Diwali is a Hindu festival of lights that is celebrated all over the world and began this year on November 3, according to the International Business Times.
The event lasts for five days and has traditional holiday staples such as candles and oil lamps that are called diyas.
The word "Diwali" itself means a row of lights in Sanskrit, and it's usually celebrated with dancing, food, parties and colorful lights. Many Hindus also celebrate with a prayer to Sita and Rama, the god and goddess of wealth and prosperity.
The festival of Diwali symbolizes the victory of light over dark, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. It also honors the return of the Hindu god Rama to his kingdom after being exiled for years.
In the Sanskrit tale, Lord Rama, also known as Ramayana, and his wife, Sita, as well as his brother, Lakshmana, are welcomed back to their kingdom of Ayodhya by resident slighting oil lamps after the defeat of Ravana, the demon king.
To commemorate these events, Hindus light oil lamps and decorate their homes, as well as making sweet treats. Some also exchange gifts made of gold, something that may be problematic this year, as the gold supply in India was expected to be depleted prior to the holiday.
"The reality is that the supply chain in India is currently too slow to keep up with what is expected to be a strong physical demand during the Diwali holiday period," Joni Teves, a precious metals analyst, told the International Business Times.
In addition to being celebrated in India, Diwali is also a major holiday in Trinidad and Tobago, another country with a large Hindu population.
"The Hindu community celebrates by cleaning their houses and preparing foods such as roti, channa and aloo, white rice, and various vegetable curries," Roger Seepersad, a resident of Trinidad and Tobago, told CNN last year. "At night their are usually tons of fireworks as well."
National Geographic coverage of Diwali.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
