Diwali is a major festival of India. It is
celebrated on a new moon night sometime in
the months of October and November. The
exact day of the festival is decided
according to the Hindu calendar. The day is
primarily celebrated to commemorate the
return of Lord Rama from his 14 years of
exile. However, there are various other
stories associated with the festival.
According to popular legend, when Lord Rama returned from his 14 years
of exile after defeating Raavana, the people
of Ayodhya lighted candles and diya to
celebrate his return to the kingdom. The
festival gets its name from the lines of
diya that were celebrated the return of Lord
Rama, and hence the name Deepavali,
literally translating to “lines of light.”
The name has gotten convoluted to Diwali
over the years. This day symbolizes the
victory of light over dark.
According to other legend, Pandavas from the
Mahabharata returned to their homeland after
13 years and the day is celebrated to
commemorate their return. The Sikhs
celebrate this day to mark the day of
freedom or the day when their Guru, Guru
Hargobind got free from the jail. The Jains
celebrate this day as they believe that Lord
Mahavira attained enlightenment on this day.
There are still other theories associated
with Diwali such as the rising of Goddess
Lakshmi from the sea, the killing of
Narkasura by Lord Vishnu and birth of
Goddess Kali.
The event is largely celebrated in India.
Indians celebrate this day as the start of
the new business year. People light up their
homes 2-3 days prior to the festival and
gifts are exchanged between friends and
families. On the night of the festival,
prayers are offered to Lord Vishnu and
Goddess Lakshmi which is followed by
bursting of fire crackers eating of sweets
and other gourmet food. However, people
refrain from meat and alcohol on this day.
Of late, a lot of clubs have started
organizing special parties on Diwali for the
young generation.
Although Diwali is largely an Indian
festival, it is widely celebrated in other
countries as well such as Malaysia, Sri
Lanka, Singapore, Nepal, Myanmar, Maurititus
and Fiji. In fact, Diwali is a national
holiday in each of these countries.
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