Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, November 8 in Fiji, Mauritius and Reunion, the same calendar date as in India, part of a 5-day festival running from Dhanteras on November 6 through Bhai Dooj on November 10. Each of these island nations has an Indian-origin population with roots going back more than a century, distinct from the recent-migrant NRI communities common in North America, Europe or the Gulf.
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 what is technically a different calendar day than in India; check with a local temple or Fiji’s own published Hindu calendar for the confirmed local date rather than assuming it matches India’s exactly.
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. Suva, Port Louis and Saint-Denis each have their own sunset on November 8, 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 November 8’s sunset and Rahu Kaal for your local Lakshmi Puja window.