los angeles – LOS ANGELES (AP) – California has become the third US state to observe Diwali – Hindu “Festival of Lights” – As an official holiday at the state level.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law Tuesday to take effect on Jan. 1. It would allow public schools and community colleges to close for Diwali. State employees can choose to take a day off and public school students will receive an excused absence to observe the holiday. The new law recognizes that Diwali is also celebrated by Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists.
Pennsylvania was the first US state to make Diwali a statewide holiday in 2024, followed by Connecticut earlier this year.
Assemblyman Ash Kalra, a Democrat from San Jose Co-author of the bill With Darshana Patel, an assembly member from San Diego, he said he grew up celebrating the festival with family members, but it was an isolating experience from the rest of his life.
“For South Asian children to be able to celebrate with pride and share it with others is an important moment,” he said.
San Jose, a city in California’s Silicon Valley, has a large Indian American population. According to 2025 Pew Survey960,000 of the country’s Indian population of 4.9 million — or 20% — live in California. Hindu American organizations, including the American Hindu Foundation and the North American Hindu Coalition, have advocated for the law.
“The provisions allowing students to take vacation without repercussions and state employees to take paid leave are important leaps toward making Diwali truly accessible to those who celebrate,” said Sameer Kalra, managing director of the American Hindu Foundation.
Diwali, which falls on October 20 this year, is derived from the word ‘Deepavali’, which means ‘row of lights’. Celebration Light rows of lamps To symbolize the victory of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. The holiday is celebrated with festive gatherings, fireworks displays, feasts and prayers.
While Diwali is a major religious festival for Hindus, it is also observed by Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists. The origin story of Diwali varies by region. All of these stories, across religions, have the same basic themes of good triumphing over evil and light over darkness.
Sikhs, for example, celebrate Bandi Chor Divas – a day that overlaps with Diwali – to mark the release of Guru Hargobind, a revered figure in the faith, who was imprisoned for 12 years by the Mughal Emperor Gawananger.
Puneet Kaur Sandhu, Sacramento state policy director for the Sikh Coalition, said her organization worked with Ash Kalra to ensure the bill’s language included celebrants of other faiths whose holidays coincide with Diwali as well.
“It is so meaningful that all of us in the community can take this day to celebrate,” she said.
This law recognizes not only California’s South Asian community, but also the impact its members have on the state, said Rohit Chindrekar, board president of the South Asian Network of Southern California.
“I think about my parents’ immigrant experience when they moved here in the 1960s,” he said. “I celebrate Diwali together at home with my parents and children, who will now have the opportunity to share their traditions and customs with friends. It helps build a bond between Californians.”
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