Hindu Practice, Festivals, and Denominations

Among the most widely celebrated festivals of the Hindu calendar is Diwali, or Deepavali ("row of lights"), typically observed over five days in the lunar month of Kartika, falling in October or November of the Gregorian calendar. Diwali commemorates, in different regional traditions, Rama's triumphant return to Ayodhya after defeating the demon-king Ravana and completing his fourteen years of exile, as narrated in the Ramayana, as well as, in other regions, Krishna's defeat of the demon Narakasura or the goddess Lakshmi's association with prosperity and the new business year. Common practices include the lighting of small oil lamps (diyas) and candles, the decoration of homes with colored patterns (rangoli), the exchange of sweets and gifts, and the offering of prayers to Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and fortune. Beyond Hindu communities, Diwali is also observed with distinct significance by Jains, who associate it with Mahavira's attainment of final liberation, and Sikhs, for whom it coincides with Bandi Chhor Divas, commemorating the release of the sixth Guru, Hargobind, from imperial imprisonment.