Diwali or Deepavali, the "festival of lights"is an ancient Hindu festival celebrated in autumn

(northern hemisphere) or spring (southern hemisphere) every year.The festival spiritually

signifies the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, and
hope over despair. Its celebration includes millions of lights shining on housetops, outside
doors and windows, around temples and other buildings in the communities and countries
where it is observed. The festival preparations and rituals typically extend over a five-day
period, but the main festival night of Diwali coincides with the darkest, new moon night of
the Hindu Lunisolar month Kartika. In the Gregorian calendar, Diwali night falls between
mid-October and mid-November.

Before Diwali night, people clean, renovate, and decorate their homes and offices. On Diwali
night, Hindus dress up in new clothes or their best outfit, light up lamps and candles inside
and outside their home, participate in family prayers typically to Lakshmi the goddess of
fertility and prosperity. After prayers, fireworks follow, then a family feast including sweets
and an exchange of gifts between family members and close friends. Deepavali also marks a
major shopping period in nations where it is celebrated.

Diwali is an important festival for Hindus. The name of festive days as well as the rituals of
Diwali vary significantly among Hindus, based on the region of India.On the same night that
Hindus celebrate Diwali, Jains celebrate a festival of lights to mark the attainment of moksha
by Mahavira,, Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas and some Newar Buddhists also celebrate
Diwali remembering Ashoka's conversion to Buddhism.[16]

Diwali dates back to ancient times in India, as a festival after the summer harvest in the
Hindu calendar month of Kartika. The festival is mentioned in Sanskrit scriptures such as the
Padma Purana, the Skanda Purana both completed in second half of 1st millennium AD but
believed to have been expanded from a core text from an earlier era. The lamps are
mentioned in Skanda Purana to symbolically represent parts of sun, the cosmic giver of light
and energy to all life, who seasonally transitions in the Hindu calendar month of Kartik.
Hindus in some regions of India associate Diwali with the legend of Yama and Nachiketa on
Kartika amavasya (Diwali night). The Nachiketa story about right versus wrong, transient
wealth versus true wealth, ignorance versus knowledge is recorded in Katha Upanishad
composed in 1st millennium BC.

King Harsha in the 7th century Sanskrit play Nagananda mentions Deepavali as
Deepapratipadutsava, where lamps were lit and newly engaged brides and grooms were
given gifts.[26][27] Rajasekhara referred to Deepavali as Dipamalika in his 9th century
Kavyamimamsa, wherein he mentions the tradition of homes being whitewashed and oil
lamps decorating homes, streets and markets in the night. The Persian traveller and historian
Al Biruni, in his 11th century memoir on India, wrote Deepavali being celebrated by Hindus
on New Moon day.