One more festival pictures...
Deepawali or Diwali is the biggest Hindu
festivals. It's the festival of lights (
deep = light and
avali
= a row i.e., a row of lights). Deepawali is four days of celebration.
Diwali, the festival of lights and it ssociated with many customs and traditions. Diwali also celebrates the return of Lord Rama, King of Ayodhya, with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana to Ayodhya from a war in which he killed the demon king Ravana. It is believed that the people lit oil lamps along the way to light their path in the darkness.
On this day entrances are made colorful with lovely traditional motifs of Rangoli designs with foot prints of Devi Lakshmi (specially in Kumaon region known as Aipan) to welcome Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity. To indicate her long-awaited arrival, small footprints are drawn with rice flour and vermilion powder all over the houses.
Lamps are kept burning all through the night. Believing this day to be auspicious women purchase some gold or silver or at least one or two new utensils.
