Diwali is here

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I realized that most of the mylotters might not know what Diwali is. Of course, most of us in India celebrate it and countries where there are a people of Indian origin celbrate it too. For those of you who do not know, Diwali is the 'festival of lights'. Fireworks are always associated with this festival. The festival is celebrated for 5 days and the third day is the main Diwali festival. Each region has a different set of customs with which we celebrate Diwali but the one thing common is the lights or row of lights to be exact. We light our homes and surroundings with oil lamps. "Some believe it to be the celebration of the marriage of Lakshmi with Lord Vishnu. Whereas in Bengal the festival is dedicated to the worship of Mother Kali, the goddess of strength. Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed God, the symbol of auspiciousness and wisdom, is also worshipped in most Hindu homes on this day. In Jainism, Deepawali has an added significance to the great event of Lord Mahavira attaining the eternal bliss of nirvana. Diwali also commemorates the return of Lord Rama along with Sita and Lakshman from his fourteen year long exile and vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, the Capital of Rama, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas (oil lamps) and burst crackers."Although firecrackers are a main part of the diwali festival, recently there has been a move against their use to air and noise pollution. Here's wishing all of you a HAPPY DIWALI' and have a nice and pollution-free diwali!