The Festival of Lights

Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, is a celebration of the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. It is the most widely recognized and celebrated of all Hindu festivals, observed by millions of Hindus around the world.

In Fiji, Diwali is a national public holiday. Many people—particularly in Indo-Fijian communities—spend the day with family and friends, participating in cultural programs, lighting decorative lamps, and enjoying festive foods. The atmosphere is often compared to the Christmas season, with neighborhoods adorned in lights and schools staging plays and events retelling the Diwali story from the Ramayana—the return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya after rescuing his wife, Sita, from the demon king Ravana.

While rooted in Hindu religious tradition, in many places Diwali has become more a celebration of South Asian cultural heritage, with festivities that may not include direct worship or religious rituals.

Hindus in Fiji are almost entirely descendants of indentured laborers brought from North India during the colonial period. 

Today, they make up approximately 28% of Fiji’s population—around 250,000 people. Religious identity in Fiji often follows ethnic lines, with Indo-Fijians primarily practicing Hinduism and indigenous Fijians largely identifying as Christians.

At the time of the indentured laborers’ arrival, there were virtually no Christ-followers among them. However, it is estimated that today, as many as 20% of Indo-Fijians may have come to faith in Jesus—a remarkable testimony of God’s work among this historic diaspora community.