Hindu statesman Rajan Zed has called for all New Jersey schools to close on Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, citing the need to accommodate the religious and spiritual needs of the state’s growing Hindu student population.
His statement comes as 29 New Jersey school districts have already designated Diwali as a holiday for the 2025-26 academic year, with some others offering shortened sessions.
Zed, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, emphasized that closing schools on Diwali would allow Hindu families to observe the festival together at home, reinforcing cultural and religious bonds.
He noted that while schools already recognize holidays for other faiths, the exclusion of Diwali sends an inequitable message to Hindu students, who must choose between attendance and observance.
Diwali, celebrated this year on October 20, symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness and is observed by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and some Buddhists worldwide.
In New Jersey, districts such as Cherry Hill, Edison, Jersey City, and West Windsor-Plainsboro have already incorporated the holiday into their academic calendars.
The Akshardham Mahamandir, also known as BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham, in Robbinsville, N.J., is the second-largest Hindu temple in the world and the largest in the Western Hemisphere, and it draws religious pilgrims and tourists from all over the world.
New Jersey has the highest percentage of Hindu residents of any U.S. state, with Hindus making up about three percent of the state’s population.
Other New Jersey school districts that have declared Diwali a holiday for students include: Bernards, Bridgewater-Raritan, Clifton, East Brunswick, Fair Lawn, Glen Ridge, Glen Rock, Hillsborough, Holmdel, Hopewell Valley, Livingston, Marlboro, Millburn, Montclair, Montgomery, North Brunswick, Paramus, Parsippany-Troy Hills, Piscataway, Ridgewood, Robbinsville, Sayreville, Scotch Plains-Fanwood, South Brunswick, and Watchung Borough.
Besides those, Colts Neck and Englewood Cliffs have short sessions for Diwali.
The New Jersey State Board of Education has approved 21 Hindu celebrations among the current list of 120 religious holidays that allow for an excused school absence for students observing them.
Zed urged Governor Phil Murphy, Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer, and State Board of Education President Kathy Goldenberg to formally recognize Diwali as a statewide school holiday, following precedents set by Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
He framed the issue as a matter of fairness, stating that honoring major religious holidays for all faiths fosters mutual respect and cultural awareness among students.
The push for Diwali closures reflects broader efforts to acknowledge the religious diversity of New Jersey’s student body, where Hinduism represents one of the fastest-growing faiths.
With over three million Hindus in the U.S., Zed’s advocacy underscores the increasing influence of Hindu Americans in shaping public policy around religious accommodation.
While opposition to such measures has surfaced in the past—as seen in protests against Zed’s historic 2007 Hindu prayer in the U.S. Senate—supporters argue that recognizing Diwali aligns with America’s pluralistic values.
For now, the focus remains on expanding the holiday’s adoption across New Jersey’s remaining school districts, ensuring that Hindu students no longer face the dilemma of choosing between faith and education.
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