One more day to go for Diwali- The festival of lights : Happy Diwali

Diwali, also known as Deepavali, is the festival of lights and is celebrated with much pomp and fervour in India. The ancient Hindu festival is celebrated in the months of October or November, and this year Diwali will fall on October 27 and 28.

The festival celebrates the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, hope over despair and knowledge over ignorance.

Over the centuries, Diwali has become a national festival that’s also enjoyed by non-Hindu communities. For instance, in Jainism, Diwali marks the nirvana, or spiritual awakening, of Lord Mahavira on October 15, 527 B.C.; in Sikhism, it honors the day that Guru Hargobind Ji, the Sixth Sikh Guru, was freed from imprisonment. Buddhists in India celebrate Diwali as well.

The festival is celebrated in different ways around India, but usually, people decorate their homes with earthen lamps or diyas, rangolis and burst crackers.

Diyas are lit to acknowledge the presence of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Goddess Kali is worshipped in Bengal, and in north India, the festival commemorates the time when Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya with Sita, Lakshmana, and Hanuman.

Wishing all of you a very happy and prosperous Diwali.