Diwali
Although the religious practices of India are numerous and diverse, the festival of Diwali (array of light) is celebrated in most parts of India, primarily by Hindus. Diwali occurs on the new moon day of Kartik (a month during October and November).
The festival is celebrated by putting oil or ghee (clarified butter) lamps (diyas), wax candles, and sometimes colored electric bulbs around the house and setting off firecrackers during the night. The goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, is worshiped at night. Houses are cleaned and painted, and colored decorations (rangoli) adorn the doorways and courtyards to welcome the goddess. The trader community (Banya) begins the new financial year after Diwali.
According to popular stories about the origins of this ancient festival, diyas are lit to welcome Lord Rama, his wife Sita, and his brother Lakshmana to their kingdom of Ajodhya (former city in northern India) after a fourteen-year exile. Another story is that Diwali is observed to commemorate Krishna's killing of the demon Narakasura and the rescue of 16,000 women held captive by him. In southern India, Diwali celebrates the killing of the demon Hiranyakashipu by Vishnu in the form of a man-lion.
Further Reading
Sharma, Brijendra Nath. (1978) Festivals of India. Delhi: Abhinav Publications.
Underhill, Muriel Marion. (1921) The Hindu Religious Year. Calcutta, India: Association Press; London: Oxford University Press.
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