Indian Great Festival Diwali or Deepavali Wishes

The history or legend is captured in a book called Ramayan, but according to Amin it is not taught or "commercialized" like the Bible. "You won't find it printed out and put in hotel rooms like the Bible," he says. "But there is magic or miracles in the history like how Jesus walked on water." And just like children go to Sunday school and learn lessons here, Hindu children learn many valuable lessons around the story of Diwali, he says.

Diwali Date

This year Diwali on 28th October, but holidays started from 26th October. Diwali comes on the day of ‘Amavasyaa’. India is on a moon calendar, so the timing of the festival of Diwali varies, but it is either at the end of October or beginning of November.

Diwali literally means a row of lights, and the main attraction is the candles and lamps, called diyas, that are lit in almost every home after puja (a ceremony where the lamps are made). The lights are meant to welcome Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and prosperity, and to bring joy, mirth and happiness in the new year, which starts the day after Diwali.

Similar to Christmas, it is also considered a time to get new clothes and exchange gifts and sweets with friends and neighbors. This festival is celebrated over a period of five days, with dancing, the many lights and fireworks. "Some homes have 50 to 100 lights," says Amin.

1. Diwali pooja

2. Diwali(Deepavali) Greetings Card, Diwali Wallpaper, Shubh Deepawali Cards, Diwali Images and Diwali Pictures

And the Story Goes...

The story behind the celebration is long and fascinating, but at the core of it is a story of good vs. evil. According to the legend, Diwali is celebrated to honor the return of Rama (a prince who was in line to be king), his wife, Sita, and his brother, Lakshmana, after a 14-year exile in the forest.

During Rama's exile, the evil king Ravana of Lanka lured him away from his hut and then kidnapped Sita while he was away. After many years and the help of an army, Rama defeated the evil king Ravana of Lanka and rescued Sita. After he rescued her, his exile was up, and he was able to return home.

Diwali celebrates the victory of good over evil. To celebrate the return of the victorious Rama, the whole city of Ayodhya is believed to have lit up their houses with lamps in an expression of joy.

The celebration also means different things to people across India, according to Vinay Lal, associate professor of history at UCLA. In north India, Diwali celebrates Rama's homecoming, his return home after defeating Ravana and his coronation as king; in Gujarat, the festival honors the goddess of wealth; and in Bengal, it is associated with the goddess Kali. Throughout India, it symbolizes the renewal of life, so people wear new clothes on the day of the festival, and it also signifies the onset of winter and the beginning of the new year.

There are many details of the legend that are too lengthy to concentrate on in a short article, but there are many lessons to be learned from the legend, says Amin. "You could spend a whole day talking about why Rama was exiled in the first place," he says.

Basically, Rama's father, the King, made a promise to one of his wives that he would do anything she asked because she had gone to a war with him, become his confidant and stuck her finger in the wheel of the chariot to keep it moving when a bolt fell off. He was so impressed, he promised her anything.

When it was time, she did ask something of the king – she asked that Rama (the king's oldest son) be exiled so that her son could be next in line to be king. Since he promised her anything, he exiled his oldest son even though he didn't want to.

"There are many, many lessons to teach children in the story of Rama," says Amin. "I tell my kids the stories before they go to bed. Eventually you run out of Cinderella stories, and I wanted them to know the good lessons here. One important thing is that if you make a promise, you keep it. And that good can overcome evil."

Amin and his family celebrate Diwali every year. "We light candles at our house and make sweets to celebrate Diwali even though we are not in India," says Amin. He says that there are Indian communities in California and New Jersey that celebrate Diwali, and that Indian restaurants are busiest during that time of year, especially because of the emphasis on sweets during the festival.

The most popular sweets to make are jalebi, a small ring of dough that is fried and covered in sugary syrup, and kaju katri, cashews that are lined with a very thin coating of silver.