When one thinks about Indian festivals, the festival that instantly comes to mind is Diwali or deepavali as called by some.

This Hindu festival brings excitement and joy to the hearts of people even before it arrives. It comes 21 days after Dussehra. Diwali is the festival of Laxmi, the Goddess of prosperity and wealth. It is believed that Goddess Laxmi brings peace and prosperity to all.

Diwali is celebrated all over India. Homes are decorated and sweets are distributed. People light up their homes with clay oil lamps and colorful lights. Doorways are hung with decorative garlands. The garlands are made from mango leaves and marigolds. Rangolis are drawn with different coloured powders to welcome the guests. People buy new clothes & jewellery.

The festival of Diwali is celebrated for a period of 4 days. Diwali is also a time for settling of accounts. On this day the businessmen do puja of Account books and start writing their new accounts. This is called as "Chopda pujan" meaning puja of account books. 

The festival of lights is one of the most beautiful of Indian festivals. The celebration of Diwali can be viewed in all its splendor at night when all the homes are lit up. The night of Diwali is also bejewelled with millions of flickering candles and an explosion of fire works and fire crackers, so it is known as the Festival of Lights. Diwali is incomplete without its fireworks. People especially children burst crackers.

On the night of Diwali, while the rest of India worships Lakshmi, Eastern India, particularly West Bengal and Orissa worship Kali, the Goddess symbolic of strength. It is called Kalipuja.

The origin of Diwali is not known. Some believes it is the return of Rama after his victory over Ravana. For others it is the victory of Light over Darkness, Good over Evil, as well as the victory of Truth over Falsehood.


In Hyderabad, there is the tradition of giving a bath to the buffaloes, on the day of Diwali. There is also a custom of decorating paper figures.

The festival of Diwali is known as Mahanisha in Bengal. It is believed that Maha Kali appeared on this day, accompanied by 64,000 yoginis.

The adivasis (aboriginals) of Bihar worship Kali on this day. Eating unripe coconut and taking a beetle is considered auspicious. In Chhota Nagpur, the men circumambulate their village with a basket full (earthenware vessel) of paddy and grass.

Diwali is called Badhavsar. Alpana (the decoration of the entrance to the house) is done with powdered rice. Purchase of salt in this day is considered lucky.
On the day of Diwali, soaked rice is powdered and designs are made out of that. At night time, the young girls worship these designs with grass and camphor. At some places, a figure of Lakshmi is made with sandalwood in a copper plate and a mandav (Canopy) of sugarcanes is made over it. Lakshmi is worshipped.

There is the tradition of worshipping Yama (God of the house) thoroughly, there is also the system of worshipping the male members of the house, with Aarti, by the women.

The women apply a cosmetic paste on the forehead of the men and the children and then narrate the story of the massacre of narkasur. The bath after this, is recognized as equivalent to dip in the Ganges.

In Rajasthan, the cat is recognized as a form of Lakshmi. Delicious food is cooked and is placed for the cast, which is fully consumed, is considered to be very auspicious.