Photos: Diwali 2011: Across India, A Hindu Festival of Lights

Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, stretches beyond India, a five-day holiday encompassing multiple stories from around the world, involving Hindus, some Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains. For India, however, where roughly 80 percent of the population practices Hinduism, Diwali 2011 is and will be a massive and deeply Hindu affair, one involving dancing, shows, religious worship and lots of fireworks.

Diwali, or Divali, means "row of lights," and is a celebration of the Hindu New Year according to the lunisolar calendar. Typically, Diwali also falls near the end of harvest season, from mid-October to mid-November, meaning the goddess Lakshmi, who brings wealth and prosperity, is honored by the holiday with candle offerings and bright, festive decorations.

It is also, however, a more general celebration of good over evil, especially that of Rama's victory over the 10-headed demon Ravana in the Hindu epic "The Ramayana." Rama, an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, returns home during Diwali (Oct. 26, in 2011) after fourteen years of banishment, and Hindus lay out lamps, set off fireworks, and hang paper lanterns to help light his way home.

All these traditions combine to make Diwali a true "festival of lights," from those dedicated to Lakshmi and celebrating Rama to Hindus honoring Ganesh, the God of good beginnings, on this gorgeous holiday. While the story behind Diwali and how people celebrate may vary from region to region, the holiday's essence remains the same: rejoicing at the victory of goodness, light, and atman (the soul) over falseness, darkness, and reality.

A NASA Satellite photo over India, as the festival of lights begins.

Source: Creative Commons

Diyas, or small clay lamps, are an integral part of Diwali festivals.

The lamps are filled with oil before being lit, signifying the inevitable but seemingly invisible way good triumphs over evil.

Source: Creative Commons

Fireworks are one of the most popular aspects of the Hindu holiday.

Here, a view from a balcony in Mumbai, the center of India's Bollywood empire.

Source: Ashwin John/Flickr

Devout Hindus crowd the marketplace in preparation for Diwali.

The streets will be packed through tomorrow, Oct. 26, the apex of the festival.

Source: REUTERS/Amit Dave

A young girl sends streams of bubbles past a Hindu temple festooned with lights for the Diwali celebrations.

Source: REUTERS/Darren Staples

A female worker on the outskirts of Ahmedabad packs massive amounts of firecrackers for the upcoming 

Diwali festival. Firecrackers match fireworks in demand during the Hindu holiday.

Source: REUTERS/Amit Dave

A vendor in Jammu displays hundreds of artificial garlands at his stall.

Diwali is as much a celebration of life and of color as it is of life, and flowers are often offered to Hindu

gods and goddesses.

Source: REUTERS/Mukesh Gupta

Beauty and grace are important traits of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, one of the deities

honored in the "festival of lights." Here, a potter in Kolkata paints the lamps in a variety of intricate designs.

Source: REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri

Rangolis, or murals made of colored powders, are very common in Hindu holidays and especially during Diwali.

Here, students complete a portrait of the god Vishnu and his consort, the goddess Lakshmi.

Source: REUTERS/Amit Dave

A crowd of people in Chandigarh, a city in northern India, use their clay lamps to form a

message of peace on the eve of Diwali.

Source: REUTERS/Ajay Verma

From India's capital, New Delhi, to southern states like Kerala, fireworks will cover the skies

all through Diwali on Oct. 26

By Melanie Jones | Oct 25, 2011 08:19 PM

Source:http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/237581/20111025/diwali-2011-hindu-festival-lights-photos-holiday.htm