Diwali 2026 in Denver: Where to Celebrate with Indian and Nepali Food

Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, November 8. In Nepal, the same stretch of days is Tihar. For a lot of our staff and regulars, this is the biggest family meal of the year, the one where the good dishes come out and nobody counts the sweets.

If you want to celebrate Diwali in Denver with a proper meal, or you're just curious what the fuss is about, this guide covers the basics.

What is Diwali?

Diwali (or Deepavali) is the festival of lights, celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains. It's about light winning over darkness. People clean and decorate their homes, put small clay oil lamps called diyas in the windows, and gather for Lakshmi Puja, a prayer to the goddess of prosperity. The main night follows the lunar calendar, which is why it lands in late October one year and November the next.

What is Tihar?

Tihar is Nepal's five-day festival of lights, and it overlaps with Diwali. Each day honors something different: crows, then dogs (who get flower garlands and treats, which is a sight), then cows, then Lakshmi Puja with lamps in every doorway. It ends with Bhai Tika, when sisters bless their brothers with a seven-color tika on the forehead. Tihar comes right after Dashain, so for Nepali families in Colorado, autumn is one long celebration.

What people eat

Sweets come first. In India, boxes of mithai get passed between neighbors and coworkers. In Nepal, the Tihar treat is sel roti, a ring-shaped fried rice bread that's crisp outside and soft inside. Around the sweets, families cook their special-occasion dishes: rich curries, biryani, fried snacks, and a lot of bread.

Building a Diwali dinner from our menu

If you'd rather let someone else do the cooking this year, this is how we'd set a festive table from our menu:

• Snacks to share: vegetable samosas, onion bhaji, and a plate of momo.
• Curries: butter chicken for the crowd, paneer makhani or malai kofta for vegetarian guests, and Colorado lamb chops if you want a centerpiece.
• Rice: biryani or our cranberry saffron rice.
• Plenty of garlic naan.
• Sweets: gulab jamun, kheer brulee, and mango or pistachio kulfi.

Plenty of Diwali tables are fully vegetarian. Our vegan and vegetarian dishes can cover the whole meal.

Three ways to celebrate in Denver

Book a table early

The weekend of November 7 and 8 is one of our busiest of the year. If you're bringing family, call 720-638-9350 or reserve on OpenTable a week or two out.

Host at home

Curries, biryani, and naan hold up well for a crowd. See our catering page and book ahead, since festival weekends fill fast.

Bring a gift

Gift-giving is part of both festivals. A Denver Curry House gift card is an easy one for friends who love Indian or Nepali food.

We're at 250 Steele Street, Suite 100, in Cherry Creek. Happy Diwali and happy Tihar.