Diwali- the Festival of Lights

Deepavali or Diwali- the festival of lights is celebrated grandly in India. This day holds a great importance not only for the Hindus but for several religions and is celebrated over the entire nation.

For the Hindus, this is the day when Lord Ram along with his wife, Sita and brother, Laxman had returned to Ayodhya after defeating the king of Lanka, Ravan. They had returned to their kingdom after being in exile for 14 years. People of Ayodhya were extremely happy that they would meet their Lord after such a long time. To express their joy and happiness, they decorated their path with flowers and lit up their way with diyas (clay lamps). To honour this day, people worship Sita-Rama and Laxman, decorate their home with flowers, light diyas (clay lamps), make beautiful rangolis with coloured sand, exchange favoured snacks and tasty sweets with relatives and neighbours, and spend family time together.

People also worship Goddess Laxmi and Lord Ganesha on this occasion. While Lord Ganesha's blessings provide wisdom to his devotees and remove obstacles from their life; worshipping Laxmi brings wealth, success and prosperity in one's life. 'Kali puja' is very significant in some parts, especially in eastern states of India. People pray to the goddess, make the offerings, chant her mantras and meditate on her to please her. Maa Kali's blessings brings peace, positivity, strength, courage and spiritual wisdom into her devotees life.

This is a very important occasion for the Sikh community as well. Their sixth guru, Guru Hargovind was imprisoned by Mughal king, Jahangir. It was on the day of Diwali when he along with 52 other kings were set free from the captivity. The Sikhs observe this day as Bandi-Chhor Diwas.

Lord Mahavir was the 24th and the last Jain Tirthankar. It was the day of Diwali when he had attained enlightenment (liberation). In the memoir, Jains honour this day as Mahavir Nirvan-Divas. They light lamps and indulge in meditation to embrace the spiritual energy.

Deepavali- the amavasya (the dark night) in the Kartik month of Hindu calendar is the night of great spiritual significance. It is the day of love, light, and devotion.