As autumn approaches, some of you may be thinking about Christmas. However, if you book flights to India for October 26th, you won't have to wait nearly as long for a religious celebration that brings families together with light, food, gifts, and prayer. Prepare for Diwali in India, where the gods are always celebrated lavishly.
Diwali, also known as the "Festival of Lights," is a major festival in India and Nepal. It is celebrated in Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism to commemorate the triumph of good over evil in a variety of colourful and delectable ways...
1. Light
People clean their homes from top to bottom and open their windows for five days to welcome Laksmi, the Hindu goddess of fortune. To welcome her, hundreds of candles and lamps are lit.
Darkness represents ignorance and light knowledge to Hindus. As a result, the abundance of light on Diwali night also represents the destruction of every negative aspect of human beings: evil, violence, lust, greed, bigotry, suffering, and so on.
2. Food
Families enjoy feasts rather than meals. People prepare delicacies in the days leading up to Diwali. These include a variety of sweets and crackers that will make your dentist cringe. Badam Phirni, for example, is made from almonds, rice flour, and milk. Or Gulab Jamun, which are soft balls that have been soaked in sugar syrup overnight.
However, the festival also includes some delectable savoury vegetarian dishes. To name a few, there's Potato Dahiwad with a variety of chilies and spices, Paneer Bagh-e-bahar with pineapple, cashewnut, and cream, and Peanut Pakodi.
3. Gifts
Family and friends exchange a wide range of gifts. Neighbors usually exchange sweets, such as barfis, gulab jamuns, laddoos, or jalebis, all wrapped up in pretty boxes.
Other common gifts include chocolates, clothing, housewares, and jewellery for women. But with all of these gifts comes the gift of good will toward one another.
4. Prayer
Although Laksmi and Ganesh are revered throughout India during Diwali, other Gods are also honoured, depending on the region. People in the north, for example, pray to Ram and Gobardhana. In Bengal, people typically worship the Goddess Kali.
5. Fireworks
The highlight of the festival is the Fireworks, which start just after the worship and rituals of Diwali. The noise of these fireworks disrupts the peace of the night all over India in a spectacular way that is definitely worth photographing...