Diwali (Dipavali)

Diwali is one of the most important cultural celebrations in India. Diwali, Holi, Dussehra, and Rakshabandhan, the four great festivals of Hinduism, respectively, represent four vistas of Indian culture – light, color, victory, and safety. Diwali, the festival of light stands for joy, optimism, and knowledge. Since the early Vedic era, tamso ma jyotirgamay (march towards light not toward darkness) has been the key statement of Indian culture. The festival of Diwali is celebrated on the Amāvásyā (the new moon) of the Hindi month Karthik in accordance with the Vikram Samvat of the Hindu calendar. Although it is such a great festival of Hindu culture, the written direct references of its origin are not found in Valmiki’s Ramayana or other meta texts of Hinduism. Some Pauranik allusions have passing references on it.

As per a popular belief, in Treta Yuga, Shri Ram Chandra, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, came back to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile. As a token of love and respect, the...