#When should a Diwali 2026 broadcast go out?
Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, 8 November, and Dhanteras is Friday, 6 November, according to Drik Panchang's Diwali calendar (checked 26 Oct 2026), which lists Lakshmi Puja on 8 November for New Delhi. Local panchangs differ by city, so check yours before you fix a date in a message.
Work backwards from Dhanteras, when many shoppers buy:
| Day | Task |
|---|---|
| Mon 26 to Wed 28 Oct | Clean the opt-in list. Write and submit the template. |
| Thu 29 Oct | Template approved. Tag segments. |
| Mon 2 Nov | Main offer broadcast, scheduled for late morning. |
| Wed 4 Nov | Follow-up to people who did not read it. |
| Fri 6 Nov | Last-call message to buyers' tag only, if you have a real deadline. |
Keep the last three days before the festival for replies. People who answer a broadcast open a 24-hour window, and your team needs hands free to talk to them. Chirpoo shows that window on every chat.
#Who can you send a Diwali broadcast to?
Only people who opted in. This is Meta's rule and also what protects your number. Meta's guidance on message quality, on its send messages page (checked 26 Oct 2026), says:
Only send messages to WhatsApp users who have opted into receiving messages from your business.
Build the list from people who gave their number to you for updates: a form tick, a "send me offers" reply, a billing counter slip with consent. Do not use an old phone book. In Chirpoo, marketing consent comes from Shopify's WhatsApp marketing consent field or from the customer sending START, so ask form and counter sign-ups to send START once. A broadcast goes only to contacts who opted in. The pre-flight check before you press Start shows how many contacts are in the audience, how many are consented, and how many are held back because they opted out or have no consent.
If your list is mixed, send the first broadcast to the smaller clean group. A short list that reads your message is worth more than a long list that blocks you.
#Which template do you need, and how long does approval take?
A Diwali offer is a marketing template. Meta's template review page (checked 26 Oct 2026) says approval "can take up to 24 hours". So submit it at least two days before you need it, and treat a faster answer as a bonus.
In Chirpoo, describe the message in one line, such as "Diwali offer on gift boxes, valid till 6 November, reply YES for catalogue". Chirpoo drafts the template to Meta's rules, marks it with a marketing pill, and submits it. If Meta rejects it, "Fix it" redrafts it with Meta's reasons. The rejection fixes post lists the usual causes.
Keep the body short, put one offer in it, and end with a clear reply action. Avoid a variable at the start or end of the text, because Meta does not allow it.
#How do you segment, schedule and follow up?
Use tags. A broadcast in Chirpoo goes to contacts picked by tag, and a contact with any of the tags you list is included. A shop might use vip, bought-2026 and diwali. A gym might use members and lapsed.
Send different people a different message, even if the difference is one line. Past buyers get "your usual gift box is back". People who only enquired get the starter pack. The tags and segments post shows how to build them.
Then schedule. Chirpoo lets you pick a send time, so you can write the broadcast on Tuesday and have it go on Monday at 11 am. Late morning is a guess about when people look at their phones, not a rule from Meta, so test it on your own list. One thing is firm: Meta limits how many different people a new business can message in a day. The limits post explains it.
Some people will reply STOP. Chirpoo treats STOP, "band karo" and Meta's own opt-out as the end of marketing sends to that contact. Their name stays in your inbox for normal service chats, but later broadcasts skip them. Never argue with a STOP, and never message them from another number. The opt-out post covers the wording.
For people who got the message but did not read it, set a follow-up when you create the broadcast. Chirpoo can send once more to them after a number of hours you choose. Read how it works in the non-reader retry post.
#What does 1,000 Diwali messages cost on Chirpoo?
Meta's India rate for a marketing message is ₹0.8631 from 1 October 2026, as cited in WhaBuzz's India pricing post (checked 26 Oct 2026, rate card read 17 Oct 2026). Meta says it may change prices only on the first day of a quarter, so the next change cannot land before 1 January 2027.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| 1,000 marketing messages at ₹0.8631 | ₹863.10, paid to Meta |
| Chirpoo per-message charge | ₹0 |
| Chirpoo plan | ₹999 a month, excluding 18% GST |
Meta's charge is for delivered messages only, and Meta bills your own account. Chirpoo never bills for messages. Replies from customers inside the 24-hour window are service messages, and Meta gives each number 1,000 of those free every month. The full price story is in the India pricing guide.
Start free on Chirpoo, connect your number and put the Diwali template in for approval today: Start free. The 14-day trial has every feature and needs no card. For the full picture of broadcasts, read the WhatsApp broadcast marketing guide. If you are comparing tools, see Chirpoo vs AiSensy.
Frequently asked questions about Chirpoo and this topic
When is Diwali in 2026?
Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, 8 November, with Dhanteras on Friday, 6 November, per Drik Panchang (checked 26 Oct 2026). Timings vary by city and region, so confirm with your local panchang before you print a date in a template or an offer.
How long before Diwali should I submit the template?
Submit at least two days before your send date. Meta says a decision can take up to 24 hours, and a rejection needs time to fix and resubmit. For a send on Monday 2 November, submit by Wednesday 28 October.
Can I send the Diwali broadcast to my whole phone book?
No. Send only to people who opted in to hear from you. Meta says to message only users who have opted in, and blocks from unwilling recipients lower your quality rating. Chirpoo sends marketing only to contacts with consent recorded.
Does Chirpoo charge extra for broadcasts?
No. Chirpoo costs ₹999 a month, excluding 18% GST, with one number and five logins, and adds nothing per message. Meta charges ₹0.8631 per delivered marketing message in India, billed to your own Meta account.