Diwali 2012 - Diwali in 2012

Diwali is a popular festival celebrated with great enthusiasm and fervor throughout the world. Indeed Deepavli are a picturesque web into which so many strands have gone, religious, social and cultural, cherished and preserved by people in the north, south, east and west alike.The festival of lights is celebrated in the month of Kartik (October and November). Besides India, it is a national holiday in Fiji and Trinidad. It is also publicly celebrated in Malaysia.The delight of this festival is reflected in the soft glow of Diwali lights, Diwali Gifts and the colorful Diwali fireworks. It is also known as the 'Festival of lights' which is celebrated by all age groups with great fervor and gaiety. The term Deepavali is of Sanskrit origin, which means an array of lamps. The word 'deep' means clay lamp and 'avali' means an array. The celebration of the Diwali broadly signifies the victory of good over evil within oneself.

Diwali, signifies many different things to people across India. On this auspicious day, North India celebrates Rama's homecoming that is his return to Ayodhya after the defeat of Ravana and his coronation as king. In Gujarat, the festival honors Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. In West Bengal, Diwali is associated with the goddess Kali. In every region, the festival signifies the renewal of life, and accordingly it is common to wear new clothes on the day of the festival. This festival also heralds the approach of winter and the beginning of the sowing season.

Some family celebrate this festival with religious rituals while for others it is primarily a social occasion with visiting relatives and friends, exchange of sweets and food items, and a time of giving and receiving new clothes or utensils for the year. Every region and family has its own way to celebrate this festival .This is what makes Diwali the most enthusiastically enjoyed festival of the world celebrated by people of different nationalities, races, religions and backgrounds come together to share their joys generating a feeling of universal brotherhood and inter-religious harmony.