- Diwali is the most famous, biggest and brightest festival of India. On the fifteenth day of the Hindu month of Kartika, people celebrate Diwali. The exact dates for Diwali change every year and completely depend on the moon cycle. This year Diwali will be celebrated on 31st October.
- Diwali, which means “row of lights,” is a Sanskrit word. The festival is celebrated over 5 days, with customs and celebration methods specific to each day.
- On the day of Diwali, People exchange gifts and sweets, enjoy delicious feasts, watch firework displays and wear new clothes. It’s a time to clean and decorate your home, too.
- Diwali is celebrated in honor of Goddess Lakshmi – the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity. Lights and lamps, lit during Diwali, are said to help Lakshmi find her way into homes so she can bring people wealth and good luck.
- The festival also marks the return of the Lord Rama and Sita after completing fourteen years in exile. Hindus in Bengal honor the fearsome Goddess Kali on the occasion of Diwali. For the Sikhs, Diwali celebrates the victory of the sixth guru, Guru Hargobind, from Emperor Jahangir, who had imprisoned him.
- For Jains it marks the anniversary of Nirvana or liberation of Mahavira’s soul, the twenty fourth and last Jain Tirthankara.
- According to the Hindu calendar, Annakut is celebrated on the first day of the new year and the fourth day of Diwali. It is a day to express gratitude to the Hindu deity Krishna.
- It is a national holiday in India, Trinidad & Tobago, Myanmar, Nepal, Mauritius, Guyana, Singapore, Suriname, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Fiji. And is an optional holiday in Pakistan.
- Diwali is the only occasion when the rival country India and Pakistan put aside their hostilities and join hands to celebrate festivals of joy and also exchange sweets.
- Apart from India, it is believed that the English city of Leicester hosts the biggest Diwali celebrations for its citizens.
