Why diwali festival is celebrated

The festival gets its name from the row avali of clay lamps deepa that Indians light outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects from spiritual darkness. This festival is as important to Hindus as the Christmas holiday is to Christians. Over the centuries, Diwali has become a national festival that's also enjoyed by non-Hindu communities.

Buddhists in India celebrate Diwali as well. Hindus interpret the Diwali story based upon where they live. But there's one common theme no matter where people celebrate: the victory of good over evil. Learn more about the holiday at National Geographic. In southern India children wear flower wreaths on their heads or anklets of bells. Boys in some areas construct elaborate castles and forts of mud and display them for visiting guests.

After dark there are fireworks and people who live near rivers float lighted lamps on tiny rafts. To add to the festival of Diwali, melas fairs are held throughout India. These are found in many towns and villages. Diwali is a gazetted holiday in India so government offices and many businesses including local offices and shops are closed. It is not a nationwide public holiday in countries such as Australia , Canada , the United Kingdom and the United States but some cities hold large celebrations for the Diwali festival.

Diwali is called the Festival of Lights and is celebrated to honor Rama-chandra, the seventh avatar incarnation of the god Vishnu. It is believed that on this day Rama returned to his people after 14 years of exile during which he fought and won a battle against the demons and the demon king, Ravana. People lit their houses to celebrate his victory over evil light over darkness. The goddess of happiness and good fortune, Lakshmi, also figures into the celebration. It is believed that she roams the Earth on this day and enters the house that is pure, clean, and bright.

It literally means "row of lights". The festival is celebrated by lighting earthen lamps. Even though Diwali is mainly considered a Hindu festival, the day marks different events in different communities.

Everywhere, Diwali symbolises the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance". Image: Pinterest. According to the Hindu epic Ramayana, Lord Rama, his brother Laxmana and wife Sita returned to Ayodhya after a period of 14 years in exile after defeating demon king Ravana.

In Dwapara yuga , Lord Krishna, an avatar of Lord Vishnu, killed demon Narakasura, the evil king of Pragjyotishapura, near present-day Assam, who had held 16, girls in captivity. In Braj region in northern India, parts of Assam, as well as southern Tamil and Telugu communities, Narak Chaturdashi is viewed as the day on which Krishna killed Narakasura.

Image: BR Chopra's Mahabharat. The five Pandava brothers had been tricked into losing a bet in gambling after which their Kaurava cousins banished them for 12 years.

As per another popular tradition, Diwali is celebrated as the day Goddess Lakshmi was born from Samudra Amntham, the churning of the cosmic ocean of milk by the gods and demons. On the night of Diwali, Lakshmi chose Vishnu as her husband and married him. On this day, King Bali was banished to rule the netherworld on the order of Lord Vishnu. In Sikhism, Diwali is related to a historic event.