Diwali- the festival of Lights

Diwali is one of the most popular festivals of Hinduism which symbolizes the spiritual “victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.

Diwali also called the festival of lights, usually lasts five days and is celebrated during the Hindu month Kartika (between mid-October and mid-November)

The festival is widely associated with goddess Laxmi, Saraswati, and Lord Ganesha, Kuber, Dhanvantri.

This festival is celebrated as Lord Rama returned Ayodhya this day with his wife Sita and his brother Laxmana after defeating Ravana and serving 14 years of exile.

it is the most famous Indian festival, which is regarded as a celebration of life. In a few parts of the country, the festival denotes the beginning of the New Year. Deepavali is a five-day festival that goes as mentioned below:

• Dhanteras- The first day denotes the arrival of the new financial year for most Indian businesses. The business class worships Goddess Lakshmi for wealth.
• Narak Chaturdashi- The second day is the day of cleansing. People take oil baths and wear new clothes. It is also called Choti Diwali. People worship Goddess Laxmi and Lord Ganesha this day.
• Diwali- The third day is the Diwali festival. People lighten up & decorate their houses, making Rangoli and worship Lord Ganesha, Goddess Laxmi with Sarswati and Kubera, the God of wealth. People wear new clothes, wish their relatives and friends, exchange sweets and gifts this day.
• Govardhan Pooja- The fourth day is celebrated as Govardhan Pooja. On this day people worship Lord Krishna, cow, and Govardhan Parvata. In the north India region, especially in Vrindavan, Mathura, people offer 56 bhogs(different kinds of dishes) to Lord Krishna. People also make Parikrama of Govardhan Parvat.
• Bhai Dauj- The fifth day, the final day of the festival denotes the love between sisters and brothers. Sisters pray for their brothers to have long and happy lives by performing the Tika ceremony and brothers offer gifts to their sisters. The celebrations of Bhaiya Dooj day are similar to the festival of Raksha Bandhan.