Diwali food traditions in Gujarat stretch beyond the five days most guides list. Drik Panchang notes that in Gujarat the festivities begin two days earlier, on Agiyaras, and culminate on Labh Pancham (Drik Panchang, 2026 Diwali Puja Calendar, 2026). If you cook or bake in Ahmedabad, that long season shapes what your kitchen makes, and when.
This guide goes day by day with the 2026 dates for Ahmedabad and the foods that published sources link to each day. It says plainly where we found no source. Customs vary by family, community and city, so read this as a guide to the traditions, and ask your own family what they follow.
For sweet recipes, see our guide to homemade mithai. For a cookie to bake before the festival, see our eggless nankhatai guide.
Key Takeaways
– Diwali is commonly described as five days. In Gujarat the season starts on Agiyaras and ends on Labh Pancham.
– On Drik Panchang’s Ahmedabad calendar, Dhanteras is November 6, Lakshmi Puja November 8, Annakut November 9 and Bestu Varas November 10.
– Published sources name foods for Annakut, Bhai Dooj and Bestu Varas. For most other days they name none.
– Dates can differ by city, so confirm with a local Gujarati calendar before you plan.
How Do Diwali Food Traditions in Gujarat Extend Beyond Five Days?
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics describes Diwali as five days, each with its own ritual and meaning. It says that in western India, particularly Maharashtra and Gujarat, the festival spans several days and begins with Vasu Baras, a day devoted to worshipping cows and calves (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Diwali: The Festival of Lights, 2025). Gujarat’s season then runs from Agiyaras to Labh Pancham, according to Drik Panchang.
The table below uses Drik Panchang’s Gujarati Calendar for Ahmedabad, which we checked on October 26, 2026 (Drik Panchang, Gujarati Calendar for Ahmedabad, 2026).
| Day | 2026 date (Ahmedabad) | What it marks |
|---|---|---|
| Vagh Baras and Rama Ekadashi (Agiyaras) | Thursday, November 5 | The start of Gujarat’s season, per Drik Panchang |
| Dhanteras | Friday, November 6 | Wealth and health; homes cleaned, lamps lit |
| Kali Chaudas | Saturday, November 7 | A midnight observance, mainly in western states |
| Roop Chaudas (Naraka Chaturdashi) | Sunday, November 8 | Oil bath at dawn, lamps lit |
| Lakshmi Puja, Diwali and Chopda Puja | Sunday, November 8 | The most significant day; new account books opened |
| Govardhan Puja (Annakut) | Monday, November 9 | Krishna lifting Govardhan Hill; food offerings |
| Bestu Varas (Gujarati New Year) | Tuesday, November 10 | Start of Vikram Samvat 2083 |
| Bhai Dooj (Bhai Beej) | Wednesday, November 11 | The bond between brothers and sisters |
| Labh Pancham | Saturday, November 14 | Businesses restart; new ledgers opened |
Two cautions apply. Drik Panchang’s New Delhi page lists Annakut a day later, on Tuesday, November 10, so a listing for your own city may differ. And Annakut and Bestu Varas fall on consecutive days even though Drik files both under the same Kartak Sud Padvo tithi, because on its New Delhi page that tithi runs from 12:31 PM on November 9 to 2:00 PM on November 10. Check a local Gujarati panchang before you plan.
What Is Eaten on Dhanteras and Kali Chaudas?
The sources we found name very few dishes for these two days. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says Dhanteras is a day dedicated to wealth and health, when families clean their homes, buy gold, silver or utensils, and light lamps in the evening. Drik Panchang adds that it is also Dhanvantari Trayodashi, the birth anniversary of the god of Ayurveda (Drik Panchang, Dhanteras, 2026).
One report on food is worth noting, with care. ETV Bharat reported in 2025 that shoppers buy fresh coriander leaves and rock salt for Dhanteras, and that coriander is seen as a symbol of prosperity (ETV Bharat, Dhanteras coriander leaves and rock salt, 2025). The report does not mention Gujarat.
