Diwali Stories for Kids: Festival of Lights Tales, Folklore, Poems & Jokes
Diwali, the festival of lights, is a season of lamps, colour, sweets — and stories. Here are free Diwali stories for kids, Indian folk tales and Jataka stories, plus a little folklore, a poem and a few jokes.
Browse the Diwali collection →
Free Diwali stories to read online
All free to read online, no sign-up:
- Rama Goes to Town — picture book
- Kham’s Precious Little Lamp — picture book
- Indian Fairy Tales — Joseph Jacobs
- More Jataka Tales — classic Indian fables
Browse the whole free collection: Browse the Diwali collection.
Diwali folklore & fun facts
Diwali is celebrated by millions across India and around the world, usually over five days in autumn. Its name comes from deepavali, meaning “a row of lamps,” and homes glow with little oil lamps called diyas. One beloved story behind Diwali is the return of Prince Rama and Princess Sita after long years away — people lit rows of lamps to guide them home. At its heart, Diwali celebrates light over darkness and good over difficulty, with rangoli patterns, sweets and time with family.
A Diwali poem to share
A little Diwali poem to read together:
Little diya, softly burning, lighting hope and hearts and yearning, chase the shadows, warm the night, fill our Diwali with your light.
Find more in our free printable Diwali poems.
Diwali jokes for kids
- Why was the little diya so confident? — It was always ready to light up the room!
- What did one diya say to the other? — “You brighten my night!”
- What’s the brightest part of Diwali? — The smiles!
Grab the full set: printable Diwali jokes.
🪔 Turn Diwali into a reading season
The free Pagine app makes a reading habit easy — log each story, set a goal, and kids earn streaks, badges and certificates. A free reading tracker and e-reader in one, with 14,000+ books.
Get the free Pagine app →More free Diwali printables
FAQ
Where can I find free Diwali stories for kids? On Pagine — free festival-of-lights tales, Indian folk tales and Jataka stories to read online, plus printable Diwali poems, jokes, sayings and a reading list.
What are good Diwali books for young children? Gentle picture books about little lamps and lights are perfect — try Kham’s Precious Little Lamp, Rama Goes to Town and The Lantern Girl, then classic Indian folk and Jataka tales.