Happy Diwali!

diyaOctober 17 this year is Diwali, the biggest celebration of the year in India. Diwali celebrates the triumph of Lord Rama –  his defeat of the evil demon Ravana, capture of his wife Sita and return from exile — and, in general, the victory of light over dark. It’s also known as the festival of lights. Diwali  takes place on the 15th day of the Hindu month of Kartika (during October or November), on the night of the new moon.

Diwali means “rows of lighted clay lamps” and that is exactly how Indians decorate their homes on the evening of Diwali, as the light of the sun fades. I helped light hundreds of them two years ago when I was in Delhi celebrating Diwali with Ajay and his family. After a family puja in the prayer room, we all gathered on the terrace to add our fireworks to the cacophony of sight and sound over Delhi. Millions of pdiwalieople joyously, noisily celebrating, the sky ablaze with fireworks in every direction for hours. It’s a wonderful time of year to be in India. 

I wish that the lights of diyas this Diwali enlighten your life with love, joy, health and happiness.

Shubh Deepavali!

  • Share/Bookmark

5 Responses to “Happy Diwali!”

  • Andy Hayes says:

    I’d love to go to Diwali. It just looks dreamy, doesn’t it?

  • Paul says:

    I know I’m late, but same to you! I was in a tiny town called Nahan (tiny village, heaps of ‘wedding shops’)on the way from Shimla to Dehra Dun. Stayed the night and it happened to be Diwali. Giant straw figures in the park, fireworks, lanterns flying. THOUSANDS of people, and me the only non-Indian traveller there. Only stopped ‘cos the taxi fare was cheaper and the bus from there was even cheaper. Amazing night

  • Rhett says:

    I won the best blog award, I selected you as a winner of the Best Blog award. See the following link for details.
    Congrats.

    http://www.promaptraveler.com/2009/11/bestblog-award/

Leave a Reply

About BreatheDreamGo


BreatheDreamGo is Mariellen...
a travel writer, yogi and Indiaphile, who agrees with Rumer Godden: "Once you have felt the Indian dust, you will never be free of it." Mariellen has traveled for more than a year in India and is passionate about sharing the beauty of India's culture and wisdom.
Subscribe by Email
Enter your email address:
Recent Comments
  •  Sarah: In India, I would love to visit North Delhi to see the magnificent tree-lined boulevards, narrow winding...
  •  Janice: Hi Janice from Ottawa.
  •  Janice: I would love to go back to Varanasi to practice with a new woman Guru who I met there on my last trip...
  •  Ellen Wilkes Irmisch: My dream would be to go to India and take dance and yoga classes, and please note that I...
  •  Mike Keenan: Delhi, the capital city; since it’s dramatic birth in 1947, India is rapidly emerging as one...