Yesterday, I kept asking everyone if Diwali was today or tomorrow. Apparently, some villages celebrated it yesterday, while others were celebrating it today, on 21st October 2025.
This is my first ever Diwali in the mountains, and the Himalayan villages are very rich in their cultural activities. I was really excited to experience Diwali in Shilha, the village where I live now and just started a homestay and a cafe. But my plans were changed a little bit at the last moment.
It’s been one month since I moved into my home and started setting up the place. My parents are here to visit me and help me with setting up the place as well. Plus, they got their ticket booked for the 28th, which means they don’t have much time here in Himachal Pradesh. So, we left for shopping on the 19th, and the plan was to stay at Kullu or Bhuntar for the day and go back to Shilha the next day.
Once we reached Kullu, it was pretty overwhelming for me to be in the crowd, especially after living a really slow life for the last few months. So, we decided to go to Manali and spend the night there and return the next day.
Kullu to Manali
Kullu to Manali is not that far, and we reached there by 7pm. A special hat off to everyone who worked to restore the road to Manali after the devastating floods this year. There was one patch in the road where it felt like you were inside a washing machine. There were way too many rocks alongside the river. These were the aftermath of the multiple landslides, floods and other chaos that happened during this year’s monsoons.
Manali Mall Road
Once we reached Manali, we decided to stay on the Mall Road itself since it would make our commute easier the next day. We had a nice room with a balcony that opens to a pretty side of the Mall road. The room was on the second floor, and it was surprisingly hot without us turning on the AC.
Since it was the Diwali season, most of the Mall Road was filled with Diwali-related things such as Diyas, sweets, and so much more.
Mall Road is basically where there are continuous lanes of shops of different types. There are many Kashmiri textile shops, which I found super cute for their traditional prints on the shawls and suits. We were pretty tired and headed out to get dinner.
Even though the room was hot, once we were outside, the weather was really chilly at night. The entire mall road was busy with tourists and Diwali stalls. We first found a place to eat a vegetarian meal and then walked around the lanes.
We also tried sweets like hot jalebi, rabdi, which is more like condensed milk, and almond-flavoured milk. It was all good, especially the hot jalebi during the cold night. Then we headed to buy some sweet boxes. There were assorted sweet boxes which were pre-packed. That made it easier to buy instead of picking different items to match the weight. Also, the sweets were of really good quality, which surprised us.
The next day me my father and I went for a morning stroll. We first had tea from a shop on the Mall Road, and it was too good. The morning views of the Mall Road were quite nice. The lanes were almost empty, people were cleaning up, setting up the shops and stalls and so on.
Since it was Diwali, there were many vendors selling marigold chains. We later saw many buying them to decorate their vehicles and so on. One of the main attractions was the pigeons flying in flocks on the Mall Road. They added a special touch to the whole place.
Finding a church in Mall Road, Manali
It’s been two weeks since my parents came to visit me, and there were no churches near where I live. My father has been desperately wanting to attend services ever since he came here. Back home, his first activity is to go to church early in the morning.
Somebody mentioned about church in the hospital on Mall Road itself, and after our morning tea, we started our search for the hospital. We found the Lady Willington Hospital (Mission Hospital), and it seemed like it was not open for outpatients at that time.
But the hospital was really pretty. I mean, that might not be the best description for a hospital, but the building there had an old-cottage-like charm. There was ivy that decorated the pillars and the roofs.
We finally found the church; it was actually a prayer hall. And, it was closed at that time. We just walked around and took a look at the place. When I say the place was so pretty, I mean that even the chimney pipes were aesthetically pleasing there, and the fall colours added to the beauty of the place.
Solang Valley in Manali
Before leaving Manali, I wanted to show my parents a little bit around Manali. So, we decided to visit Solang Valley, which is a few kilometres away from Manali Mall Road. Our taxi driver was also an excellent tour guide, which made our visit really fun.
Solang Valley is the main place for snow games and other activities. But, the road to Solang valley is so pretty that it opens up to snow-filled mountain tops and colourful trees that are ready for the autumn season.
There is a stretch where you can find yaks to take photographs with, stalls where you can try the traditional clothes to click pictures, and also some food stalls. We went straight to the main touristy spot, where there is a paragliding ground and a slope.
There were mountain bikes to take those who can’t trek to a nearby temple. There was also a ropeway and cable cars. We arrived at 10AM when everything was just getting started. Even though we were not interested in trying anything, I wanted to show my parents how they fly during paragliding. It was interesting.
Diwali in Shilha
After the sightseeing, we went back to Shilha to reach early. So we were home before 6. And the little village was lit up in fairy lights, and kids were playing with fireworks. I unexpectedly got a call asking if I was home, and they sent Siddus on my way.
Siddu is a fermented steamed bread with walnut paste filling inside it. It is a Himachali delicacy, and I was happy to receive it. It was one of the first times for my parents to try it.
Even though I didn’t have much decor for Diwali, I had a fairy light which I decorated on my balcony. Most of the village seemed empty, probably because it was a time when everyone was visiting their families. But, later in the night, kids started playing with firecrackers, and some serious fireworks were happening all around the valley. We could hear it from different villages nearby Shilha.
The next day, my neighbours also visited me with Siddus for me and my parents. It was so good, and these small gestures made me so happy as well. So, that was my Diwali this year. I was happy and felt really blessed to be where I am living my life now!