Make a Diwali photo frame with your name

Diwali 2026: the five days

Diwali runs over five days, each with its own customs. A panchang sets each day by the lunar date at local sunrise, so a day can fall on a different date in India and abroad. These dates are from Drik Panchang for New Delhi, London and New York, and we update this table every October.

In India this year, Monday 9 November is still Amavasya, the new moon day, so Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj come a day later there than in the UK and the US. Check a panchang for your own city before you plan a puja.

Greetings in English and Hindi

Pick a greeting from the list or type your own. Here is what each one says.

Photos that look good in a dark frame

The card is deep and dark, so a bright photo stands out best. Evening photos lit by diyas are often dim: open Adjust and raise Brightness by 10 to 20 percent before you add the frame, so faces do not sink into the background.

A rangoli photographed from straight above, a family photo in festive clothes, or a close shot of a lit diya all suit the frame. For a group photo, crop out empty floor and ceiling so the people fill the window.

Sending greetings to family abroad

Lakshmi Puja falls on the same date in New Delhi, London and New York this year, but the evening arrives at very different hours. At 6 pm in New Delhi on Sunday 8 November it is 12:30 pm in London and 7:30 am in New York, because the UK and the US have both set their clocks back for winter by then.

So a greeting sent as the lamps are lit in India reaches London at lunchtime and the US East Coast before breakfast. Think about when your relatives will see it, and send it at a time that suits them.

For shops, offices and housing societies

Put the business or society name in the From line, such as From all of us at Mehta Sweets or Green Park Residents Association. For a shop counter or a notice board, switch off Keep aspect ratio and set 2480 by 3508 pixels, which prints on A4 at 300 pixels per inch.

A real photo of the team, the shop front or the decorated entrance feels more personal than a stock picture, and you can make a separate card for each branch or building in a minute.

From lines for family, friends and work

The From line is set in spaced capitals under the greeting. Short lines look best, and past about 35 characters the letters get smaller to fit. The frame shows no year, so the same card works again next Diwali.

• From the Sharma family
• With love, Priya and Arjun
• Wishing you light and joy, the Patels
• From all of us at Mehta Sweets
• Diwali 2026, the Iyer family