Diwali

Diwali (also: Deepawali)^[2] is one of India's biggest festivals. The word 'Deepawali' means rows of lighted lamps. It is a Festival of Lights, and Hindus celebrate it with joy.^[3] It marks the beginning of a new year.

Diwali / Dipavali /Deepavali
Rangoli decorations, made using coloured powder, are popular during Diwali
Observed by	Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists[1]
Type	Indian, Cultural, Seasonal
Begins	Dhanteras, 2 days before Diwali
Ends	Bhai Dooj, 2 days after Diwali
Date	Kartik Amavasya (Varies per Hindu Lunisolar calendar)
2024 date	6 November (Monday)
Celebrations	Diya and lighting, home decoration, shopping, fireworks, puja (prayers), gifts, performing religious rituals, feast and sweets
Related to	Kali Puja, Diwali (Jainism), Bandi Chhor Divas

Diwali is one of the most important festivals in Hinduism. It comes on Amavasya in the month of Kartik.

Dipavali (IAST: Dīpāvalī),[a] commonly known as Diwali (/dɪˈwɑːliː/),[4] is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism.[b] It symbolises the spiritual victory of Dharma over Adharma, light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.[5][6][7][page needed][8] Diwali is celebrated during the Hindu lunisolar months of Ashvin (according to the amanta tradition) and Kārtika – between around mid-September and mid-November.[9][10][11][12][13] The celebrations generally last five or six days.[14][15]^[4]

Celebrations

During this festival, people light up their houses and shops with small cup-shaped oil lamps made of baked clay. They worship the Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi for welfare and prosperity. People clean and decorate their houses before the festival. They make colorful rangoli art on floors with rice and flowers.

Deepawali is celebrated in India and is a public holiday there. Shops, school, offices and temples are thoroughly cleaned, whitewashed and decorated with lights, flowers and oil lamps. Hindus believe that, on this day, Lakshmi enters houses which are neat and tidy. They leave the lights on in their homes to welcome Lakshmi with happiness.

At night, buildings are illuminated with earthen lamps, candles and lights.

On the day of Deepawali, people wear new clothes and exchange greetings, gifts and sweets with their loved ones. People buy sweets for their families and also send them as presents to their friends and relatives. Others prepare lots of sweets with their oil. People light diyas and burn crackers.

The Goddess Lakshmi is also worshiped in the form of silver coins. People offer prayers for their own health, wealth and prosperity.