Diwali at Smithsonian Asian Art Museum

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art will celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of light, with “Asia After Dark” programming 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6. Visitors will be welcomed inside the museum after hours to explore family-friendly arts and crafts, talks and tours on South Asian art, and a variety of music and dance performances. At 7:30 p.m., the museum’s plaza will transform into a dance floor, with vibrant projected lights and music and beats by DJ MAIYA.

Activities and performances include:

• Family-friendly arts and crafts, including decorate-your-own rangoli, a traditional Indian floor art that involves colorful, intricate patterns
• Performances of the Sarod, a traditional South Asian stringed instrument, by young Sarod musician Swarnendu, in the museum’s auditorium
• High-energy South Indian fusion dance performances on the plaza from the Washington, D.C.-based performing arts group, Vishious Vicinity
• Spotlight talks given by docents and curator-led tours of the museum’s South Asian art collections
• Cuisine from the Indian diaspora, available for purchase throughout the festival

Registration via Eventbrite is recommended but not required.

Diwali spans five days and marks the beginning of the new year in the Hindu calendar. Traditionally celebrated after the year’s last harvest, celebrants honor the goddess of abundance Lakshmi, inviting her to enter and bless their homes, temples and other public spaces. Lights are important to Diwali because Hindu belief holds that Lakshmi cannot enter a dark space.

The museum offers many resources to learn about Diwali on its website, such as virtual tours of related collections, educator resources and webinars. The museum has held a Diwali “Asia After Dark” celebration since 2024, which has attracted more than 8,000 people in the past two years.