What is the Nepali name for the Diwali festival?

The Nepali name for the Diwali festival is Tihar.

Tihar is a five-day festival of lights celebrated across Nepal and is generally regarded as the country’s second-largest festival after Dashain. It shares Diwali’s emphasis on lamps, worship, family visits and colourful decorations, but its sequence of rituals has a distinctive Nepali character.

The festival honours Yama, the Hindu god associated with death, through Yamapanchak. Different days traditionally involve worship of crows, dogs, cows and oxen, followed by Bhai Tika, when sisters apply a ceremonial tika to their brothers and exchange blessings and gifts.

Tihar is also known by regional names. Newar communities commonly call the festival Swanti, while Deepawali or Diwali may be used as broader names. Chhath, Holi and Dashain are separate festivals, so they are not alternative names for Tihar.