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Diwali (also spelled
Devali in certain regions) or
Deepavali,
[note 1] popularly known as the "
festival of lights," is primarily a five day
Hindu festival[1]which starts on
Dhanteras, celebrated on thirteenth lunar day of Krishna paksha (dark fortnight) of the
Hindu calendar month
Ashwin and ends on
Bhaubeej, celebrated on second lunar day of Shukla paksha (bright fortnight) of the Hindu calendar month
Kartik. In the
Gregorian calendar, Diwali falls between mid-October and mid-November. Diwali is an official holiday in
India,
[2] Nepal,
Sri Lanka,
Myanmar,
Mauritius,
Guyana,
Trinidad & Tobago,
Suriname,
Malaysia,
Singapore and
Fiji.
For
Hindus, Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes. For
Jains, Diwali marks the attainment of
moksha or
nirvana by
Mahavira in 527 BCE.
[3][4] Arya Samajists, celebrate this day as Death Anniversary of
Swami Dayanand Saraswati. They also celebrate this day as
Shardiya Nav-Shasyeshti.
The name "Diwali" or "Divali" is a contraction of "Deepavali" (
Sanskrit:
दीपावली Dīpāvalī), which translates into "row of lamps".
[5] Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps (
dīpa in
Sanskrit:
दीप) filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil.
[6] These lamps are kept on during the night and one's house is cleaned, both done in order to make the goddess
Lakshmi feel welcome.
[7] Firecrackers are burst because it is believed that it drives away
evil spirits.
[8][9][10] During Diwali, all the celebrants wear new clothes and share
sweets and snacks with family members and friends.
The festival starts with
Dhanteras on which most Indian business communities begin their financial year. The second day of the festival is called the
Naraka Chaturdasi.
Amavasya, the third day of Diwali, marks the worship of
Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. The fourth day of Diwali is known as
Kartika Shudda Padyami. The fifth day is referred to as
Yama Dvitiya (also called
Bhai Dooj), and on this day sisters invite their brothers to their homes.