Join us for a day of art, performances, and family-friendly activities in celebration of Diwali! This ancient festival of lights is observed around the world by many cultures and religions. On Diwali, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, and Jains—some of the world’s oldest religious groups—light a diya (oil lamp) with family and friends, celebrating the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil. Catch music and dance, make art, tour the galleries of South Asian art, and more.

Community

Meet Our Community Partners

10 am–4 pm
Shapiro Family Courtyard

Connect with community partners, discover the resources and services they offer, and learn about the work they are leading across Boston and Massachusetts. Participating organizations include Color of India, Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence, Friends of Indian Senior Citizens Organization, and Saheli Boston.

Drop-In Art Making and Activities

Candles

10 am–4 pm (last entry 3:45 pm)
Shapiro Family Courtyard

Diwali is an ancient festival of lights. Bring some brightness into the celebration by rolling and decorating your own beeswax candle!

Shadow Puppets

10 am–4 pm (last entry 3:45 pm)
Druker Family Pavilion

Shadow puppetry is a traditional and dramatic art form used across Asia. Build your own puppets to bring the Ramayana, a mythological Hindu epic poem, to life!

Rangoli Design

1–4 pm (last entry 3:45 pm)
Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art, Level 2

Create your own rangoli designs and bookmarks with Pallavi Eswara, founder of Kona Arts, Crafts, and Education. Rangoli is a traditional Indian art form that uses different materials to create intricate patterns.

A higher education professional in Boston, Eswara keeps Rangoli traditions alive through designing at special events.

Performances

Sita Haran: The Abduction of Sita

11:30 am–Noon and 1:30–2 pm
Shapiro Family Courtyard

Immerse yourself in the drama of Sita Haran (the abduction of Sita), one of the most compelling episodes from the Indian epic poem the Ramayana, brought to life by Chhandika Dance Ensemble. Percussive footwork, delicate gestures, and dramatic expression illuminate a story of longing, courage, deceit, and human complexity.

Berklee India Exchange Presents Bhaangover

12:30 pm
Shapiro Family Courtyard

Experience the vibrant sounds of Bhaangover, an innovative band combining Indian classical music and regional folk traditions with contemporary influences. The group’s dynamic synthesis of sounds seamlessly creates modern yet timeless Indian classical fusion.

Berklee India Exchange is a self-funded institute at Berklee College of Music.

The Sounds of SubDrift

2–4 pm
Gallery 168 and Shapiro Family Courtyard

Enjoy a showcase of poetry, music, dance, and storytelling from Subcontinental Drift (SubDrift) Boston. Then join a baraat, a celebratory procession, that culminates in more performances.

SubDrift is an inclusive creative community that emerged within Boston’s South Asian diaspora.

Performance begins in Gallery 168 and features a processional that leads to Shapiro Family Courtyard.

Storytelling

We Are the Light: A Story of Diwali

11–11:20 am
Riley Seminar Room

Gather with author Rajani LaRocca as she reads her book We are the Light: A Story of Diwali (Quill Tree Books, 2026). Recommended for ages three to 10.

Born in India and based near Boston, LaRocca is a physician and Newbery Honor–winning author.

Books are available for purchase in the Linde Family Wing Bookstore and Shop.

Diwali Gallery Highlights

Join MFA guides to explore objects from the collection that have meaningful connections to Diwali stories and traditions!

Durga as Mahishasuramardini (the Slayer of the Buffalo Demon)

11 am, 11:30 am, Noon, 1 pm, 1:30 pm, and 2 pm
Gallery 176

Man’s Court Sash (Patka)

11 am, 11:30 am, 1 pm, and 1:30 pm
Gallery 183

Ravana Shows Sita the Counterfeit Head of Rama—Ravana Visits Sita in the Asoka Grove

11 am, 11:30 am, 1 pm, and 1:30 pm
Gallery 183

Tours and Talks

Rangoli Demonstration

Noon–12:30 pm
Riley Seminar Room

Pallavi Eswara demonstrates rangoli, a traditional Indian art form that uses different materials to create intricate patterns. Learn about the history and significance of rangoli and watch how Eswara transforms grids of dots and lines into flowers, lamps, and other shapes.

Spotlight Talk: Battle Royale

Noon and 2 pm
Gallery 175

Look closely at a remarkable series of paintings depicting the final battle in the Ramayana, a Sanskrit epic poem that has inspired artists in South Asia and beyond for millennia.

With Laura Weinstein, Ananda Coomaraswamy Curator of South Asian and Islamic Art.

Truth, Justice, and Wisdom: The ‘Ramayana’ and ‘Such Great Heights’

1–1:45 pm
Riley Seminar Room

Join author Rajani LaRocca to learn about her new novel, Such Great Heights (Quill Tree Books, 2026), and the role the Ramayana plays in the story. Consider the concepts of truth and belief—in epic traditions and in the present day alike. Recommended for ages 10 and up.

Books are available for purchase in the Linde Family Wing Bookstore and Shop.

Epic Shadows: The Kamba Ramayana in Tholpavakoothu

2–2:30 pm
Riley Seminar Room

Join puppet practitioner Rahul Koonathara to learn how Tholpavakoothu, the temple-based shadow puppet tradition of Kerala, India, gives the Ramayana renewed cultural relevance in contemporary society.

A 12th-generation puppet practitioner, Koonathara is currently pursuing his doctorate at the University of Connecticut.

Food

Matki Kulfi Creamery

Beginning at Noon
Remis Auditorium entryway

Pick up a sweet frozen treat from Boston-based Matki Kulfi Creamery, a Boston-based business making kulfi, a frozen dessert from India, using traditional processes and local dairy. A variety of timeless flavors are available for purchase on a first-come, first-served basis until they sell out!

Dining Specials

Head to any of our dining venues to enjoy special menu items in celebration of Diwali. Learn more about dining at the MFA.

View Specials