Burning oil lamp on a colourful rangoli designed on Diwali courtesy of Rangoli under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

October 26, 2011

Deepavali (also spelled Divali in few countries) or Diwali, popularly known as the festival of lights, is an important five-day festival inHinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism, occurring between mid-October and mid-November. For Hindus, Diwali is the most important festival of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes. Deepavali is an official holiday in India,Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore, and Fiji.

The name Diwali is itself a contraction of the word “Deepavali” (Sanskrit: दीपावली Dīpāvalī), which translates into row of lamps. Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps (diyas, or dīpa in Sanskrit: दीप) filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. During Diwali, all the celebrants wear new clothes and share sweets and snacks with family members and friends. Most Indian business communities begin the financial year on the first day of Diwali. MORE

HAPPY DIWALI TO THOSE DEAR FRIENDS WHO ARE CELEBRATING

THEIR FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS, THEIR VICTORIES OF GOOD OVER EVIL.