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| Traditional earthen diwali diyas |
Diwali is the biggest festival of India, much like Christmas in the west. On this auspicious day, people light up
diyas and candles all around their house. They perform
Laxmi Puja in the evening and seek divine blessings of Goddess of Wealth. The festival of Diwali is never complete without exchange of gifts, diwali gifts are presented to all near and dear ones and the unprivileged.
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| People lighting candles at a Gurudwara |
The exact day of the festival is decided by the position of the moon. According to the
Hindu calendar,
Amavasya or 'no moon day' is considered as the perfect day to celebrate Diwali. This dark night comes after every fortnight and in the month of
Kartik, it marks this festival of lights and diyas. As per the English calendar, the festival generally comes in the month of October and November. For all Hindus, the festival holds an imperative meaning since the festival is reckoned with
Lord Rama's victory as the King of Ayodhya after his return to the kingdom from 14 years of exile along with his wife Sita & brother Laxman after killing the demon,
King Ravana. Diwali is celebrated by lighting diyas and candles to drive away the darkness of Amavasya.
The festival is celebrated for five continuous days, where the third days is celebrated as the main Diwali festival or
festival of lights. Bazaar's are decorated and entire streets and neighbourhoods are lit up. This diwali eve I happened to walk through the humongous crowds doing shopping in the by lanes of old Delhi. Here's is a sample of some of the sights, wish I could add the sounds and smell too.
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| Bazaar in Old Delhi |
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| Idols at a roadside stall |
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| Fresh marigolds |
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| Jewelery shop lit up |
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| Mithai - traditional Indian sweets |
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