Diwali Pooja Checklist

Diwali in Fiji is more than one night of diyas. It's five days of cleaning, cooking, praying and visiting family, and most of the running around happens in the week before. This checklist covers everything you'll need for each day, from the Lakshmi-Ganesh puja to the havan and the big Annakut cook-up, so nothing is missed on the night.

Every family and mandir does things a little differently. Use this as a starting list and follow your own family tradition or your pandit's guidance.

Diwali 2026 dates in Fiji

• Friday 6 November – Dhanteras
• Sunday 8 November – Choti Diwali (Narak Chaturdashi)
• Monday 9 November – Diwali, Lakshmi-Ganesh Puja (public holiday in Fiji)
• Tuesday 10 November – Govardhan Puja / Annakut
• Wednesday 11 November – Bhai Dooj

The main Lakshmi Puja is done in the evening after sunset. Check the exact muhurat (auspicious time) with your pandit or mandir.

Quick Diwali checklist

• ☐ Diyas (oil lamps): clay for outside, brass for the puja
• ☐ Ghee or oil, and cotton wicks (batti)
• ☐ Agarbati (incense) and an agarbati stand
• ☐ Pooja thali (prayer plate)
• ☐ Lota or kalash (water vessel), with mango leaves and a coconut
• ☐ Kapoor (camphor) for aarti
• ☐ Roli/kumkum, haldi (turmeric), chandan (sandalwood) and akshat (unbroken rice)
• ☐ Flowers and marigold garlands
• ☐ Paan (betel leaves) and supari (betel nut)
• ☐ Fruit, mithai (sweets), kheel and batasha
• ☐ Murti (idol) or picture of Lakshmi and Ganesh
• ☐ Red or yellow cloth for the chowki (low puja table)
• ☐ Coins or new notes, and a new account book if you run a business
• ☐ Matches or a lighter
• ☐ Rangoli colours
• ☐ Gift bags and wrapping for sweets and presents

Before Diwali: clean and decorate

Lakshmi is welcomed into a clean, bright home, so the week before Diwali is for a proper clean-out.

• Indian broom and a broom with stick for sweeping every corner
• Household broom with handle for the verandah and yard
• Mops, buckets and scrubbing brushes for floors and the kitchen
• Coloured clay diyas for the doorstep, windows and path. Plan on a good number, because every doorway and window gets one
• Candles in glass for places where an open diya might blow out
• Solar lanterns for the garden and driveway, with no wiring needed
• Rangoli colours for the entrance

Dhanteras (Friday 6 November)

Dhanteras is traditionally the day to bring home something new in metal, usually a brass or steel utensil, for prosperity. A diya is lit at the front entrance in the evening.

• A new utensil, such as a brass lota, pooja thali set, copper jug or anything from our stainless steel range
• One diya for the entrance, plus oil or ghee and a wick
• Flowers and a little sweet for the evening prayer

Choti Diwali (Sunday 8 November)

• Diyas lit at the doorway and around the house in the evening
• Oil and ubtan (a turmeric and gram-flour paste) for the early-morning bath, if your family follows it
• Finish the sweet-making today so the puja day is free

Lakshmi-Ganesh Puja (Monday 9 November)

This is the main puja. Set up the chowki (low table) facing east or north, cover it with a red or yellow cloth, and place Ganesh on the left and Lakshmi on the right.

For the puja setup

• Murti (idol) or picture of Lakshmi and Ganesh
• Chowki (low table) and a red or yellow cloth
• Kalash: a brass lota filled with water, with mango leaves around the neck and a coconut on top
• Pooja thali set, or a large Om thali or small Om thali
• A small bell (ghanti) for the aarti

For the lamps and aarti

• One large brass diya to burn through the night, such as the Lakshmi diya, Handi diya or Devdass diya
• Copper Niranjan diya or Nanda diya for the aarti
• Diya cups and clay diyas to place around the home
• Ghee (keep it in a stainless steel ghee pot) and cotton wicks
• Agarbati with an agarbati stand or brass pipe stand
• Kapoor (camphor) for the aarti
• A lighter or matches

For the offerings

• Roli/kumkum, haldi (turmeric), chandan (sandalwood paste) and akshat (unbroken rice)
• Kalava or mauli (red sacred thread)
• Flowers, especially marigolds and lotus if you can find them, plus garlands for the murti
• Paan (betel leaves), supari (betel nut), cloves and elaichi (cardamom)
• Kheel (puffed rice) and batasha (sugar drops), traditional for Lakshmi
• Fresh fruit and mithai: barfi, gulab jamun, laddoo or lakri mithai
• Panchamrit (milk, dahi, ghee, honey and sugar) in a small steel vati (bowl)
• Coins, new notes or jewellery to place before Lakshmi
• For business owners, a new account book and pen to be blessed

Havan (Arya Samaj and family havans)

Many Fiji families hold a havan at Diwali, either at home or at the mandir. You'll need:

• Copper havan kund (fire pit)
• Havan samagri (herbal mixture) and samidha (dry mango wood sticks)
• Ghee, with a spoon for offering it into the fire
• Kapoor (camphor) to start the fire
• A lota of water for achaman (sipping water to purify before the prayers)
• A havan book or mantra sheet

Govardhan Puja and Annakut (Tuesday 10 November)

Annakut means "mountain of food". Families cook a large spread of vegetarian dishes as an offering, then share it. It's the biggest cooking day of the week, so make sure your kitchen is ready:

• Kuro/handi (Bombay pots) and langri pots for rice, dhal and curries in bulk
• Kharai (deep wok) or an iron kadai for frying puri, bhajia and gulgula
• Parat for kneading dough and a puri press to speed things up
• Sev sancha for homemade sev and bhujia
• Samai machine for fresh sewai
• Catering trays and sweet trays for serving
• Stainless steel bhojan patra (thali plates), vati and tumblers for serving guests

Bhai Dooj (Wednesday 11 November)

• A small thali with roli, akshat (unbroken rice), a diya and mithai
• Coconut and kalava (red sacred thread)
• A gift for your brother or sister, wrapped in gift wrapping paper or a gift bag

Sharing sweets with family and neighbours

• Paper gift bags and small PP gift bags for sweet parcels
• Serving trays for visitors
• Greeting cards for your Diwali wishes

Diya safety tips

• Keep diyas away from curtains, dry leaves and anything that can catch fire.
• Never leave lamps burning in an empty room, and keep them out of reach of small children and pets.
• Place diyas on a steel tray or plate to catch oil spills.
• Keep a bucket of water or sand nearby when lighting fireworks.

Frequently asked questions

When is Diwali 2026 in Fiji?

Diwali falls on Monday 9 November 2026, which is also the public holiday in Fiji. Dhanteras is on Friday 6 November and Bhai Dooj on Wednesday 11 November.

What do I need for a simple Lakshmi Puja at home?

At minimum: a picture or murti of Lakshmi and Ganesh, a diya with ghee, agarbati, a lota of water, flowers, akshat (unbroken rice), roli/kumkum, kapoor (camphor) for aarti, and some mithai or fruit as prasad.

Where can I buy diyas and pooja items in Fiji?

Our Home by Domalco stocks brass, copper and clay diyas, agarbati and stands, pooja thalis, brass lota and a copper havan kund. Find them at our Ba shop (Main Street) and our Lautoka shop (157 Vitogo Parade), or shop our Pooja Items collection online.

Shubh Deepavali from all of us at Domalco! For help finding anything on your list, call us on +679 667 0144 or WhatsApp us on +679 992 6565.

Photos: Pexels.