Deepavali Wishes in Kannada: 12 Original Lines for Karnataka's Three Days

Deepavali Wishes in Kannada: 12 Original Lines for Karnataka's Three Days

Deepavali wishes in Kannada work best when they name the day: Naraka Chaturdashi on Thursday 28 October 2027 for the oil bath, Lakshmi Puja on Friday 29, and Bali Padyami on Saturday 30. Below are 12 original lines in Kannada script, Roman transliteration and English, two for each moment and person.

Keep them short. On SubhSandesh, 48.3% of shared pages are opened on a phone (27,725 of 57,456 views), and each page is opened 11.1 times on average, so a clumsy line gets reread. Key words were checked in Kittel's Kannada-English Dictionary.

Which days does Karnataka wish on: 28 or 30 October 2027?

Karnataka's Deepavali has two public anchors, and neither is Lakshmi Puja. The state's 2026 general-holiday list, DPAR Notifications I and II of 17 November 2025, gives Tuesday 10 November 2026 as "Balipadyami, Deepavali". It leaves out Naraka Chaturdashi only because 8 November 2026 is a Sunday.

For 2027, Drik Panchang's Diwali calendar puts Naraka Chaturdashi on Thursday 28 October, Lakshmi Puja on Friday 29 and Bali Pratipada on Saturday 30. Karnataka's 2027 holiday list was not out as of 22 October 2026, so check it before booking travel.

The two anchor days also sit in different lunar months. Kittel files Naraka Chaturdashi under the month of āśvina (ಆಶ್ವಯುಜ, p. 892), while Bali Padyami falls on the first day of Kartika's bright half. So in Karnataka's calendar the festival starts in one month and ends in the next.

12 original Deepavali wishes in Kannada, by day and by person

Every line was written for this page. Many families say ನೀನು (nīnu, informal "you") to Amma and ನೀವು (nīvu, respectful "you") to Appa; switch the verb ending if yours does it differently.

1. Naraka Chaturdashi morning, for Amma and Appa (Thursday 28 October)

The day starts with the oil bath, ಅಭ್ಯಂಜನ (abhyañjana), which Kittel (p. 85) equates with ಅಭ್ಯಂಗನ. Send these before breakfast.

ಅಮ್ಮ, ನೀನು ತಲೆಗೆ ಹಚ್ಚಿದ ಎಣ್ಣೆಯ ಬಿಸಿ ಇನ್ನೂ ನೆನಪಿದೆ. ನರಕ ಚತುರ್ದಶಿಯ ಶುಭಾಶಯಗಳು.
Amma, nīnu talege haccida eṇṇeya bisi innū nenapide. Naraka caturdaśiya śubhāśayagaḷu.
Amma, I still remember the warmth of the oil you rubbed into my head. Naraka Chaturdashi wishes.

ಅಪ್ಪ, ಬೆಳಗಿನ ಜಾವ ನೀವು ಹಚ್ಚಿದ ಮೊದಲ ಹಣತೆ ಈ ವರ್ಷವೂ ನಮ್ಮ ಮನೆಯನ್ನು ಬೆಳಗಲಿ.
Appa, beḷagina jāva nīvu haccida modala haṇate ī varṣavū namma maneyannu beḷagali.
Appa, may the first lamp you light before dawn brighten our home again this year.

2. Lakshmi Puja evening, for the whole household (Friday 29 October)

Friday is the new-moon night, ಅಮಾವಾಸ್ಯೆ (amāvāsye), which Kittel (p. 89) defines as the day "on which the moon is invisible". These two suit a family group.

ಹೊಸ್ತಿಲಿನಿಂದ ಅಂಗಳದವರೆಗೆ ಹಣತೆಗಳ ಸಾಲು; ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಮನೆಗೆ ನಗುತ್ತಾ ಬರಲಿ.
Hostilininda aṅgaḷadavarege haṇategaḷa sālu; Lakṣmi nimma manege naguttā barali.
A row of lamps from the threshold to the courtyard; may Lakshmi walk into your home smiling.

ಅಮಾವಾಸ್ಯೆಯ ಕತ್ತಲೆಗೆ ಒಂದು ಹಣತೆ ಸಾಕು; ನಿಮ್ಮ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನೆಮ್ಮದಿಯ ಬೆಳಕು ತುಂಬಿರಲಿ.
Amāvāsyeya kattalege ondu haṇate sāku; nimma maneyalli nemmadiya beḷaku tumbirali.
One lamp is enough for the new moon's dark; may your home stay full of the light of calm.

