It is the week before Diwali. The house smells of cardamom and frying; someone is up a ladder hanging lights, and you finally sit down to write to the cousins, aunts, and old friends you will not see in person this year. A short printed greeting feels too thin for them. You want room to actually say something. That is exactly what this two-page card is for.
The front is pure celebration: strands of orange and yellow marigolds hang from a cord across the top, the greeting ??? ??????? (Shubh Deepavali) is set large in Devanagari, and three lit diyas glow along the bottom. The inside page is a calm, letter-style layout with a pink lotus, a salutation, a full paragraph of message, and a signature, finished with a band of mango leaves and marigolds along the foot. Both pages are 5 x 7 inches, portrait.
The Front Page: A Curtain of Marigolds
Marigold strands are hung over doorways and windows for almost every Hindu festival, and at Diwali they frame the entrance where Lakshmi is welcomed. The front of this card turns that into a curtain. Seven strands hang from a brass coloured cord at the very top edge. The outer strands are longest and the middle ones shortest, so together they form a gentle arch that frames the lettering beneath. Each strand alternates orange and yellow blooms, has pairs of mango leaves tucked in at intervals, and ends in a small brass bell.
Below the curtain, ??? ??????? is set in Yatra One, a display face designed for Devanagari that has the soft, brush-like weight of hand-painted festival signs. Under it, Wishing you light, love and laughter runs in Italianno script in a warm cinnamon brown, then a small gold divider and HAPPY DIWALI 2026 in spaced capitals. Three diyas complete the page: a painted magenta lamp in the centre flanked by two terracotta lamps, all with lit flames and soft halos.
The Inside Page: Room for a Real Letter
Opening the card should feel like reading a note, not another poster. The inside page drops the busy decoration. A single pink lotus sits at the top, then Shubh Deepavali in small, spaced letters, then the salutation Dear Priya and Arjun in Cormorant Garamond. The message is a proper paragraph, set left-aligned so it reads naturally, and it is followed by Warmly and a signature in Great Vibes script. The mango leaf and marigold border along the foot echoes the garlands on the front, so the two pages feel like one card.
Sample Inside Messages You Can Adapt
The inside page holds around six to eight lines of text comfortably. Here are three complete messages written for different relationships. Copy one, change the names and details, and it will fit the layout.
For family far away
As the diyas are lit and the rangoli takes shape at the door, we are thinking of all of you. The house is noisy, the sweets are already disappearing, and Ma has made far too much chakli again. We will set a place for you in our hearts at the puja tonight and hope next Diwali brings us all around one table.
For a friend who has had a hard year
Diwali is about light winning over darkness, and this year that feels especially true for you. You have been so brave. May the festival bring you rest, small joys, and the knowledge that you are loved. We are only a phone call away, sparklers and all.
For newlyweds celebrating their first Diwali together
Your first Diwali as a married couple deserves every diya in the house. May your new home be filled with laughter, good food, warm guests, and the kind of happiness that grows each year. We cannot wait to celebrate with you.
How to Edit Both Pages of the Card
- Open the template. The editor shows page 1, the marigold front; use the page navigation to move to page 2, the inside letter.
- On the front, click the Devanagari greeting if you want different wording, such as ??????? ?? ??????????, or replace it with an English line. Yatra One also supports Latin letters, so English titles look consistent.
- Change the line HAPPY DIWALI 2026 if you want to add your family name instead.
- On the inside page, click the salutation and type the recipient’s name, then replace the paragraph with your own message. Press Enter twice to start a new paragraph.
- Click the signature and type your names. Great Vibes script is generous in width, so keep it to one line of around 25 characters.
- The marigold strands, the diyas, the lotus, and the leaf border are editable vectors. Select any of them to recolour it from its colour swatches, resize it, or delete it.
Printing and Folding the Two-Page Diwali Card
There are two easy ways to turn this into a physical card.
Option one: a flat card with a back. Download both pages as a PDF and print them double-sided on a single 5 x 7 inch card stock, or print two up on a letter sheet and trim. The front faces out, and the letter is on the back, which is perfect for slipping into an A7 envelope.
Option two: a folded card. Print both pages on a 10 x 7 inch sheet (or ask a print shop to impose them side by side) so the front is on the right half and the inside on the left half of the reverse. Score down the middle and fold. Use 250 to 300 gsm card stock and score before folding to avoid cracking along the crease.
The ivory background is forgiving on home printers. Use the best quality setting so the marigold petals print with their full range of oranges and yellows.
Using the Card Without Printing
Download page 1 as a JPG to send on WhatsApp as a greeting, then send page 2 as a second image so your message arrives as a personal note rather than a forwarded post. For email, a two-page PDF is ideal: recipients see the front first and scroll down to your letter.
Devanagari Lettering on a Diwali Card
Using ??? ??????? on the front gives the card an authentic feel, especially for grandparents and relatives who read Hindi or Marathi. If your family speaks another language, you can type a different greeting. Gujarati families may prefer a Saal Mubarak message for the new year that follows Diwali; Tamil families often say Deepavali Nalvazhthukkal. Make sure your font supports the script you type: Yatra One covers Devanagari, while other scripts need a suitable Google font such as Noto Sans Tamil or Hind Vadodara for Gujarati, which you can choose in the font menu.
Tips for a Card People Keep
- Mention one specific memory in the letter, like last year’s fireworks or a dish someone always makes. Specific details are what people reread.
- Add the date to the signature line so the card becomes a small record of that year’s Diwali.
- If you print several copies, change at least the salutation for each person. Personal names make a printed letter feel handwritten.
- Sign the printed card by hand under the script signature for an extra personal touch.
Questions About the Marigold Garland Card
How many pages does the template have?
Two: a decorated front and an inside letter page. Both are 5 x 7 inches, portrait.
Can I remove the Devanagari text?
Yes. Click it and type an English greeting such as Happy Diwali, or delete it and enlarge the script line underneath.
Can I change the number of garland strands?
Each strand is a separate vector. Delete strands for a lighter look or copy and paste one to add more, then drag it into place along the cord.
Will the inside text fit a long message?
The paragraph box holds about 80 to 100 words at the current size. For longer letters, reduce the font size by one or two points or remove the lotus to gain space.
Send More Than a Greeting This Diwali
A card with a real letter inside is the kind people keep in a drawer for years. Open this template, write a few honest lines, and let the marigolds on the front do the celebrating for you.
