Deepavali, widely known as Diwali, is celebrated across Bharat in several forms and over different days of the lunar calendar. Lamps, family gatherings, worship, festive food and the renewal of domestic and community spaces are common features, but the stories and specific observances differ across regions and traditions.
In many parts of northern Bharat, the festival is associated with Rama's return to Ayodhya after the events of the Ramayana. In other traditions, the days of the festival are connected with Lakshmi worship, Krishna's defeat of Narakasura, Bali Pratipada and the beginning of a new commercial or accounting year. These associations should be explained in their regional and textual contexts rather than combined into a single universal origin story.
The lighting of lamps is one of the festival's most recognisable practices. It can express welcome, auspiciousness, remembrance and the symbolic movement from darkness towards light. Homes, temples, streets and public spaces take on different forms of decoration, while food traditions and family observances vary considerably.
A complete festival reference should include the relevant tithi and calendar basis for the year, regional variations, the narratives associated with each day, worship practices, food traditions and contemporary environmental considerations.
Editorial note: Festival dates depend on the Hindu calendar and local observance. Always verify the date and muhurta for the specific year and location.