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In every festival, there is a reason behind the celebration, and India being a ‘land of festivals’ definitely doesn’t make it an exception. Rather, it sets the festival standards. Happy Diwali, anyone?

If you have ever lived in India or know people from India, you may have heard them say the words “Happy Diwali” from time to time. Just as we wish people a “happy birthday” during their birthdays, or a “happy Easter” during Easter season, the phrase “Happy Diwali” follows the same concept. Diwali is a very important festival in Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and is also an official holiday in India.

Also called the Festival of Lights, the celebration of “Happy Diwali” has its own significance as per religious group. In Hinduism and throughout many parts of India, it marks the victory and homecoming of Rama after a 14-year exile in the forest; in Jainism, Diwal is the commemoration of Mahavira’s attainment of Nirvana; in Sikhism, “Happy Diwali” is celebrated in honor of the sixth Guru of Sikhism’s return from his imprisonment. But generally, India celebrates Diwali as a national festival, and its aesthetic aspect is that which is most enjoyed by many Indians regardless of their religious beliefs. “Happy Diwali” will be heard across all corners of India during this time for its five-day-long celebration.

The celebration of the festival’s aesthetics goes beyond the firecrackers and the exchange of beautifully-wrapped gifts. What ultimately marks the pivotal point of Diwali is the people’s practice of creativity in their decoration of the homes and workplaces with all kinds of creative arts and crafts. That in itself is the perfect example of the spirit of “Happy Diwali”.

To symbolize the victory good over evil, diyas are lighted—cotton string wicks inserted in small, oil-filled clay pots—and is very momentous in its identity as the Festival of Lights. Other significant items to the celebration of Happy Diwali include the Puja-Thali—the plate that keeps the accessories needed to perform the worship of the God and Goddess; the Puja accessories specifically the Roli, the rice grains Akshat, and the bell called Ghanti amongst many others; and the Diwali Rangolis. The latter is the most ancient and equally beautiful art form in India, which are weaved patterns and motifs on the walls or floor that depict nature through a row of colors for the celebration of “Happy Diwali”. This also has its own legends. One legend pertains to the story in which Brahma helped breathe new life into the dead son of a King’s high priest through a painting that had a likeness to the boy. Another legend speaks of God, using the juice extracted from a mango, painted a woman figure that was so beautiful that it shamed all the other maidens in heaven.

In honor of the Festival of Lights, I wish you all a Happy Diwali!

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