Kali Chaudas has a different character. Drik Panchang says it is mainly observed in western states, especially Gujarat, and describes a midnight observance (Drik Panchang, Kali Chaudas, 2026). The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says families prepare festive foods on Naraka Chaturdashi, but it names no dishes.
For these two days, then, we found no source that assigns a specific Gujarati dish. Local families may hold their own customs, and those are worth asking about.
What Is Eaten on Lakshmi Puja, and What Is Chopda Pujan?
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics calls Lakshmi Puja the most significant day of the festival, and says families perform the puja after sunset and gather for festive meals and celebrations. Its list of festive delicacies for western India includes karanji, shankarpali, chirote, besan laddoo, shev, chakli and chivda, which it calls the faral. It does not assign these to a day, and karanji and chirote are more closely associated with Maharashtra.
Gujarat has a business tradition on this day. Drik Panchang says many communities, especially Gujarati businessmen, perform Chopda Pujan, and that in Gujarat the traditional account books are called chopda. It adds that with computers, many businessmen now treat a laptop as the chopda and draw the Swastika, Om and Shubh-Labh symbols on it (Drik Panchang, Chopda Pujan, 2026). We found no source that links a specific food to Chopda Pujan.
For one Gujarati sweet there is a source. The Quint calls mohanthal a signature sweet from Gujarat made with gram flour, milk and saffron, and says it remains a favourite in most Gujarati households during Diwali (The Quint, Eat Your Way Through Six Yummy Diwali Destinations of India, 2021). It does not tie mohanthal to a day. Our homemade mithai guide includes a mohanthal recipe.
A note on account books. Drik Panchang describes new books being opened at Lakshmi Puja, at the Gujarati New Year and on Labh Pancham, so different families and businesses mark the new financial year on different days.
What Are Annakut and Bestu Varas, and What Is Served?
These two days have the most specific food links in our sources. Annakut, also called Govardhan Puja, honours Krishna lifting Govardhan Hill. Drik Panchang describes food made of cereals like wheat and rice, curry made of gram flour and leafy vegetables, cooked and offered to Krishna on this day (Drik Panchang, Govardhan Puja for Ahmedabad, 2026). That description is general, and the page does not tie it to Gujarat in particular.
The Quint says the tradition of offering chhappan bhog, 56 delicacies, is linked to Krishna, and that Gujaratis celebrate Govardhan Puja as the beginning of the new year (The Quint, Govardhan Puja Muhurat, Significance and How It’s Celebrated, 2019). The number 56 is a tradition, and the dishes vary.
Bestu Varas is the Gujarati New Year. Drik Panchang lists it for Tuesday, November 10, 2026, as the start of Vikram Samvat 2083, and describes it as the time to close old account books and open new ones (Drik Panchang, Gujarati New Year, 2026).
For Bestu Varas food, we found one report. The Hitavada, a Nagpur daily, covered the city’s Gujarati families in 2025 and wrote that festive banquets overflow with undhiyu, ghughra, lapsi, moong dal pakode and dahi vada. A Gujarati Samaj member in Vidarbha added that lapsi, grass and fodder are offered to cows on Govardhan Puja (The Hitavada, Tracking Diwali celebration in Gujarati community, 2025). That is one newspaper’s account of one city’s community, and families differ.
What Is Eaten on Bhai Dooj and Labh Pancham?
Bhai Dooj has a clear food custom. Drik Panchang says sisters apply a tilak to their brothers’ foreheads and offer them sweets and a festive meal, and that brothers present their sisters with gifts according to their capacity. It adds that brothers eat food from their sister’s hands to seek good health and long life, a custom linked to Yamraj’s meal at his sister Yamuna’s home (Drik Panchang, Bhai Dooj, 2026).
Labh Pancham closes the Gujarat season. Drik Panchang says saubhagya and labh mean good luck and benefit, that most shop owners and businessmen restart their business activities on Labh Pancham, and that new account ledgers are inaugurated (Drik Panchang, Labh Panchami, 2026). We found no source naming a specific dish for this day.
How Do Jains Observe Diwali?
