Festivals of India - Deepawali

Wishing you all a very Happy Diwali !!

Diwali is also known as Deepawali, or the Festival of Lights. Light is significant in Hinduism because it signifies goodness. So, during the Festival of Lights, ‘deeps’, or oil lamps, are burned throughout the day and into the night to ward off darkness and evil. Homes are filled with these oil lamps, candles and lights. Diwali is celebrated on the last day of the last month of lunar calendar.

This weeklong festival is a tradition in every Hindu household around the world. It is the beginning of the New Year, a start to a new fiscal year and a brand new beginning for all. Diwali is celebrated for five days, each day having it’s own significance and ritual. Many legends and myths are also attached to each day. Each region of India celebrates Diwali in it’s own unique way.

In northern India, Diwali is dedicated to the worship of Lord Rama, who had been exiled from his empire, India, for 14 years. During that time Lord Rama fought and won tenuous struggles in the south part of the Indian sub-continent (what is now Sri Lanka). Diwali marks his victorious return to his kingdom. The word “Diwali” is the corruption of the Sanskrit word “Deepavali” – Deepa meaning light and Avali, meaning a row. It means a row of lights and indeed illumination forms its main attraction.Diwali is the festival of Laxmi, the Goddess of prosperity and wealth. It is believed that Goddess Laxmi visit everyone during Diwali and brings peace and prosperity to all.