The Festival of Lights
Diwali (also spelled Divali), the festival of lights, is one of the major holidays of Hinduism and is also celebrated in Jainism and Sikhism. The five-day festival marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year and occurs during the final three days of the “dark half” of the lunar month Ashvina and the first two days of the “light half” of the month of Karttika in the Vikrama calendar (one of the liturgical lunisolar calendars used in Hinduism); it occurs in late October or November of the Gregorian calendar. A row of lamps is lit to request Lakshmi, the goddess of good fortune, to come to earth and bring auspicious blessings for the coming year. During this time, Jains commemorate the Tirthankara (savior) Mahavira’s attainment of nirvana, and Sikhs commemorate the return of the Guru Hargobind from captivity.