DIWALI FESTIVAL

Diwali (or Deepavali, the "festival of lights") is an ancient Hindu festival celebrated in autumn (northern hemisphere) or spring (southern hemisphere) every year.Diwali is one of the largest and brightest festivals in India. The festival spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, and hope over despair. Its celebration includes millions of lights shining on housetops, outside doors and windows, around temples and other buildings in the communities and countries where it is observed.The festival preparations and rituals typically extend over a five day period, but the main festival night of Diwali coincides with the darkest, new moon night of the Hindu Lunisolar monthKartika. In the Gregorian calendar, Diwali night falls between mid-October and mid-November.

Before Diwali night, people clean, renovate, and decorate their homes and offices.On Diwali night, Hindus dress up in new clothes or their best outfit, light up diyas (lamps and candles) inside and outside their home, participate in family puja (prayers) typically to Lakshmi – the goddess of wealth and prosperity. After puja, fireworks follow,then a family feast including mithai (sweets), and an exchange of gifts between family members and close friends. Deepavali also marks a major shopping period in nations where it is celebrated.

Diwali is an important festival for Hindus. The name of festive days as well as the rituals of Diwali vary significantly among Hindus, based on the region of India. In many parts of India,the festivities start with Dhanteras (in Northern and Western part of India), followed by Naraka Chaturdasion second day, Deepavali on the third day,Diwali Padva dedicated to wife–husband relationship on the fourth day, and festivities end with Bhau-beej dedicated to sister–brother bond on the fifth day. Dhanterasusually falls eighteen days after Dussehra.

On the same night that Hindus celebrate Diwali, Jains celebrate a festival of lights to mark the attainment of moksha by Mahavira,Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas and some Buddhists also celebrate Diwali remembering Ashoka's conversion to Buddhism. Diwali is an official holiday inNepal, India,Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Guyana,Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia,Singapore and Fiji.

Etymology

Diwali (English pronunciation: /dɨˈwɑːliː/) is derived from the Sanskrit dīpāvali "series of lights"., formed from दीप dīpa "light, lamp" and आवलि āvali "series, line, row".Diwali is also known as दीपोत्सव dīpotsava"festival of lights".

The holiday is known as dīpavaḷi in Kannada:ದೀಪಾವಳಿ, Malayalam: ദീപാവലി, and Telugu:దీపావళి, dipawoli in Assamese: দীপাৱলী,dipaboli or dipali in Bengali: দীপাবলি/দীপালি,dipābali in Odia: ଦିପାବଲି, divālī in Hindi: दिवाली,dīvālī in Punjabi: ਦੀਵਾਲੀ, divāḷi in Gujarati:દિવાળી, Marathi: दिवाळी, and Konkani: दिवाळी,diyārī in Sindhi: दियारी‎, tīpāvaḷi in Tamil:தீபாவளி, and tihar in Nepali: तिहार.

A NASA Satellite photo over India, as the festival of lights begins. Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, stretches beyond India, a five-day holiday encompassing multiple stories from around the world, involving Hindus, some Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains. For India, however, where roughly 80 percent of the population practices Hinduism, Diwali 2011 is and will be a massive and deeply Hindu affair, one involving dancing, shows, religious worship and lots of fireworks. (NASA)

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