Bandi Chhor Divas: A Guide for Students and Friends

Every fall, your feed fills up with diyas, sweets, and fireworks. Your Hindu friends are celebrating Diwali. And your Sikh friends? Many of them are celebrating too, but they might call it something different: Bandi Chhor Divas.

If you have ever wondered what the difference is, or why your SSA is hosting a candle-lit kirtan the same week as the campus Diwali show, this guide is for you.

Do Sikhs celebrate Diwali?

If you are unsure what your friend calls it, just ask. "Are you celebrating Bandi Chhor Divas or Diwali this week?" is a thoughtful question.

How Sikhs celebrate

Celebrations vary, but often include:

• Lighting diyas, candles, or lights at homes and gurdwaras
• Langar, the free community meal
• Fireworks for some families. The BBC notes some Sikhs choose not to use them because of noise, pollution, and safety concerns.
• Sweets shared with family and friends

How SSAs celebrate on campus

Bandi Chhor Divas is one of the most natural events for a Sikh Student Association to host each fall. Ideas students have used include:

• A storytelling night sharing the story of Guru Hargobind and the 52 princes, open to non-Sikh friends
• A langar-style dinner with a local gurdwara's help
• A joint event with other South Asian or interfaith groups, being clear about each community's meaning of the day
• A seva drive inspired by the theme of freeing others, like collecting supplies for a shelter

For example, the USM events calendar lists a Bandi Chhor Divas Celebration hosted by RU Sikh at the College Avenue Student Center on November 8, 2026.

Planning a Bandi Chhor Divas event: quick checklist

• Book early. Fall is busy on campus, and rooms near the date go fast.
• Pick one clear format: kirtan night, storytelling dinner, or seva drive. Doing one well beats doing three halfway.
• Check candle rules. Many campus buildings ban open flames, so LED diyas are a safe swap.
• Write a short explainer for guests who have never heard of Bandi Chhor Divas.
• Collect emails at the door and follow up within two days.

Tips for non-Sikh friends

• A simple "Happy Bandi Chhor Divas" is kind.
• If invited to a gurdwara program, cover your head, remove your shoes, and follow what others do.
• Ask your friend to tell you the story. Most love sharing it.

Celebrate with USM

• See Bandi Chhor Divas and other upcoming events
• Find your SSA
• Start an SSA and get USM's first-event playbook
• Join the USM newsletter in the site footer for event reminders