Festival calendar, October 2026 to January 2027
Dates are from the Government of India holiday lists for 2026 and 2027 and Diya's own festival calendar. Lunar festivals can shift by a day by region, so check your local calendar for the puja itself.
| Date | Festival | Status idea |
|---|---|---|
| Thu, 29 Oct 2026 | Karwa Chauth करवा चौथ | Moonrise photos, the chalni, a wish for your partner |
| Fri, 6 Nov 2026 | Dhanteras धनतेरस | New diyas, the home getting ready, shop greetings |
| Sat, 7 Nov 2026 | Choti Diwali छोटी दिवाली | Make your Diwali video today, post it tomorrow |
| Sun, 8 Nov 2026 | Diwali दीपावली | Diyas, rangoli, family — the big one |
| Mon, 9 Nov 2026* | Govardhan Puja गोवर्धन पूजा | Annakut, the courtyard puja |
| Wed, 11 Nov 2026* | Bhai Dooj भाई दूज | Tilak, then-and-now sibling photos |
| 13–16 Nov 2026 | Chhath Puja छठ पूजा | Sandhya Arghya (15th), Usha Arghya (16th) |
| Tue, 24 Nov 2026 | Guru Nanak Jayanti गुरु नानक जयंती | Gurpurab wishes, the gurdwara lights |
| Fri, 25 Dec 2026 | Christmas क्रिसमस | The tree, the cake, the family |
| Fri, 1 Jan 2027 | New Year नया साल | The best photos of your year |
| Wed, 13 Jan 2027 | Lohri लोहड़ी | The bonfire, dhol, rewari and peanuts |
| Thu, 14 Jan 2027 | Makar Sankranti मकर संक्रांति | Kites on the terrace, til-gul |
| Fri, 15 Jan 2027 | Pongal पोंगल | The pot boiling over, kolam at the door |
| Tue, 26 Jan 2027 | Republic Day गणतंत्र दिवस | Tiranga colours, school and society events |
* Some panchangs place Govardhan Puja on Tuesday 10 November and Bhai Dooj on Tuesday 10 November; the dates above are the Government of India list's. Diya's in-app calendar shows Bhai Dooj on 10 November.
Covers of Diya templates for each festival, rendered by the app with sample photos.
Guides for the Diwali season
The two weeks from Dhanteras to Chhath are the busiest status days of the year. Each guide below covers what to show, 10 or more wishes to copy (English and Hindi), step-by-step instructions and when to post.
- Dhanteras status video — Friday 6 November. New diyas, gold, and shop greetings for customers.
- Diwali status video — Sunday 8 November. What makes a status people stop on, and a day-by-day posting plan.
- Happy Diwali video with name — sign the wish with your name, family name or shop name, including glowing name art.
- Govardhan Puja status video — the Annakut and the courtyard puja.
- Bhai Dooj status video — for your brother or sister, together or apart.
- Chhath Puja status video — two statuses for Sandhya and Usha Arghya.
How to plan a season of status videos
A WhatsApp status lasts 24 hours, so the trick is to have each video ready the evening before and post it in the morning. A simple plan:
- Collect photos now. Make an album on your phone for each festival: last year's diyas, family pictures, childhood photos with your siblings.
- Make one video a day. In Diya your first 2 videos are free, then 1 free video every day, in 720p. Make the Dhanteras video on the 5th, the Diwali video on the 7th, Govardhan on the 8th, Bhai Dooj on the 10th and the two Chhath videos on the 14th and 15th, and you never hit the limit.
- Turn on reminders. Diya's festival calendar can remind you before each festival — for Diwali it reminds you 5, 3 and 1 day before.
- Post in the morning. Up by breakfast, your status is live all day and through the evening, when people watch statuses most.
What Diya does
Diya turns your photos into a 9:16 festival video with music from a template in about 3 minutes. You choose a template, add photos, type your wish and your name, and pick a song from the music library or your own. Beat-sync changes photos on the beat. The app runs in 11 languages — Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi and Bhojpuri — and has no ads.
Questions people ask
When is Diwali 2026?
Sunday, 8 November 2026. Dhanteras is on Friday 6 November, Govardhan Puja on Monday 9 November and Bhai Dooj on Wednesday 11 November in the Government of India holiday list.
When is Chhath Puja 2026?
From Friday 13 to Monday 16 November 2026, with Sandhya Arghya on Sunday 15 November and Usha Arghya on Monday 16 November.
How many free videos can I make for the festivals?
Your first 2 videos are free, then 1 free video every day, in 720p, with a small “Diya” mark and a short “Made with Diya” end card. Premium has no daily limit on exports.