3. Bali Padyami, for elders and for farming families (Saturday 30 October)

Karnataka's holiday list names this day, so it suits a formal wish. The second line is for relatives who still farm.

ದಾನಕ್ಕೆ ಹೆಸರಾದ ಬಲಿ ಚಕ್ರವರ್ತಿಯ ದಿನ ಇದು; ಅವನ ಕೊಡುವ ಗುಣ ನಮ್ಮಲ್ಲೂ ಇರಲಿ. ಬಲಿಪಾಡ್ಯಮಿಯ ಶುಭಾಶಯಗಳು.
Dānakke hesarāda Bali cakravartiya dina idu; avana koḍuva guṇa nammallū irali. Balipāḍyamiya śubhāśayagaḷu.
This is the day of King Bali, famous for giving; may his habit of giving live in us too. Bali Padyami wishes.

ಹಟ್ಟಿಯ ಗೋವಿಗೂ ಹೂವಿನ ಹಾರ, ಹೊಲದ ಫಸಲು ಮನೆ ತುಂಬಲಿ. ಹಬ್ಬದ ಶುಭಾಶಯಗಳು, ಮಾವ.
Haṭṭiya gōvigū hūvina hāra, holada phasalu mane tumbali. Habbada śubhāśayagaḷu, Māva.
A flower garland even for the cow in the shed; may the field's harvest fill the house. Festival wishes, Mava (uncle).

4. For a ಗೆಳೆಯ or ಗೆಳತಿ (friend), any of the three days

Kittel gives ಗೆಳೆಯ (p. 600) for a male friend and ಗೆಳತಿ (p. 599) for a female friend. The first line is spoken Bengaluru register, not written Kannada.

ಗೆಳೆಯ, ಪಟಾಕಿ ಇಲ್ಲದಿದ್ದರೂ ನಡೆಯುತ್ತೆ; ನಿನ್ನ ಜೊತೆಗಿನ ಹರಟೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ತಪ್ಪಬಾರದು. ದೀಪಾವಳಿ ಶುಭಾಶಯ!
Geḷeya, paṭāki illadiddarū naḍeyutte; ninna jotegina haraṭe mātra tappabāradu. Dīpāvaḷi śubhāśaya!
Friend, we can manage without crackers; just don't make me miss our chatter. Happy Deepavali!

ಹೋಳಿಗೆ ತಿನ್ನಲು ನಮ್ಮ ಮನೆಗೆ ಬಾ; ಕಳೆದ ವರ್ಷದ ಜಗಳಗಳನ್ನು ಹಣತೆಯ ಎಣ್ಣೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸುಟ್ಟುಬಿಡೋಣ.
Hōḷige tinnalu namma manege bā; kaḷeda varṣada jagaḷagaḷannu haṇateya eṇṇeyalli suṭṭubiḍōṇa.
Come home for holige; let's burn last year's quarrels in the lamp oil.

5. For family when you are away from the ಊರು (hometown)

These are for Kannadigas working in another city or abroad. Read the first one aloud as a voice note if Amma reads Kannada script slowly on a phone.

ಈ ಸಲ ಊರಿಗೆ ಬರಲಾಗಲಿಲ್ಲ, ಅಮ್ಮ; ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಹಚ್ಚಿದ ಒಂದು ಹಣತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಮ್ಮ ಮನೆಯ ಅಂಗಳ ಕಾಣುತ್ತಿದೆ.
Ī sala ūrige baralāgalilla, Amma; illi haccida ondu haṇateyalli namma maneya aṅgaḷa kāṇuttide.
I couldn't come home this time, Amma; in the one lamp I lit here, I can see our courtyard.

ಸಮುದ್ರದಾಚೆ ಇದ್ದರೂ ಬಲಿಪಾಡ್ಯಮಿಯ ಬೆಳಿಗ್ಗೆ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಧ್ವನಿ ಕೇಳಬೇಕು; ವೀಡಿಯೊ ಕರೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸಿಗೋಣ.
Samudradāce iddarū Balipāḍyamiya beḷigge nimma dhvani kēḷabēku; vīḍiyo kareyalli sigōṇa.
Even across the sea, I need to hear your voice on Bali Padyami morning; let's meet on a video call.

If the person far away is a partner rather than a parent, SubhSandesh's long-distance "I miss you" page is built for that gap. It is a romantic page, not a Deepavali one, and 13.6% of its senders record a voice note (29 of 214 pages in its first two months).

