A woman holding a lamp as part of Blacktown City Council’s Diwali Lights Competition, in Nirimba Fields, Sydney, Australia. — AFP/Reuters
Deepavali is the most important festival of the year in India – and for Hindus, in particular. It is celebrated across faiths by more than a billion people in the world’s most populous nation and the diaspora. Over five days, people take part in festive gatherings, fireworks displays, feasts and prayer.
“Deepavali” means “a row of lights” and during the festival, celebrants light rows of traditional clay oil lamps outside their homes to symbolise the victory of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance.
The dates of the festival are based on the Hindu lunar calendar, typically falling in late October or early November.
This year, the holiday was celebrated yesterday.
While Deepavali is a major religious festival for Hindus, it is also observed by Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists. The origin story of Deepavali varies depending on the region. All these stories have one underlying theme – the victory of good over evil.
In southern India, Deepavali celebrates the victory of Lord Krishna’s destruction of the demon Naraka who is said to have imprisoned women and tormented his subjects. In northern India, Deepavali honours the triumphant return of Lord Rama, his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana from a 14-year exile in the forest.
The festival brings with it a number of unique traditions, which also vary by the region. What all celebrations have in common are the lights, fireworks, feasting, new clothes and praying.
In southern India, many have an early morning warm oil bath to symbolise bathing in the holy River Ganges as a form of physical and spiritual purification.
In the north, worshipping the Goddess Lakshmi, who symbolises wealth and prosperity, is the norm.
Gambling is a popular tradition because of the belief that whoever gambled on Deepavali night would prosper throughout the year. Many people buy gold on the first day of Deepavali, known as Dhanteras – an act they believe will bring them good luck.
Setting off firecrackers is a cherished tradition, as is exchanging sweets and gifts among friends and family. Deepavali celebrations typically feature rangoli, which are geometric, floral patterns drawn on the floor using colourful powders. — AP
Gallery
United in light: A devotee offering prayers at a temple in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Sacred bond: A member of the Armed Police Force showering marigold flowers on a service dog during Kukur Tihar as part of Tihar, a term used in Nepal for Deepavali, in Kathmandu, Nepal. — Reuters
Nature’s touch: A vendor (right) selling banana leaves to a Hindu devotee at a market in Hyderabad, India. The leaves are primarily used for decorations and religious rituals during Deepavali. — AFP
Modern touch: A man using a mobile phone next to his decorated bull, known as ‘Gangireddu’ that is traditionally taken from house to house to seek alms, clothes and grains on Deepavali, at a residential area in Hyderabad, India. — AFP
About 2.61 million oil lamps are lit along the Saryu river during Deepotsav celebrations on the eve of Diwali, creating a new Guinness World Record, in Ayodhya, India, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Magical glow: People reacting as they gather around the oil lamps placed outside the Akshardham Temple on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India, on the eve of Deepavali. — AFP
Lights, lights everywhere: About 2.61 million oil lamps lit along the Saryu river during Deepotsav celebrations on the eve of Deepavali, creating a new Guinness World Record, in Ayodhya, India. — AP
A vendor arranges idols of the Hindu deity Lakshmi as he waits for customers at a market in Hyderabad, India. — AFP
Vibrant display: A woman picking marigold, used to make garlands and offer prayers, before selling them on a market for Tihar, a term used in Nepal for Deepavali, in Kathmandu, Nepal. (Right) A vendor selling decorative items along a street in Amritsar, India, on the eve of Deepavali. — Reuters/AFP
Floral traditions: A vendor preparing a flower garland ahead of the Deepavali celebrations at KR Market in Bengaluru, India. — AFP
A vendor sells decorative items along a street in Amritsar on October 19, 2025, on the eve of 'Diwali', the Hindu festival of lights. (Photo by Narinder NANU / AFP)
Let the celebrations begin: Women lighting firecrackers during Deepavali eve celebrations at the hostel of a school in Chennai.
