Diwali - Light Up Your Soul With India’s Festival Of Lights

India is a country full of colorful and meaningful festivals. One of the most significant festivals here is India’s festival of lights, where people can worship gods and gather together. Let’s see what this festival is all about!

1. What to know about Diwali festival of lights

Diwali is India’s festival of lights of the year to celebrate the victory of light over darkness, goodness over evil, knowledge over ignorance. This is the most important traditional festival to pray for wealth and prosperity, which is widely celebrated by Hindu throughout the world.

Most people associate Diwali with a celebration of lights. This festival comes from the mythical beliefs about the god of the Hindus. In some places, the Diwali festival of lights is also celebrated to commemorate King Rama. Moreover, Diwali is the occasion for people in India to feel the warm festive atmosphere, get rid of hatred and pray to gods for good things.

Couple lighting oil lamps together to celebrate Diwali

Before the Diwali night, Hindus refurbish and decorate their homes and offices with candles and oil lamps. On this occasion, people wear their beautiful clothes, lighting lamps inside and outside their homes, along with rituals to worship the gods, including the goddess of Lakshmi - symbol of wealth and prosperity. After seeing celebratory fireworks, people always gather together for a family dinner and exchange meaningful gifts.

According to tradition, on the night of India’s festival of lights - the night considered as the darkest moon of the year, Indians pour oil into clay lamps to light and leave it all night long to welcome Goddess Lakshmi. But nowadays, clay lamps are replaced by strings of electric color lights that hang around the house. The Diwali festival cannot be without candles and fireworks to ward off evil spirits and welcome the return of King Rama after many years of exile.

2. Discover best place to celebrate Diwali in India

In India, people in different locations will have different ways of celebrating festivals. Let’s find out some places for people to enjoy the fullest the festival of lights:

Varanasi

An endless stream of firecrackers and fireworks are set off all night long on the festival’s main day in Varanasi which is one of India’s sacred tourist destinations. Throughout the five days of festivities, clay lanterns and diyas are strung along the stairs and the streets close to Ganges River, lighting up the entire city. If you stay back for some more time in Varanasi, you will have the chance to explore the bizarre places where traditional clothing and sweets are sold.

Katik Purnima festival takes place during Diwali

Jaipur - Udaipur

Jaipur looks wonderful when the streets, houses and markets are painted with colorful pink sandstone walls during Diwali. The markets in Jaipur come alive with many stores which display traditional artifacts and street food, making the city become the best place to celebrate Diwali in India. Moreover, tourists can witness some performances of folk music that are held along the street. Besides, you will definitely fall in love with the stunning Udaipur river, which sparkles with the reflection of fireworks and palace lights.

The palace by the Udaipur river

Kolkata

Kolkata is the City of Joy where they worship the Goddess Kali whose ability to destroy the ego and illusion in reality. When you visit here, you can witness the unique and detailed offerings to the Goddess including meat, flowers and sweets. The entire city comes alive when you can watch fireworks almost every corner of the street.

The statue of Goddess Kali

Goa

Goa is another amazing tourist destination to visit during Diwali festival. Locals construct many large-size Narakasura effigies which are filled with lanterns and grass, then burn them in the early morning. In addition, gambling has become a significant part of the Diwali festivities of Goa, travelers may try their luck in top casinos there.

Lanterns are hung during Diwali

Besides the places mentioned above, there are many other places where you can celebrate Diwali in India 2022. If you are traveling to India, let's take a look at Top 3 places for a wonderful trip to make your journey more exciting.

In order to make your trip much better, just add promo code “DIWALI22” to gain the incredible discount 40% OFF for Visa service fee.

The program is available from October 10th, 2022 to November 6th, 2022.

If you haven’t had a Visa yet? Don’t hesitate to apply for a Visa now at the Indian Immigration Service. You can obtain an e visa entirely online anytime and anywhere with just a smartphone. This process will take 3 working days to get an e visa and you will have the best experience in India ever.

Pack your bags and let’s explore a wonderful Diwali - India’s festival of lights.

Frequently Asked Questions About Diwali - Festival of Lights in India

1. How is Diwali celebrated?

Traditionally, the weeks preceding up to Diwali are spent beautifying the home, purchasing new clothes and jewelry, and giving presents such as sweetmeats, dried fruits, and nuts. This is the time for dinner parties, outdoor food festivals, and artisan fairs, all of which help create anticipation for the major Diwali celebration.

These celebrations frequently include platters of kebabs, fried savoury appetizers, tandoori grills, and spicy sweetmeats, as well as lots of finger food.

2. What food is eaten during Diwali?

Each area has its own set of favorite meals. On Diwali, no one fasts, and there is no predetermined evening menu. Meals aren't even always vegetarian in some households.

Samosas, bhajis, aloo tikki (griddle-cooked potato patties), and channa bhatura (spiced chickpeas with puffed bread) are examples of savory snacks. Gujarat, in western India, is famous for its crispy snacks known as "farssan."

But leave room for the main course, which may include meaty curries like our next level tikka masala or a feast of vegetarian Indian dishes like dhals and lentils.

However, the highlight of Diwali is sweetmeats ('mithai'). They're created using religiously significant dairy products and served to both gods and visitors.

3. How to celebrate Diwali in a paragraph?

Diwali is a festival of respect and devotion for Hindus. In the residences, a variety of sweet meals and other delectable delicacies are created. We decorate our homes with candles, earthen lamps, electric bulbs, and flowers in the evening at 6 p.m. to welcome the Goddess Lakshmi.

4. What are 3 traditions of Diwali?

Diwali is a festival with rich cultural traditions and practices. Here are three traditional customs and traditions associated with Diwali:

• Lighting Diyas and Lamps: One of the most prominent traditions of Diwali is the lighting of diyas (oil lamps) and lamps. Diyas are small clay lamps filled with oil, and they are lit and placed around homes, temples, and other places to symbolize the victory of light over darkness and the triumph of good over evil. The illumination of diyas and lamps is believed to invite positive energy and prosperity into homes.
• Rangoli: Rangoli is a colorful art form created on the floor using colored powders, rice, flower petals, or other materials. It involves creating intricate patterns, geometric designs, or images of deities. Rangoli is believed to bring good luck and is used to decorate homes and courtyards during Diwali. It is a creative and artistic tradition that adds to the festive atmosphere.
• Exchanging Sweets and Gifts: Diwali is a time for exchanging sweets, gifts, and tokens of love with family, friends, and neighbors. People prepare and share a variety of delicious sweets and snacks as a way of spreading joy and goodwill. Exchanging gifts is a way of expressing affection and strengthening relationships during the festive season. It is common for individuals and families to visit each other's homes, exchange greetings, and present gifts as a gesture of celebration and camaraderie