California Makes Diwali a State Holiday; Bay Area's Indian Restaurant Scene Earns Fresh Praise

California has officially made Diwali a statewide holiday, a milestone shaped in part by Bay Area lawmakers and celebrated by South Asian communities across the state. At the same time, food writers are shining a light on the depth and quality of the region's Indian restaurant scene, from a celebrated South Bay gem hidden in a Silicon Valley business park to a comprehensive guide to the best Indian dining across San Francisco itself.

🗳️ California Becomes Third U.S. State to Make Diwali an Official Holiday

California has become the third U.S. state to designate Diwali as an official statewide holiday, following Pennsylvania in 2024 and Connecticut. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law, set to go into effect on January 1. Public schools and community colleges are authorized to close on Diwali; state employees may elect to take the day off; and public school students will receive an excused absence to observe the holiday. The law recognizes that Diwali is celebrated not only by Hindus but also by Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists. Assemblymember Ash Kalra, a Democrat from San Jose who grew up celebrating Diwali with family, coauthored the bill with Assemblymember Darshana Patel of San Diego. Kalra said having South Asian children be able to celebrate openly and share the holiday with others represents a significant moment. California is home to approximately 960,000 Indian Americans — about 20 percent of the national Indian American population of 4.9 million, according to a 2025 Pew survey. The Hindu American Foundation and the Coalition of Hindus in North America advocated for the law. Samir Kalra, managing director of the Hindu American Foundation, called the provisions enabling paid leave and excused absences important leaps toward making Diwali truly accessible. Diwali, from the word Deepavali meaning a row of lights, falls on October 20 this year. The Sikh Coalition also worked on the bill's language to ensure it covered Sikhs, whose Bandi Chhor Divas celebration coincides with Diwali. [2]

🍛 A Silicon Valley Business Park Hides One of California's Best Indian Restaurants

The San Francisco Chronicle has spotlighted what it calls one of California's best Indian restaurants, tucked inside a Silicon Valley business park — the kind of unassuming location that rewards diners who seek it out rather than rely on prominent storefronts or high-traffic addresses. The Chronicle's food section, known for venturing well beyond San Francisco proper to cover the broader Bay Area dining scene, identified a San Jose standout, Saapaaduu, as a destination worth the trip from anywhere in the region. The story reflects a pattern familiar to dedicated South Bay diners: some of the region's finest Indian food is found not in high-profile or high-rent locations but in modest storefronts and office park strips where rents are lower and chefs can focus their resources on the cooking itself. The South Bay has quietly built one of the most impressive Indian restaurant landscapes in the country, fueled by a large and regionally diverse Indian American population that has settled across San Jose, Sunnyvale, Fremont, Milpitas, and nearby cities. The Silicon Valley technology industry's deep ties to India — through immigration and business relationships — have created a community of diners with sophisticated regional tastes and the means to support high-quality cooking. The Chronicle's discovery is a reminder that culinary excellence in the Bay Area's Indian dining scene is distributed across the region and not confined to any single neighborhood. [1]

🍛 San Francisco's Top Indian Restaurants Range from Dosas to Gin-Spiked Pani Puri

The Infatuation has published a guide to the fifteen best Indian restaurants in San Francisco, covering a wide range of styles, regional cuisines, and price points across the city. The guide highlights the diversity of San Francisco's Indian dining scene, with options spanning casual counter-service spots to high-end entirely vegetarian restaurants suited to special occasions. Among the standouts featured is Besharam in the Dogpatch neighborhood at 1275 Minnesota Street, a higher-end Indian restaurant recognized for its creative cocktail program alongside its food. Besharam earns particular praise as a destination for vegetarians, walk-ins, birthday celebrations, and date nights, and is also recommended for eating at the bar. The guide also features the beloved Udupi Palace, known for its Mysore masala dosa. The Infatuation notes that diners across San Francisco can find perfectly crispy dosas, sizzling platters of tandoori fish, and pani puri spiked with gin — reflecting the city's appetite for both faithful traditional preparations and creative Indian-inspired cooking that engages with the broader San Francisco culinary scene. The guide is designed to help anyone looking for curries, biryanis, or naan navigate the city's strongest options, and is updated periodically to reflect changes in the dining landscape. San Francisco's Indian restaurant community serves both the city's large South Asian population and the broader food-loving public. [4]

Sources: [2] ABC7 Bay Area · [1] San Francisco Chronicle · [4] The Infatuation