Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, is celebrated every year—on the night of the new moon that falls between mid-October and mid-November. Homes are decorated with candles and colorful lights which brighten the dark nights of fall.
Although Diwali is a Hindu festival it has, over the years, become the largest and most important national holiday in India and is celebrated by almost all faiths. One of the highlights of our North India Tour is that we’ll be there to celebrate for ourselves! See our India tour(s) here for more information.
There are several interpretations of the story of Diwali, depending on your faith and where in the country you are, but the overriding theme is the celebration of light over dark and good over evil. It is one of the happiest holidays in India.
Preparations for the five-day festival begin weeks in advance and each home is thoroughly cleaned and then decorated with lamps and candles as well as rangoli—colorful designs on the floor, created with colored powders or sand.
The third day of the festival is the main day of celebration. This is when families gather at home to feast, share sweets and gifts and pray to Lakshmi—the goddess of fertility and prosperity. The day ends with huge fireworks displays.
To see how you can celebrate this festival with us, see our India tour(s) here or contact us now to book!
Embrace life,
Pat
To stay up-to-date on all things WanderTours, follow us on Facebook and subscribe to our blog via email or RSS.
Photo credits:
Diwali Oil Lamps—Manish Vohra via Flickr
Diwali Floating Candles—Amit Agarwal via Flickr
Rangoli—Rashmi Gupta via Flickr
The History and Mystery of Cambodia’s Temples