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Diwali

A festival celebrating the victory of light over darkness

Diwali is perhaps India’s best-known festival. The lighting of lamps against the darkness symbolizes the victory of good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and hope over despair. Several deities are revered during the festival and the story of each epitomizes one of the many symbolic ideals, and can offer an interesting glimpse into Indian mythology and how it has shaped our beliefs and customs.

Diwali is celebrated in different ways across the country: in Varanasi, the Ganges river sparkles with a million oil lamps that float away bearing prayers and hopes of the devout; on the western coast, paper effigies with firecrackers are set alight to represent the vanquishing of evil; in Uttar Pradesh, dance-dramas retell the myths and legends; and in villages across India, colorful, local fairs and fetes spring up to celebrate the festival.

Image Credits: Travis Wise (CC-BY 2.0)

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