Diwali, the festival of lights to celebrate across the nationtoday. The festival has been celebrated for ages and grows in attraction by theyear. Everyone enjoys the goodies, the shine, glamour, and the endlessenthusiasm for living that suddenly grips people around this time. But there ismuch more to Diwali than feasting and merrymaking.
Diwali is a holy tradition, not to be put in the shade bythe lights. Deepawali symbolizes the victory of light over darkness. Celebratedjoyously all over the country, it is a festival of wealth and prosperity.Dipawali is essentially a festival for householders. The preparations, therituals, the entire celebration focuses on the home and family, spanning out tocover the community as a natural extension.
Diwali is a festival synonymous with celebrations in Indiaand among Indians all over the world, is an occasion for jubilation andtogetherness. This is an occasion for young and the old, men and women, richand poor for everyone. Irrespective of their religious and economic background,the festival is celebrated throughout the country to ward off the darkness andwelcome the light into their lives.
At a metaphysical level, Deepawali is a festival signifyingthe victory of good over evil; the latter is destroyed and reduced to ashes byfireworks is the belief of the people. This festival is celebrated on a grandscale in almost all the regions of India and is looked upon mainly as thebeginning of the New Year. As such the blessings of Lakshmi, the celestialconsort of Lord Vishnu are invoked with prayers.
Diwali is also celebrated outside India mainly in Guyana,Fiji, Malaysia, Nepal, Mauritius, Myanmar, Singapore, Srilanka, Trinidad andTobago, Britain, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Africa, and Australia among theHindus world over. Places as far as Southern America have a record ofcelebrating Diwali.
