Jain festival · 8 or 9 November 2026
Jain Diwali, with the family far from the derasar in it too.
Jain Diwali is the name many families use for Mahavir Nirvan, the day Jains remember the nirvana of Bhagwan Mahavir. In 2026 the sources we checked place it on 8 or 9 November, so your community's calendar is the one to follow.
The short answer
Jain Diwali is Mahavir Nirvan, when Jains remember the nirvana of Bhagwan Mahavir, the twenty-fourth Tirthankara. In 2026 the sources we checked disagree between 8 and 9 November, so follow your derasar's or community's calendar. Families pray, light lamps and reflect. Kunbaa gives a family spread across countries one plan for the day: who hosts, who brings what, when the call is, and one album for the photos.*
The sources we checked disagree between 8 and 9 November 2026. Your community's calendar is the one to follow.
When is Jain Diwali in 2026?
- By the sources we checked
- Sunday 8 November or Monday 9 November 2026
The sources we checked disagree between 8 and 9 November. Your derasar's or community's calendar is the one to follow, and it can differ by region. We give no hour for the day: that comes from your calendar too.
What Jains remember on this day
Bhagwan Mahavir is the twenty-fourth Tirthankara. Jain tradition holds that he attained nirvana, liberation from the cycle of birth and death, at Pawapuri, on the night of the new moon in the Diwali season. Jains call the day Mahavir Nirvan, and many families also call it Jain Diwali.
Jain tradition tells that lamps were lit that night because the light of knowledge had left the world. Jain families light lamps today in remembrance.
The next morning, Jains remember Gautam Swami, Mahavir's chief disciple, who attained Kevala Gyan, perfect knowledge. In many Jain calendars the new year begins that day.
How families keep the day
Every community and family keeps it in its own way. Many do some of this:
- pray at the derasar or at home
- light lamps at the temple and at home, in remembrance of the light of knowledge
- fast, meditate or chant, as the family keeps the day
- offer a nirvan laddu at the temple, a custom in many Jain communities
- visit elders and relatives, and send new year greetings the next morning
Keeping Jain Diwali together across countries
A family that prays at one derasar can be in three countries on the day. Kunbaa gives it one place for the plan, on kunbaa.com.
Start the plan
Start an event and pick Diwali for its starter checklist: the host, the meal, lamps, the call with family far away and everyone's photos. Name it Mahavir Nirvan, pick the day your community keeps and change it if the date moves. Reword or remove any task that does not fit: the starter tasks use Diwali's words, such as puja time. It is your family's plan.
Share out the food
Add the dishes for the family meal and let each person tick the one they are bringing, so the table is planned before the day.
Choose a time for the call
The checklist has a task for the call with family far away, so one person owns it. An evening in Toronto is already the next day in Mumbai and in Sydney, so pick the time that suits the most people.
Put the photos in one album
On the day, everyone adds their photos to the event's album, from every home. Only the relatives you invite can open it.
Planning the call? How to plan Diwali with family in three time zones shows how.
A card with your family's name
Kunbaa's card maker makes a Diwali card with your family's name, free, with nothing to sign up for. Its Diyas and rangoli style has no deity art. The card says Diwali, not Mahavir Nirvan, and some of its lines name Lakshmi, so read the line before you send it. Send it if that suits your family.
Make a Diwali cardMore from the Diwali season
- Diwali
Plan Diwali with family in other cities and countries: who hosts, the puja time, who brings what, and one album for everyone's photos.
- Diwali 2026 dates
Navratri to Bhai Dooj in order, with the date for India, the US and Canada, and Australia and New Zealand, and why each day matters.
- Bandi Chhor Divas
The Sikh festival of release, on Sunday 8 November 2026: what it remembers, how families keep it, and how to share it across countries.
- Gujarati New Year (Bestu Varas)
The first day of the Gujarati year, on 9 or 10 November 2026 depending on where you live: Saal Mubarak, Annakut, and keeping the day with family abroad.
- Kali Puja
The Bengali night of Kali Puja, kept on the new-moon night of the Diwali season: what it is, how families keep it, and how to share it across time zones.
Some families do not keep this season, for example in the first year after a loss. Nothing here asks you to.
Frequently asked questions
More questions? Read the full FAQ or the help centre.
When is Jain Diwali (Mahavir Nirvan) in 2026?
The sources we checked disagree between 8 and 9 November 2026, so follow your derasar's or community's calendar. Diwali itself, the Lakshmi Puja, is Sunday 8 November 2026. See the Diwali 2026 dates.
What is Mahavir Nirvan?
The day Jains remember the nirvana of Bhagwan Mahavir, the twenty-fourth Tirthankara. Many families call it Jain Diwali and keep it with prayer, lamps and reflection.
Is Jain Diwali the same as Diwali?
They are kept in the same season, for different reasons. Jain families remember the nirvana of Bhagwan Mahavir and, the next morning, Gautam Swami's Kevala Gyan. The stories other traditions tell on Diwali are theirs to tell.
Is the Jain new year the day after?
In many Jain calendars, yes: the new year begins the day after Mahavir Nirvan. For Gujarati Jain families it usually shares its day with Bestu Varas, the Gujarati New Year. Check your community's calendar. Read about Bestu Varas.
How can we plan Jain Diwali with relatives in other countries?
Put the plan where everyone can see it: who hosts, who brings what, and a time for the call that suits the most people. On Kunbaa you start an event, pick Diwali for its starter checklist, rename it and pick the day your community keeps. On the day, everyone adds their photos to one album.
Does Kunbaa have a Jain Diwali template?
Not a separate one. The starter checklist is Diwali's: the host, the meal, lamps, the call with family far away and the photos. You rename the event, pick the day your community keeps, and reword or remove any task that does not fit.
Who can see our Jain Diwali photos?
Only the relatives you invite. Kunbaa is invite-only, has no ads and sells nobody's data. See exactly how private Kunbaa is.
Does it cost anything?
Starting a family, the tree, events and the album are free, and everyone in the family joins free. Kunbaa Plus is an optional paid plan for keeping more of the family archive. See pricing.