Diwali Festival In India

Diwali 2004 is on November 12.  It is one month away and people have started preparation for that as it is one of the biggest festival in India and specially childrens wait for it patiently. Crackers, diwali gifts, mithais and new clothes make this day a memorable one.

Diwali celebrates Rama's (a Hindu God) homecoming, that is his return to Ayodhya after the defeat of Ravana and his coronation as king.

King Dashratha had three wives named Kaushalaya, Keykayee and Sumitra, and four sons--Rama, Bharat, Laxmana and Shatrughan. Rama was the son of Queen Kaushalaya and Bharat was the son of Queen Keykayee.

Keykayee wanted Bharat to be the next King of Ayodhya, while King Dasharatha wanted Rama, his eldest son, to be the King. But Keykayee made full use of the two wishes King Dasharatha had promised. Keykayee asked for sending Rama to exile for the period of 14 years and to crown Bharat as the king, though Bharat refused to accept the kingship.

During that time, Lord Rama fought and won fierce battles in the southern part of the Indian sub-continent, killing the king of Demons, Ravana, who had forcibly taken away his wife, Sita.

Diwali marks his victorious return to his kingdom along with Hanuman, the Vanar who helped him in achieving success. The legend states it took 20 days for Rama to return to his kingdom after defeating Ravana.

As with other Indian festivals, Diwali signifies many different things to people across the country. In north India, Diwali celebrates Rama's homecoming from 14 years of exile, that is his return to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana and his coronation as king; in Gujarat, the festival is celebrated to honor goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth; and in Bengal, it is related with the goddess Kali. But everywhere, it is celebrated with the same spirit and signifies the renewal of life.