Diwali is the festival of light that is celebrated by the many religions in India and many other countries in Asia. This year Diwali falls on the 24th of October, the date changes each year depending on the position of the moon, but it is usually around October and November. Many have heard of Diwali but are less familiar with why we celebrate it, so grab a cup of chai and let’s go back several thousand years…
In the Ramayana, an epic Sanskrit poem, Lord Rama and his wife Sita were exiled from their home for 14 years because his stepmother wanted her own son to be the king. While they were banished, the demon Ravana, a fearsome king with 10 heads and 20 arms had kidnapped Sita and imprisoned her. Rama and his brother, Lakshman sought out the help of Hanuman the monkey king to find her. There was a huge battle which ended in Ravana being shot with an arrow and Rama, Sita and Lakshman were finally allowed back to their homeland. The villagers were overjoyed and welcomed them back by lighting a path for them. This is why Diwali is called the festival of lights.
There are many stories in Hindu mythology that explain why we celebrate Diwali, this being one of the main ones, but they are normally about new beginnings and good triumphing over evil.
So how is Diwali celebrated?
Well, with anything bright and colourful like fireworks and lighting oil lamps! Sometimes people do rangoli designs outside their house, these are patterns made from coloured sand or powder, but I’ve often done them with chalk. It is also a time to spend with loved ones, so people often have large family gatherings to celebrate. Of course, it’s never really a celebration without loads and loads of food and sweets! This is definitely the part I look forward to the most!
Thank you for reading and I hope you have learnt something new today!
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