Diwali — October / November
When Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile and the defeat of the demon king Ravana, the people of his kingdom lit rows of clay lamps to guide him home. That image, of light pushing back the dark, sits at the very heart of Diwali. Derived from the Sanskrit Deepavali, meaning “row of lights,” this five-day festival falls on the new moon night of the Hindu month of Kartik and is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists across faiths and borders.
Observed across India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, Diwali is one of those rare festivals that manages to feel both deeply intimate and breathtakingly grand at the same time. Homes are scrubbed clean, adorned with rangoli, and lined with diyas. Families gather for Lakshmi puja, sweets are exchanged, and the night sky erupts in fireworks. In Nepal, the festival is known as Tihar and stretches over five days with its own distinct rituals, including the beloved worship of dogs and crows.
For a visitor, standing inside a city ablaze with ten million lamps is the closest thing to walking into a dream.
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