Diwali, celebrated across Bharat and by communities worldwide, is a festival that reveals both unity and diversity through its rituals and narratives. Drawing upon the three source reports, here is a fact-based, in-depth article detailing the bright facets of Diwali, with its impact on Hindu within Bharat and globally.
Temple Rituals: Reverence, Scale, and Symbolism
Diwali’s spiritual grandeur is vividly observed in temple ceremonies, where ancient traditions blend with festive innovation. In Ayodhya’s Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, Deepotsav is marked by an astonishing display of lamps—25.12 lakh in 2024, setting a Guinness World Record. This act is more than spectacle; it commemorates Rama’s homecoming and the victory of light over darkness, enveloping the city in spiritual joy. For 2025, an even greater scale is planned, with 29 lakh lamps and 65,000 liters of oil illuminating Ayodhya’s sacred space.
Kashi Vishwanath’s Dev Deepawali stands out as another profound ritual. Based on the Skanda Purana, this festival honors Bhagwan Shiva bathing in the Ganges and the entry of deities into Kashi, celebrated by lamp-lighting and ancestor reverence. Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar initiated this ritual centuries ago, and the legacy continues to draw lakhs of devotees to the famous ghat, reinforcing a sense of continuity and transcendence.
The Mahakaleshwar Mandir in Ujjain hosts the unique Bhasma Aarti, where Bhagwan Mahakal is adorned, bathed, and worshipped with special devotion. Rituals commence before sunrise, enveloping thousands of devotees in an atmosphere of spiritual upliftment and collective devotion. At Puri’s Jagannath Mandir, “Dev Deepawali” involves lighting lamps for ancestral souls, with elaborate three-day rituals and special pujas for Lakshmi and Ganesha. Such temple traditions convey Diwali’s spiritual message of gratitude, renewal, and divine presence.
Regional Variations: State Customs and Community Bonds
States across Bharat imbue Diwali with distinct rituals, enhancing its meaning through local ingenuity and emotion. Odisha and West Bengal are renowned for Kali Puja, wherein devotees offer 108 elements like hibiscus flowers and clay lamps, and tantric rites are performed amidst colorful decorations and prayer. Gujaratis mark the beginning of Diwali with Vasu Baras, where cows are honored as symbols of prosperity. On Labh Panchami, people distribute essentials to the needy, integrating charity directly into their festive routine.
In Chhattisgarh, the festival marries field crops to Bhagwan Narayana, signifying gratitude for harvest and bounty. Janjatiya groups such as Bastar celebrate “Diyari Tihar,” where Mahalakshmi Puja is uniquely called Raja Diyari, and livestock is adorned and honored as part of the festivities. Himachal Pradesh’s Dhami town follows Diwali with the Pathar Ka Mela, a stone-pelting event that is believed to bring luck and blessings. Meanwhile, Goa begins with the burning of Narakasur effigies, celebrating Krishna’s victory over evil and the symbolic purging of negativity.
Tamil Nadu’s households start Diwali before sunrise, applying sesame oil and herbal powders, then offering naivedyam and lighting “kuthu vilaku” for the deities. Karnataka’s Balipratipada, occurring after Diwali, features husbands presenting gifts to wives, blending myth with social tradition.
Janjatiya Diwali Traditions: Ecology and Community
Among Bharat’s janjatiya communities, Diwali retains its ancient character and strong ecological values. Bastar’s Diyari Tihar includes crocodile worship for protection and prayers to Shitala Mata for village prosperity, combining folk mythology with agricultural rites. The Diwali celebration is stretched over weeks and focuses on rituals like livestock worship, placing paddy in bamboo baskets, and communal feasts called “Basi Tihar”. Livestock is decorated by men with peacock feathers, and women prepare dishes from the new rice harvest, emphasizing reciprocal care for the natural world.
In Himachal Pradesh, the Hatti community celebrates Budhi Diwali with communal feasts of Badoli, Cidkoo, Malpuda, Patande, and unique temple visits and bonfires. The Warli and Banjara janjatis in Maharashtra link Diwali to harvest cycles, weaving rituals around rice, ragi, and vegetable abundance, sometimes performing poojas at shrines and even animal sacrifices.
Santhal communities in Jharkhand observe Sohrai Porab the day after Diwali, worshipping cattle and celebrating their return to villages. Cows are decorated, and village gatherings highlight the mutual responsibility for livestock well-being. In Gujarat, Vasava and Tadvi janjatiya communities burn wood from different trees instead of bursting firecrackers, believing that the smoke has health benefits and purifying properties, and make offerings to earth and water sources.
Diwali Goes Global: Diaspora and Cross-Cultural Light
Outside Bharat, Diwali functions as a vibrant bridge across cultures and geographies. In London, Trafalgar Square’s “Diwali on the Square” brings thousands together for music, dance, saree-tying, yoga, and children’s activities, uniting Hindu, Sikh, and Jain communities in joyous celebration—demonstrating the festival’s power to elevate civic spirit abroad.
In the United States, iconic locations like Times Square and Long Island’s BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir host Diwali events with Bollywood performances, fireworks, and Chopda Puja for children, blending Bharatiya culture with American festivity. Singapore’s “Little Bharat” transforms into an illuminated carnival, with interfaith participation and charity campaigns like “Lights for Hope” ensuring inclusivity. Mauritius, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Nepal, and South Africa each give Diwali a local flavor, integrating indigenous customs—like floating banana leaf lamps in Thailand’s Loi Krathong—and celebrating the triumph of light and unity over adversity.
Social, Economic, and Emotional Benefits
Diwali’s positive impact permeates economics, social ties, and emotional life. The festival boosts rural economies through artisanal crafts, pottery, sweet-making, and local trades, empowering small-scale producers and traditional artisans. Women’s creative roles shine in rangoli-making, culinary innovation, and home decorations. Social customs such as Maharashtra’s Diwali Padwa (gift exchanges), Bundelkhand’s Lath Mar folk dance, and Gajendragad’s “Crying Diwali” rituals foster emotional resilience, sisterhood, and togetherness.
Diwali also serves as a medium for charity—distributing food, clothes, and essentials to the needy during Labh Panchami, and organizing communal meals and feasts in janjatiya and rural communities. Each act of giving, lighting, and gathering reaffirms values of compassion, hope, and mutual respect.
Universal Light and Renewal
The reports collectively reveal that Diwali, whether in bustling cities, janjatiya hamlets, or urban centers abroad, is anchored in the pursuit of light—spiritually, socially, and environmentally. Its rituals, whether they honor gods, ancestors, nature, or relationships, radiate the message that unity, hope, and gratitude endure across every lamp lit and song sung.
In standing crops married to deities in Chhattisgarh, oil lamps adorning temple peaks in Maharashtra, interfaith gatherings in London, and eco-friendly traditions in Gujarat, Diwali proves itself as a celebration that kindles not only physical light, but also the deeper light of renewal, inclusion, and collective joy.
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