Diwali at Itihaas Restaurant

Diwali is quickly approaching! For the Festival of Light, we welcome everyone to enjoy Diwali meals in our Indian restaurant, right in the heart of Birmingham.

Diwali restaurant bookings are filling up fast, so if you’re planning a meal to celebrate, it’s best to book now.

The Festival of Light

This year, Diwali week begins on Thursday 9th November 2023, with five days of celebration. Through these five days, people gather together for prayer (pujas), fireworks, card games and parties, and every year it feels like the whole of Birmingham is excited about India’s most important festival.

Diwali, or Deepavali, is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains worldwide. Each religion has traditions and stories associated with the Diwali light festival, all of which generally celebrate the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil.
The word Diwali comes from Sanskrit ‘Deepavali’ or “rows of lights”. During Diwali, restaurants, homes, shops and public places are decorated with small diya lamps, usually made from clay and filled with oil or ghee, with a wick to light. The Hindu custom is to light diya lamps on the night of the new moon to invite Lakshmi’s blessings, and to pray to Lakshmi on the third day of Diwali.

Diwali Traditions for Many Religions

For Hindus in North India, Diwali celebrates the return of Rama and Sita, along with Lakshmana and Hanuman, from exile to Ayodhya. As told in the Ramayana, their return comes after their triumph over Ravana, the ten-headed demon king, which is celebrated at Dussehra. It is said that the path of Rama and Sita was lit with diya lamps to guide them home.
In South India, the festival marks Krishna’s victory over the demon Narakasura, celebrated on the second day.
For Sikhs, Diwali marks when Mian Mir laid the foundation stone of the Golden Temple at Amritsar in 1577, and the anniversary of Guru Hargobind Singh’s release from prison in Gwalior in 1619.
For Jains, Diwali is a celebration of the enlightenment of Lord Mahavira. Lighting the lamps symbolises the light of Mahavira’s holy knowledge that liberated him from the cycle of life and death.

Diwali Food

There are certain foods that are traditional during Diwali, including savoury main meals, snacks, sweets and desserts. Feasting is a huge part of Diwali celebrations, and gathering with family and friends to celebrate with delicious and extravagant Indian food can make even the gloomy UK winters more bearable. At Itihaas,we combine our love of food with Mughal feasting traditions to create the best Diwali celebration Birmingham has to offer.

Mithai

Mithai often refers to any South Asian sweets, including jalebi, laddoos and barfis. Many people give decorated boxes of mithai as gifts during Diwali.

Chivda

Chivda is a classic Diwali snack food. It is a spiced Bombay mix which contains dried ingredients including peanuts, chickpeas, fried onion and fried lentils.

Lapsi

On the first day of Diwali, many people eat Lapsi. This Gujarati sweet dish contains cracked wheat, cooked in ghee and sweetened with sugar and cardamom.

Samosas

Are these really a Diwali food? Of course, we eat samosas year-round, but Diwali without samosas would not do. These triangular pastry pouches come stuffed with spiced fried potato, meat, onions and vegetables.
At Itihaas, we offer a Nairobi Chicken samosa, and Kasta samosa with our Garden Sharing Platter.

Diwali Restaurant Bookings

Celebrate Diwali in style as Itihaas takes you through a culinary experience like no other. We pride ourselves on providing our guests with the full Royal Service, inspired by the grand feasts of the Mughul Emperors. Our central location in Birmingham puts us in the perfect spot to enjoy a wonderful Diwali evening.
Our A’la Carte Menu captures authentic Indian cuisine filled with exquisite flavours and presentation. We also offer vegetarian and vegan options and a varied drinks menu, because at Itihaas, we cater for everyone. Bring the community together for Diwali!
Indulge in traditional Indian cuisine, a contemporary take on historical decor and a wonderful atmosphere. Diwali celebrations at Itihaas Birmingham will be one to remember, we look forward to welcoming you.
Book your table today at our Birmingham Indian restaurant for a Diwali celebration to remember with your closest family and friends – everyone is welcome.