This is perhaps the most well-known of the Indian festivals: it is celebrated
throughout India, as well as in Indian communities throughout the diaspora.
It usually takes place eighteen days after Dusshera. It is colloquially
known as the "festival of lights", for the common practice is
to light small oil lamps (called diyas) and place them around the
home, in courtyards, verandahs, and gardens, as well as on roof-tops and
outer walls. In urban areas, especially, candles are substituted for diyas;
and among the nouveau riche, neon lights are made to substitute for candles.
The celebration of the festival is invariably accompanied by the exchange
of sweets and the explosion of fireworks. As with other Indian festivals,
Diwali signifies many different things to people across the country. In
north India, Diwali celebrates Rama's homecoming, that is his return to
Ayodhya after the defeat of Ravana and his coronation as king; in Gujarat,
the festival honors Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth; and in Bengal, it
is associated with the goddess Kali. Everywhere, it signifies the renewal
of life, and accordingly it is common to wear new clothes on the day of
the festival; similarly, it heralds the approach of winter and the beginning
of the sowing season
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