COLUMBUS, Ohio (Diya TV) — Republican Ohio State Senator Niraj Antani announced legislation providing Hindu students across his state with school holidays to celebrate Diwali and two other Hindu religious festivals. Antani is the first Hindu American state senator in the state’s history and the bill marks a major milestone for the Ohio Hindu community.
House Bill 214 was passed by the General Assembly of Ohio and signed by Governor Mike DeWine. With the 2025-26 school year, every K-12 public institution in the state will need to follow the legislation. Every school will have to allow these students to celebrate up to three religious holidays a year, such as Diwali, without facing consequences academically.
This is a historic victory for Ohio’s Hindu community,” Antani said. “Every Hindu student will now be able to celebrate Diwali and two other religious holidays of their choice without the worry of missing school or falling behind academically. This makes Ohio the first state in the U.S. to guarantee such provisions for Hindu students.
The law provides for the fact that students are not marked absent for attending these religious holidays and shall be provided with reasonable accommodations for missed exams or assignments. Moreover, students may engage in extracurricular activities even on the days they take off for religious observance. However, the parents must notify the school principal of their child’s chosen holidays within 14 days from the opening day of the school year and the principal shall approve it.
This sets a precedent for other states as well on how to accommodate religious diversity in schools. Samir Kalra, Managing Director of the Hindu American Foundation, said that they applaud Senator Antani for his leadership that will benefit Hindu students throughout Ohio.
To Hindus in Ohio, the bill is especially relevant because their communities celebrate the festivals like Navaratri, Pongal, Krishna Janmashtami, etc. According to the Hindu American Foundation, there are about 120,000 Hindus in Ohio.
Dr. Rakesh Ranjan, the Cleveland branch head of the Coalition of Hindus of North America, said he appreciated the new law. “As a Hindu parent, this would have been a game-changer for my children. Diwali is such an important cultural and religious celebration, and now future generations won’t have to worry about school commitments getting in the way.”
In fact, other prominent Hindu organizations like HinduACTion and the Vishva Hindu Parishad of America have also hailed this law as inclusive and respectful of cultures.
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce has designated October 20-21, 2025, as dates for Diwali. School districts across the state will now include this holiday in their calendars from next year, 2025.
