From painted diyas lighting up the corridors in soft mustard hues to colourful rangolis gracing our front doors- with Diwali just around the corner, we can feel the city gearing up for the festival of lights! Adorn your house with scented garlands from Dadar Flower Market or stock up on Kaju Katlis from Mumbai’s famous sweet shops. Or maybe a trip away during Diwali’s long weekend sounds right up your alley? Today, we bring you a carefully curated roundup of the best things to do to celebrate Diwali in Mumbai!
Table Of Contents
Best activities this Diwali
1. Catch enchanting firework displays from Mumbai’s iconic Marine Drive
The Queen’s Necklace witnesses a stunning burst of lights and colours as people gather along the coast to catch the beautiful fireworks. Invite your friends and family as you either take a seat on the promenade or drive past the marine line for a spectacular experience. Trust us, soon you will be making this a yearly tradition!
2-3. Book tickets to a beautiful candlelight concert
What could be more in line with the festival of lights than a concert nestled among thousands of candles? From renditions of your favourite Bollywood soundtracks and of legendary artists like R.D. Burman and ABBA, Candlelight concerts bring you just the perfect experience to enjoy the wonders of music and aesthetics combined!
✨Candlelight: Tribute to Arijit Singh (October 12 @ Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai)
✨Candlelight: Coldplay vs. Ed Sheeran (October 12 @ Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai)
4. Explore beautiful towns near Mumbai this Diwali weekend
With people celebrating Diwali on October 31 and November 1, this year the festival has opened gates for a long weekend, and you bet we are going to help you capitalise on that! Plan your very own Diwali party with close friends and family at these best towns near Mumbai:
🛣️Alibaug: You can book gorgeous villas in this coastal town for the weekend and spend evenings taking a walk across the beach to catch mesmerising sunsets. If a quaint (or strewn with a few Diwali house parties in between) Diwali weekend is what you need, then a ferry ride to Alibaug is one for the books.
🛣️Igatpuri: A lush paradise, this beautiful town is only three hours from Mumbai and an ideal destination to escape during the Diwali weekend. With a handful of resorts in the area that plan a quaint Diwali celebration, you can enjoy twinkling string lights, lavish meals, and firework displays all in the backdrop of the rolling hills.
You can read the full list of beautiful towns near Mumbai to visit this Diwali here
5. Witness the Deepdaan ritual at Mumbai’s Bangana Tank
Lit up with a thousand diyas, this sacred temple town, not far from Mumbai, celebrates Dev Diwali most majestically. Imitating the ghats of Varanasi, hundreds of devotees flock to the area performing aartis, making rangolis, and singing melodious mantras. It is truly a spectacular sight to behold. Happening on November 5 this year, it is a must-visit.
Mumbai markets for Diwali shopping
6. Buy sweets at these best Mumbai sweet shops
From fudgy kalakands and melt-in-the-mouth ras malai to everyone’s favourite kaju katlis, Diwali is the time to box up your guilt to indulge in a lavish cheat weekend as boxes of mithais keep getting delivered to your house. You can buy your pick from our favourite sweet shops in Mumbai:
🍮M.M. Mithaiwala: Gulab Jamuns, Gheeyar, Gajar ka Halwa, you name it! A plethora of sweets here, excelling in both quality and taste, is a perfect destination for getting your long list of Diwali mithai.
🍮Tewari: Through an enormous public vote, and well, the author’s absolute favourite, Tewari, by far is the best when it comes to motichoor ladoos! You can never go wrong with boxes of the same, as they make perfect (and delicious!) additions to your Diwali hampers.
🍮Shree Gangaur Sweets: Any collection of sweets here is as good as it gets. Whether it is the delicious sandesh or its syrup-drenched jalebis, Shree Gangaur is the place to get your mithai fix.
7. Shop or browse past Mahim’s Kandil Galli for thousands of colourful lanterns
Colourful lanterns hang from makeshift ceilings as hundreds of vendors set up shop here during Diwali season. Every kandil here has intricate designs and colour palettes ranging from INR 20 to INR 2,000. We highly recommend getting your camera here to capture colourful frames that showcase a tradition well preserved for decades now.
8. Get gorgeous Diwali lights at Mumbai’s Lohar Chawl in Crawford Market
One of the biggest wholesale markets in Mumbai, Crawford Market, stacks everything you will need for Diwali, from diyas and decorations to dry fruits and food ingredients, among more. Among their lanes, you will find the enigmatically lit lanes of Lohar Chawl selling vibrant lights coming in all shapes, sizes and colours. Adorn your house with string lights flashing yellow, green, red and blue or buy lanterns to give your house an ethereal glow.
9. Go diya shopping at Dharavi’s Kumbharwada district
A business that has been going on for decades, nay centuries, Kumbhawada- known as the potter’s district of Dharavi is a treasure trove for hand-crafted and painted diyas. Approximately 800 diya makers showcase their craftsmanship every Diwali with their workshops barely spanning larger than a small room, which also doubles as their living space. You will find a huge collection of beautiful diyas from classic clay collections to ones drenched in primary colours or adorned with mirrors, ribbons and sequins.
10. Check your festive list at these best street shopping markets in Mumbai
Prep for Diwali at these 10 best street shopping markets in Mumbai for great deals on Diwali decorations, clothes, food and more!
Best restaurants and bars for Diwali dining deals
11. Sofitel Mumbai BKC
Sofitel presents Samaroh, an exclusive variety of Diwali hampers coming in 4 exquisite editions- Magnifique Celebration, Opulent Curation, Elegance Edition, and Luxe Selection. Each hamper includes handcrafted mithai, artisanal chocolates, premium teas and coffees, gourmet treats, and festive décor elements. Prices of hampers range from INR 4,000 to INR 11,500. The hotel further offers a lavish brunch at its Pondicherry Cafe on October 19 from noon onwards. Guests can expect a royal Indian feast featuring biryani, curries and even a mini burger station as well as a live shrikhand puri counter!
📞For reservations, call 022-61175000 | +91 9167391130
12. JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar
Offering four Diwali edition hampers- the Gateway Collection, Enchanting Collection, Enticing Collection, and Sweet & Savoury Collection, these gifting baskets carry the pure essence of the festive season. Each hamper includes pearl-embellished diyas, artisanal shortbreads, handcrafted after-eats, roasted nuts, trail mixes, and gourmet delights, complemented by festive décor like vibrant torans and diyas. Prices range from INR 800 to INR 22,700.
13. MousseStruck
Launching a Diwali Indulgence Collection, MousseStruck brings delightful desserts that balance between traditional desserts and their modern adaptations. Pistachio Malai Cake, Kaju Katli Brownie, Coconut Barfi Brownie and Motichoor Cheesecake are among their delicious new collection. They have also launched a festive brownie assortment box that features crowd favourites like Nutella and Chocolate brownies. You can order the Diwali collection online or from MousseStruck’s flagship store in Bandra.
14. Cream centre
A favourite among many, the Cream Centre dishes out amazing vegetarian cuisine open till the very late hours. Their festive flavours deal this Diwali offer a complimentary chaat if you order a sizzler, or you can even enjoy a complimentary chaat platter upon ordering two sizzlers.
15-22. Explore these late-night restaurants in Mumbai
Diwali often translates to late-night drives and hangout sessions with cousins that often trespass bedtime hours. Therefore, to fuel you up further for all the late-night shenanigans, we bring you restaurants in Mumbai offering delicious food that are open way past midnight. You can read the full list here.
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