When is Diwali 2026 in Fiji, Mauritius and Reunion?

In Mauritius and Reunion it is Sunday, November 8, the same date as in India, with Bhai Dooj on November 10. In Fiji, Drik Panchang for Suva puts Lakshmi Puja on Monday, November 9 and Bhai Dooj on November 11, because Amavasya only covers Suva's evening on the 9th.

How old are these diaspora communities?

Indian indentured labour migration to Fiji, Mauritius and Reunion began in the mid-to-late 19th century, over a century ago, making these among the oldest Indian communities outside India, distinct from more recent NRI migration.

How is the puja timing worked out locally?

Lakshmi Puja is timed to Pradosh Kaal, the window around local sunset, computed separately for Suva, Port Louis and Saint-Denis rather than converted from an Indian clock time.

Diwali 2026 in Fiji, Mauritius and Reunion

Mauritius and Reunion celebrate Diwali on Sunday, November 8, 2026, the same date as India. Fiji is far enough east that Amavasya covers Suva’s evening only on Monday, November 9, so Lakshmi Puja there is a day later. All three have Indian communities that go back to the 1800s.

Long-established communities

Indentured labour migration brought Indian workers to Fiji starting in 1879 and to Mauritius from 1834, both to work on sugar plantations under British colonial administration; Reunion, a French overseas department, saw a similar pattern of Indian migration in the same era. Descendants today form a substantial share of the population in Mauritius in particular, where Diwali is a public holiday and a major national event, not a minority observance.

Fiji’s own time zone

Fiji sits far ahead of India, close to the International Date Line, roughly 6 hours ahead depending on daylight saving. Because tithi boundaries occur at a fixed instant worldwide, being this far ahead means Suva’s local Diwali evening can, in some years, land on a different calendar day than in India. 2026 is one of those years: Drik Panchang for Suva gives Lakshmi Puja on Monday, November 9, with Pradosh Kaal from 6:17 PM to 8:30 PM and Amavasya ending at 7:01 PM that evening. Check with your local temple too, since Fiji’s own published Hindu calendar sets the public holiday.

Mauritius and Reunion

Mauritius is roughly 2 hours ahead of India, and Reunion, in the same time zone as Mauritius, follows a similar pattern; the date typically matches India’s directly for both. Diwali in Mauritius includes a well-known custom of lighting diyas along house fronts and streets across the island, a tradition sustained continuously for generations.

Getting the puja timing right

Lakshmi Puja is traditionally timed to Pradosh Kaal, the period around local sunset. Port Louis and Saint-Denis on November 8, and Suva on November 9, each have their own sunset, so the puja window needs computing for each city individually.

Mauritius: a public holiday with island-wide participation

Diwali in Mauritius is a gazetted public holiday, with government offices, banks and most businesses closed. Homes and streets across the island get lined with diyas or string lights in the days leading up to it, and it’s common to see non-Hindu Mauritians participating in the lighting and sharing of sweets, since the holiday has become part of the island’s broader national calendar rather than staying confined to the Hindu community alone.

Reunion’s Malbar tradition

Reunion’s Indian-origin population, often called Malbar, descends largely from Tamil indentured labourers, and Diwali there carries visible Tamil influences alongside broader Hindu practice, including temple traditions distinct from what you’d see in North Indian-influenced diaspora communities elsewhere. Saint-Denis and Saint-Andre have some of the island’s older Hindu temples, several dating back to the 19th century migration period, still active for festival observances today.

Fiji’s Girmit history and Diwali today

Fiji’s Indian community traces back to the Girmit era, the indentured labour period from 1879 to 1916, and Diwali remains one of the most visible Hindu festivals on the islands, marked publicly in Suva and other towns with sweets stalls and temple events open to the wider community. Fiji recognizes Diwali as a public holiday too, reflecting how deeply the festival is woven into the country’s civic calendar, not just observed privately within Hindu households.

Check your city’s timing

Use the muhurat page with your city selected to see the sunset and Rahu Kaal on your Diwali date (November 8, or November 9 in Fiji) for your local Lakshmi Puja window.