DIWALI

Diwali or Deepawali is a festival of lights that is celebrated annually across India, especially in northern, western, and eastern India. The festival celebrates the triumph of good over evil.

Diwali (or Deepavali in Sanskrit) literally means "a row of lights". This five-day festival, which is the biggest in India, honors the victory of good over evil and brightness over darkness. In North India, it celebrates the return of Lord Ram and his wife Sita to their kingdom of Ayodhya, following Ram's and monkey god Hanuman's defeat of demon Ravan and rescue of Sita from his evil clutches (on Dussehra). In South India, the festival is related to the defeat of demon Narakasura. It's a one-day celebration known as Deepavali.

On a personal level, Diwali  is a time for introspection, to contemplate and dispel our own darkness and personal demons. Let light shine within yourself, and also shine this light outwards.

Diwali Festival Dates

The festival is based on the Hindu lunar calendar and takes place in October or November, depending on the cycle of the moon. In 2020, Diwali commences with Dhanteras on November 12. It concludes on November 16. The main celebrations happen on the third day (this year, on November 14). Deepavali is usually celebrated a day early in South India but sometimes occurs on the same day, when the lunar days overlap. This is the case in 2020.

1) Diwali is an important religious festival originating in India. People often think of Diwali as a Hindu festival, but it is also celebrated by Sikhs and Jains.*

2) Diwali takes place annually and lasts for five days, marking the start of the Hindu New Year. The exact dates change each year and are determined by the position of the moon – but it usually falls between October and November.

3) The word Diwali (or Deepavali as it’s sometimes called) means “row of lights” in an Ancient language of India, called Sanskrit. During this festival, people decorate their homes with lights and oil lamps, called diyas.

4) For many people, Diwali honours the Hindu goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. The lights and lamps are said to help Lakshmi find her way into peoples’ homes, bringing prosperity in the year to come!

5) It’s also a celebration of good triumphing over evil, and different legends based on this theme are associated with Diwali. In northern India, Hindus celebrate the return of the deities (gods) Rama and Sita to the city of Ayodhya, after defeating the evil king Ravana!

6) In the region of Bengal people worship the goddess Kali, the destroyer of evil forces, during Diwali. And in Nepal (a country bordering north-east India), people celebrate Lord Krishna’s victory over the wicked king Narakaasura......

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