As autumn closes in on many parts of the world, the time of many lights begins again! Technically Diwali, the lunar festival of lights, is observed by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists, but heck, the people who started the tradition weren't thinking in terms of religion.
The festival is rooted in an incident that happened thousands of years ago, when Indian villagers set out diya, oil lamps, to light the path for Prince Rama as he and members of his family returned at night from a long war that vanquished the demon King Ravana.
Eventually, Rama was hailed as the first human avatar of the god Vishnu, but the simple act of lighting the path home became an enduring symbol of the triumph of good over evil.
Happy Diwali! May your path always be brightly lit no matter how dark the times.
Pundita
very nice explanation of how Diwali originated. Happy Diwali.
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