6. For colleagues and neighbours, with respectful ನೀವು

Bengaluru offices mix Kannadigas with people still learning Kannada. The second line is kept simple for a colleague from another state.

ನಿಮಗೂ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಕುಟುಂಬಕ್ಕೂ ದೀಪಾವಳಿಯ ಶುಭಾಶಯಗಳು; ಹೊಸ ಬೆಳಕು ಹೊಸ ಕೆಲಸಕ್ಕೆ ಶುಭ ತರಲಿ.
Nimagū nimma kuṭumbakkū dīpāvaḷiya śubhāśayagaḷu; hosa beḷaku hosa kelasakke śubha tarali.
Deepavali wishes to you and your family; may the new light bring luck to new work.

ನಮ್ಮ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನ ದೀಪಾವಳಿಗೆ ಸ್ವಾಗತ! ಸಿಹಿ ತಿನ್ನಿ, ಹಣತೆ ಹಚ್ಚಿ, ಕನ್ನಡ ಕಲಿಯಿರಿ.
Namma Beṅgaḷūrina dīpāvaḷige svāgata! Sihi tinni, haṇate hacci, Kannaḍa kaliyiri.
Welcome to our Bengaluru Deepavali! Eat something sweet, light a lamp, learn some Kannada.

Putting a Kannada line on a diya: SubhSandesh's Diwali page, with up to six photos

A WhatsApp line suits a family group. For one person, say Amma in Mysuru, a line above can become a card she plays.

SubhSandesh's interactive Happy Diwali card lets you write a wish on each diya in a row, a tag on the diya at their door, and a letter sealed in a red-and-gold shagun liffafa. You can add up to six photos for the sky lanterns and pick a song, choose love, family or friend mode, and send a private link that opens in any phone browser with no app or account. It takes about five minutes.

Every line in the card is editable, but we have not tested Kannada script in every field. Press Save to preview before you publish, and check that ಹಣತೆ shows as ಹಣತೆ on the recipient's kind of phone.

Karnataka's Deepavali days in 2027, compared

Dates are Drik Panchang's for 2027; holiday status is from the 2026 Karnataka list, the latest published.

Bali Padyami: what Kittel and a 1906 account record

Kittel's entry for ಬಲಿಪಾಡ್ಯ (p. 1153) reads "a yearly feast on kārtikaśuklapāḍya in memory of Viṣṇu's humbling Bali". Its separate entry ಪಾಡ್ಯ (p. 1025) is the Kannada form of Sanskrit pratipad, the first day of a lunar fortnight. So Padyami and Pratipada name the same day.

Abbé Dubois's Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, in the 1906 Oxford edition, page 571, saw the festival from south India. He records lamps at house doors and paper lanterns on long poles, and cultivators walking in procession to their fields with offerings as the crops ripened.

He adds that each farmer, on three days running, bowed before his manure heap with flowers, tapers, rice and fruit to ask for a good harvest. Dubois dated the festival to late November or early December; it moves with the moon, falling on 8 to 10 November in 2026 and 28 to 30 October in 2027.

Kannada script or Roman letters? What a 7,671-sentence study found

Kannada online is written in both scripts. The peer-reviewed DravidianCodeMix study (Chakravarthi and colleagues, Language Resources and Evaluation, 2022) built its Kannada set of 7,671 sentences from YouTube comments on Kannada film trailers, and kept Kannada typed in Kannada script, in Latin script and in a mix of the two.

The authors note that social media users often type these languages in Latin script because it is easier on phones and computers. So send the script line first, with the Roman line underneath for relatives abroad or children who never learned to read Kannada.

When a Kannada wish, or a link, is the wrong choice

A Roman-only line is wrong for a grandparent who reads only Kannada script. If you do not speak Kannada, keep to the last line in section 6 or have a Kannadiga friend read yours first.

A link is the wrong gesture for an elder in the same city on Bali Padyami: visit and eat the holige. And expect to be late: on Raksha Bandhan 2026, the nearest festival SubhSandesh holds timing data for (n = 89 pages, a rough analogue), 49.4% of greetings were built on the day itself.

Sources

• Kittel, Kannada-English Dictionary, revised edition, University of Madras, 1968–1971 (DSAL).
• Dubois, Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Clarendon Press, 1906, p. 571 (archive.org).
• Chakravarthi et al., "DravidianCodeMix", Language Resources and Evaluation 56, 2022 (Europe PMC).
• Government of Karnataka, DPAR, General Holidays 2026, Notifications I and II, 17 November 2025.
• Drik Panchang, Diwali 2027 calendar (date reference).