Gujarat has a strong Jain influence, which our guide to Jain food culture in Gujarat explores. For Jains, Diwali carries a different meaning. Writing in HuffPost in 2011, Nikhil Bumb said Diwali commemorates the anniversary of Lord Mahavir’s attainment of moksha, that Jains light lamps to keep the light of his knowledge alive, and that many celebrate by fasting, singing hymns and chanting mantras (HuffPost, A Jain Perspective on Diwali, 2011).
That is one writer’s view on a contributor platform, so take it as an introduction. We found no reliable source on Jain food rules during Diwali, so this guide makes no claim about what Jain households eat or avoid. If you are cooking for a Jain family, ask them.
Which Diwali Food Traditions in Gujarat Apply to Your Kitchen This Week?
Start with the calendar, then add the foods your own family keeps. Festive sweets and snacks are a visible part of Diwali trade. The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) estimated total Diwali 2025 sales at Rs 6.05 lakh crore, with sweets and namkeen at 5% (Business Today, Diwali 2025 sales hit Rs 6.05 lakh crore, CAIT report, 2025). That is a traders’ body estimate, so read it as a rough guide.
Four steps follow from the calendar:
- Confirm your local dates for Annakut and Bestu Varas before you promise delivery.
- Start early. Vagh Baras and Agiyaras fall on November 5 and Dhanteras on November 6.
- Plan for Annakut and Bestu Varas, where sources name dishes.
- Ask each family about their own customs before you choose a gift or a menu.
If you sell festive gifts, our guides to corporate Diwali gifting and festival bakery orders cover the business side. For the wider story of Gujarat’s cuisine, see our guide to Gujarat’s vegetarian food heritage.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the five days of Diwali?
The five days are commonly listed as Dhanteras, Naraka Chaturdashi, Lakshmi Puja, Govardhan Puja (Annakut) and Bhai Dooj. In Gujarat the season starts earlier, with Vagh Baras and Agiyaras, and runs on to Bestu Varas and Labh Pancham. Practice varies by family and community, so confirm with a local calendar.
When is Bestu Varas in 2026?
Drik Panchang’s Gujarati calendar for Ahmedabad lists Bestu Varas for Tuesday, November 10, 2026, the start of Vikram Samvat 2083. It lists Annakut a day earlier, on Monday, November 9. Local calendars can differ by a day, so check a Gujarati panchang for your city before you plan.
What is Annakut?
Annakut, also called Govardhan Puja, honours Krishna lifting Govardhan Hill. Drik Panchang describes cooked cereals like wheat and rice, gram flour curry and leafy vegetables offered to Krishna. The Quint links the offering of 56 delicacies to the day. The dishes and the number vary, so ask your family what they offer.
What is Chopda Pujan?
Chopda Pujan is the worship of account books, performed by many Gujarati business families around Lakshmi Puja. Drik Panchang says the new books are opened in Lakshmi’s presence for the coming financial year. With computers, many businessmen now treat a laptop as the chopda and draw the Swastika, Om and Shubh-Labh symbols on it.
Which foods are linked to a Gujarati Diwali?
The Quint calls mohanthal a favourite in most Gujarati households at Diwali, without naming a day. A Nagpur newspaper, The Hitavada, reported undhiyu, ghughra, lapsi, moong dal pakode and dahi vada at Bestu Varas banquets in the city’s Gujarati community. That is one report, so use it as an example, not a fixed menu.
Conclusion
Diwali in Gujarat is a season of several days, and our sources link specific foods to only a few of them. Annakut, Bhai Dooj and Bestu Varas have the most specific food customs in our sources, while for most other days they name no dishes.
- Think in a season: Gujarat’s Diwali runs from Agiyaras to Labh Pancham.
- Know the 2026 dates: Dhanteras November 6, Lakshmi Puja November 8, Annakut November 9, Bestu Varas November 10, as Drik Panchang lists them for Ahmedabad.
- Check local timings: Drik’s New Delhi pages list Annakut on November 10.
- Name your sources: where none links a dish to a day, ask the family.
- Respect variation: customs differ between communities, including Jain households.
About the author: Chef Monila Surana is Managing Partner and lead culinary educator at Florence Academy of World Cuisines, Ahmedabad, with 18 years of experience in professional kitchens and culinary education.
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