Diwali 2026 in Nanded: Events, Puja & Where to Celebrate
TL;DR 🪔
- 🕌 Nanded's Diwali is unlike anywhere else in India — it is also Bandi Chhor Divas, the night the Sixth Sikh Guru freed 52 kings from Gwalior Fort, celebrated with special illuminations at Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib
- 🪔 Hindu families light diyas and perform Lakshmi Puja on Amavasya night; local temples including Sai Baba temple, Balaji Temple, and Hanuman Mandir hold special aartis from sunset
- 🧨 Fireworks in residential areas continue well past midnight — children of all communities join the fun
- 🙏 Jain families mark Diwali as Mahavira's nirvana night at the Shri 1008 Adinath Digamber Jain Mandir in Dashmesh Nagar
- 📅 Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, 20 October — plan to arrive a day early for Dhanteras
Diwali in Nanded: A Festival That Belongs to Everyone
Nanded wears many identities at once. It is a historic Marathwada city on the banks of the Godavari, a cantonment town, a university seat — and, most famously, the home of Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib, one of the five Takhts of Sikhism. That layered identity gives Nanded's Diwali a character found nowhere else: the same night that Hindu families set out rows of earthen lamps and Jain families mark Mahavira's nirvana, hundreds of thousands of Sikh pilgrims gather for Bandi Chhor Divas, the jubilant commemoration of Guru Hargobind Sahib's release of 52 imprisoned kings from Gwalior Fort in 1619. The gurdwara's parikrama blazes with lights, the sound of shabad kirtan fills the night air, and an electric energy spreads across every neighbourhood. For residents of Nanded, Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas are the same night — and that overlap has made their festival season something genuinely extraordinary.
Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib stands on the southern bank of the Godavari and is the holiest Sikh site in Maharashtra. Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, lived out his final years here and attained jyoti jot at this spot in 1708. The Nanded Sikh Gurdwara Board manages the complex, which draws pilgrims from across the world throughout the year, but the Bandi Chhor Divas footfall is its largest. On that night the gurdwara's marble colonnades are outlined in electric lights, diyas float on the Godavari, and a fireworks display visible from most of Nanded lights the sky. Visitors of all faiths are welcome; a simple head covering at the gate is the only requirement.
How Hindu Families Celebrate at the Neighbourhood Mandirs
In the older residential mohallas of Nanded, the day of Diwali begins with Lakshmi puja preparations. Women clean and decorate the threshold with rangoli patterns from the morning. By late afternoon, temples like the Shiv Mandir in Chaitanya Nagar, the Balaji Temple in Paras Nagar, and the Sai Baba temple near Chaitanya Nagar road all buzz with activity as their resident priests prepare for the evening aartis. Hanuman Mandir in the Kharbi area is another gathering point — its evening puja draws families from several neighbourhoods.
After sunset on Lakshmi Puja night, the priest performs the ritual invocation of the goddess and distributes prasad. Families return home to light the sequence of diyas: one at the entrance, one in the puja room, one in the kitchen for Annapurna, and a row along the windowsill and rooftop parapet. Firecrackers follow — the colourful sparklers and chakhis (spinning wheels of fire) that children prefer, and the louder variety reserved for the adults. The celebration continues into the small hours.
Devotees who want to explore Nanded's broader heritage can also visit the Unkeshwar Mahadev Temple, one of the ancient Shiva shrines of the Nanded district listed among the region's heritage religious sites by the district administration.
A Diwali With a Jain Soul
Nanded's Jain community adds another dimension to the night. For Jains, Diwali marks the anniversary of Bhagwan Mahavira's nirvana on this precise night in 527 BCE. The Shri 1008 Adinath Digamber Jain Mandir in Dashmesh Nagar holds prayers and a special nirvana-lamp ceremony. The Jain tradition of Diwali is quieter, focused on community gathering, recitation of Mahavira's teachings, and the lighting of a single large nirvana diya that symbolises the light of knowledge extinguished from the world with the Tirthankar's passing. The two streams — jubilation and contemplation — coexist in Nanded with complete ease; it is a city long accustomed to celebrating together.
Insider Tip: Arrive on Dhanteras (the day before Diwali) rather than on Diwali night itself. The ghats along the Godavari near Sachkhand fill up on Bandi Chhor Divas evening and parking disappears by early afternoon. Dhanteras is a more relaxed day to visit the gurdwara, buy gold or silver from the bustling Nanded bazaars as the tradition requires, and settle in before the big night.
What to Expect Around the City
Nanded's markets — particularly the textile and jewellery bazaars near the old city — surge with shoppers in the week before Diwali. Sweets shops produce the full range of Maharashtra's festival mithai: chirote, karanji (the fried, sweetened-coconut pastry), and the ubiquitous Kaju Katli. Sweet stalls near the gurdwara area do brisk business for days, as pilgrims and tourists both stock up.
City road traffic in and around the gurdwara complex becomes heavy on the night of Bandi Chhor Divas. The authorities typically impose one-way traffic restrictions on roads approaching the parikrama and set up barricades along the ghats. Walking in from a farther parking point is usually faster than trying to drive close. Local residents treat this logistical challenge with the equanimity of long practice.
FAQ
When is Diwali 2026 in Nanded? Diwali (Lakshmi Puja / Bandi Chhor Divas) falls on Sunday, 20 October 2026 in Nanded.
What is Bandi Chhor Divas and how is it celebrated at Hazur Sahib? Bandi Chhor Divas commemorates Guru Hargobind Sahib's release of 52 prisoners from Gwalior Fort in 1619. At Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib in Nanded, the gurdwara is lit throughout the night, special kirtan darbars are held, and fireworks light the Godavari skyline. Pilgrims from across India and abroad attend.
Do Jains celebrate Diwali in Nanded? Yes. For Nanded's Jain community, Diwali marks Bhagwan Mahavira's nirvana. The Shri 1008 Adinath Digamber Jain Mandir in Dashmesh Nagar holds a nirvana-lamp prayer ceremony on this night.
Are non-Sikhs welcome at the Hazur Sahib gurdwara on Bandi Chhor Divas? Absolutely. Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib welcomes visitors of all faiths. Covering the head with a cloth (provided free at the entrance) is the one requirement. Photography rules vary by section of the complex.
What sweets are popular in Nanded during Diwali? Karanji, chirote, and Kaju Katli are the Nanded Diwali standards. Mithai shops near the gurdwara do especially heavy business in the days before the festival.
Bottom Line
Diwali in Nanded is one of those rare festival experiences where the calendars of multiple faiths converge on the same night and amplify each other rather than compete. The illuminated parikrama of Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib, the Lakshmi aartis at neighbourhood mandirs like the Shiv Mandir and Balaji Temple, the nirvana lamps at the Jain mandir — all on the same night, in the same city, with the same neighbours celebrating. Confirm temple puja timings and the gurdwara's Bandi Chhor Divas schedule before visiting, and explore the full Nanded city guide on Desi.Net.