varas (Gujarati New Year, Vikram Samvat 2083) Tue 10 Nov · Bhai Beej Wed 11 Nov · Labh Pancham Sat 14 Nov. Based on Drik Panchang; Gujarati calendars and your family priest may differ by a day.
For Gujarati families, Diwali marks the end of one year and the start of the next. The Vikram Samvat calendar’s new year begins the day after Diwali (or after a gap day, as in 2026). That’s why businesses close their old books, start new ones, and wish each other a prosperous new year.
For a child, the simplest way to put it: “Diwali is when we say goodbye to the old year and hello to the new one. We clean, we pray, we start fresh, and we visit everyone we love.”
What it is: Vagh Baras, also called Vasu Baras or Govatsa Dwadashi, honours the cow and her calf. Families thank cows for milk, and many feed them on this day. It’s also when many Gujarati businesses close their old accounts.
Say to your child: “Today we say thank you to the cow, who gives us milk for our tea and our sweets.”
Do: Draw a cow and calf, or visit a gaushala and offer rotis or green grass (with an adult).
What it is: A day for health and good fortune. Families buy a small steel, brass or silver item, and pray to Goddess Lakshmi and to Dhanvantari, the god of health.
Say: “Today we pray for good health and a happy home.”
Do: Let your child help polish the family’s steel or brass vessels, or wash coins in soapy water and dry them.
What it is: The day before Diwali in Gujarat, linked to Goddess Kali and to clearing away anything negative. Some families do special pujas; many simply light a diya at the door.
Say: “Tonight we light a lamp to keep away the darkness.”
Do: Help place one diya at the front door. Keep it simple for little ones.
What it is: The main festival night. Homes are full of diyas and rangoli, and families pray to Lakshmi and Ganesha. In business families, Chopda Pujan is the puja of the new account books (chopda), where the new year’s first entries are made with “Shubh” and “Labh” written at the top and a swastik drawn in kumkum.
Say: “Tonight we pray for a good year, and Papa or Dada starts a brand-new book.”
Do: Give your child a small notebook of their own. Help them draw a swastik and write their name inside. It becomes their “chopda” for drawings.
The Diwali story itself, Ram coming home to Ayodhya, is told simply in Diwali for kids: the story, the 5 days and 10 lines.
In 2026, many Gujarati calendars show a gap day (sometimes called padtar divas) between Diwali and the New Year. Families often rest, visit relatives or finish preparing sweets. [CONFIRM: check how your local calendar marks 9 November]
What it is: The first day of Vikram Samvat 2083. Families wear new clothes, visit temples (where the annakut, a mountain of food offerings, is displayed), and visit relatives and neighbours to say “Saal Mubarak” or “Nutan Varshabhinandan.” Children touch elders’ feet and receive blessings (and often a little money in an envelope).
Say: “Today is our New Year! We wear new clothes and wish everyone a happy year.”
Do: Practise the greetings together (below), and let your child hand out sweets to visitors.
The annakut connects to Krishna lifting Govardhan mountain, told in our Govardhan Puja story for kids.
What it is: Brothers visit their sisters’ homes; sisters do tilak and pray for their brothers. The same day is Bhai Dooj in North India and Bhau Beej in Maharashtra.
Do: Read our Bhai Dooj story for kids, which has ideas for only children and cousins too.
What it is: “Labh” means profit or benefit, and “pancham” means the fifth day of the new year. Shops and businesses that closed for Diwali reopen with a small puja. Many families consider it an auspicious day to begin something new. This year it falls on the same day as Children’s Day.
Say: “Today the shops open again after Diwali, and we pray for a good year of work.”
Do: Play “shop” at home: your child opens their own little shop with a puja, then “sells” toys. Pretend play like this builds language and early maths.
Easy for 2–4 year olds:
– “Saal Mubarak!”
– “Happy New Year!”
– “Jai Shri Krishna!” (common in many Gujarati homes)
For 5–6 year olds:
– “Nutan Varshabhinandan!” (Happy New Year, in Gujarati)
– “Saal Mubarak, Dada-Dadi! Have a happy and healthy year.”
For parents to share on WhatsApp:
– “Nutan Varshabhinandan! May Vikram Samvat 2083 bring health, happiness and new beginnings to your family.”
– “Saal Mubarak! Wishing you a year as bright as Diwali’s diyas.”
Diwali in Gujarat means a kitchen full of nasta: mathiya, chorafali, ghughra, suvali, chakri, and sweets like mohanthal and magas.
Child-friendly jobs: rolling small balls of dough, pressing ghughra edges with a fork, arranging snacks in boxes, and decorating the box with stickers. Keep children well away from hot oil.
For lighter, homemade options, see the healthier sweets section in a safe, eco-friendly Diwali with small children.
If your child loved Garba last month, this is the same festive season continuing. Our Garba and Dandiya with little ones and Navratri story for kids posts complete the set.
Shanti Juniors began in Gujarat, and our centres in Ahmedabad, Surat and across the state celebrate the Gujarati Diwali season with stories, rangoli, Saal Mubarak greetings and crafts, as part of our culture and celebrations and the Kiddowitty curriculum. [CONFIRM: Diwali break dates for Gujarat centres]. Parents in Surat can also read our guide to the best preschools in Surat.
Bestu Varas, the Gujarati New Year and the start of Vikram Samvat 2083, is on Tuesday 10 November 2026. Confirm with your local calendar, as dates can vary by a day.
Vagh Baras (also Vasu Baras or Govatsa Dwadashi) honours the cow and her calf. Families thank cows for milk, and many businesses close their old accounts on this day.
Chopda Pujan is the Diwali-night puja of new account books. Business families write “Shubh” and “Labh” and draw a swastik in the new book before making the year’s first entries.
It means “Happy New Year.” Gujarati families say it on Bestu Varas when they visit relatives and neighbours. “Nutan Varshabhinandan” means the same thing.
Labh Pancham is on Saturday 14 November 2026, the same day as Children’s Day. Shops and businesses reopen after Diwali with a puja.
Kali Chaudas is the night before Diwali in Gujarat. It’s linked to Goddess Kali and to clearing away negativity. Many families light a diya at the door.
However your family celebrates, from a full week of pujas to a simple diya and a visit to Ba and Dada, your child is learning where they come from.
To see how Shanti Juniors celebrates the Gujarati festive season, find your nearest centre or book an admission enquiry.
Read next: Diwali for Kids: The Story and 10 Lines · Govardhan Puja Story for Kids · Bhai Dooj Story for Kids
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