Diwali in East Ham London: Sri Mahalakshmi Temple Pooja

Sri Mahalakshmi Temple sits on the corner of High Street North and Plashet Grove in East Ham, and on Deepavali, Sunday 8 November 2026, it holds a Kedara Gowri Pooja at 3pm and again at 6pm. Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and good fortune, is the deity most closely tied to the festival of lights, so a temple dedicated to her is a natural place to mark the day. There is no ticket and no booking; you walk in from the street, leave your shoes and join the families already inside.

The temple is run by the Lakshmi Narayana Trust, which was registered with the Charity Commission in September 1985. The building went up in 1989 and was consecrated on 2 February 1990. It serves a largely Tamil congregation, many with roots in Sri Lanka and South India, and the worship follows South Indian temple practice, with priests chanting in Sanskrit and Tamil and musicians playing for the bigger ceremonies.

The presiding deities are Sri Lakshmi Narayanar, the goddess with her consort Vishnu, and the moolavar abhishegam, the ritual bathing of the main deity, takes place every Friday at 5.30pm. Fridays are traditionally Lakshmi's day, so if you cannot make it on Deepavali itself, a Friday evening visit gives you a good sense of the temple at its busiest regular service. Regulars come straight from work along High Street North with bags of fruit and flowers to offer.

The temple's events calendar lists Sunday 8 November 2026 as Deepavali, which this year falls on the new-moon day, Amavasai. The main event is the Kedara Gowri Pooja, held at 3pm and at 6pm, with the afternoon session running from 3pm to 5pm. Kedara Gowri Vratham is a fast observed by many Tamil women in the weeks before Deepavali, and the pooja that closes it brings married couples and whole families into the hall with trays of offerings.

For a first-time visitor, the 3pm session is the better choice. It is light outside, the hall is busy but not packed, and you can stay on for the evening opening at 5pm. The 6pm pooja is the one most working families attend, and the hall fills quickly. Either way, wear something you do not mind sitting on the floor in, because most people sit on the ground in front of the shrines during the chanting.

Deepavali is the middle of a busy fortnight at the temple. On Friday 6 November there is a Krishna Pradosham from 5.30pm to 7.30pm, a twilight worship of Shiva held on the thirteenth day of the waning moon. Two days after Deepavali, on Tuesday 10 November, Skanda Shashti begins, the six-day festival for Lord Murugan that ends with Soorasamharam, the re-enactment of his victory over the demon Soorapadman, on Sunday 15 November from 6pm to 8pm.

That makes 15 November a strong second date if you want to see the temple in full festival mode. On the same morning the temple holds a group Sri Gayathri Homam and abhisegam from 10am to 12pm, a fire ritual with offerings poured into the flames. The honest advice: Deepavali Sunday itself is a family day, quieter and more domestic in feel, while the Skanda Shashti finale is louder and more theatrical.

The temple publishes its hours by day. Monday to Thursday it opens 8am to 1pm and 5pm to 9pm. On Friday the sessions run 8am to 1.30pm and 5pm to 9.30pm. Saturday hours are 8am to 2pm and 5pm to 9.30pm, and on Sunday the temple is open 8am to 2pm and 5pm to 9pm. It closes between the morning and evening sessions, so a 3pm arrival on an ordinary day finds the doors shut.

Maha prasadam, the blessed food shared after worship, is served at 12.15pm and at 8pm. If you are visiting on Deepavali, staying until 8pm means you can eat with the congregation after the evening pooja. Visitors are welcome to accept prasadam; take it with your right hand and eat it on the premises or carry it home. There is no charge, though many families leave a donation in the box near the entrance.

Remove your shoes before going in and leave them on the racks at the entrance. Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered. Bring nothing containing meat, fish or eggs into the building. Walk around the shrines clockwise, and do not step into the inner sanctum, which only the priests enter. During an abhishegam or homam it is fine to watch from the side, but avoid standing directly in front of the deity and blocking the view of people praying.

Phones should be on silent. If you want to photograph the building, do it from the street; inside, ask before taking any pictures, and never during a ceremony. Children are a normal part of temple life here, and on Deepavali you will see toddlers in silk outfits running between their grandparents, so there is no need to worry about bringing a family.

High Street North runs between East Ham and Manor Park and is lined with South Asian grocers, jewellers and sari shops, which are at their busiest in the days before Deepavali as families buy sweets, oil lamps and new clothes. Walk north from the temple towards Manor Park and you pass a long run of these shops. Plashet Grove, the side street on the temple corner, leads towards Plashet Park if you want a short walk in green space after the ceremony.

For a two-temple Deepavali, the London Sri Murugan Temple on Church Road in Manor Park is a short bus ride away. It is dedicated to Murugan and becomes the main focus locally during Skanda Shashti. If Sri Mahalakshmi is too crowded at 6pm on Deepavali, go to the 3pm pooja instead, or come back for the Friday abhishegam the following week.

Address: Sri Mahalakshmi Temple, 241 High Street North, Manor Park, London E12 6SJ, on the corner of Plashet Grove. Getting there: District or Hammersmith and City line to East Ham, then turn right out of the station and walk up High Street North; or the Elizabeth line to Manor Park, then about 15 minutes on foot. Buses 101 and 474 run along High Street North.

Hours: Monday to Thursday 8am to 1pm and 5pm to 9pm; Friday 8am to 1.30pm and 5pm to 9.30pm; Saturday 8am to 2pm and 5pm to 9.30pm; Sunday 8am to 2pm and 5pm to 9pm. Deepavali, Sunday 8 November 2026: Kedara Gowri Pooja at 3pm and 6pm. Entry is free. Ask the Karpo APP for nearby South Indian restaurants to round off the evening.