Diwali is the most important festival of the year in India and for Hindus in particular. It is celebrated across faiths in the world’s most populous nation and the diaspora.

This year, Diwali coincides with Halloween, as it falls on Oct. 31, but the celebration lasts several days. According to National Geographic, Diwali is the biggest and most important holiday in India.

In northern India, Diwali honors the triumphant return of Lord Rama, his wife Sita, and brother Lakshmana, from a 14-year exile in the forest. How is Diwali celebrated?

Who celebrates Diwali? The holiday, which has become both religious and secular, is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and some Buddhists. In North India, it draws from the Ramayana, with Rama’s ...

An Indian man prepares gunpowder to make fire-crackers for the upcoming Hindu festival Diwali at a factory on the outskirts of Ahmadabad, India, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017.

Diwali, or Deepavali, the Hindu festival of lights, is celebrated with great enthusiasm across the world, including South Africa, where it holds a special place among the country’s diverse ...

Diwali, the festival of lights, is one of the most popular holidays in India, and for Hindus in particular. Stream NBC 5 for free, 24/7, wherever you are. A celebration of good over evil, it is ...

Diwali 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 ...

An Indian man prepares gunpowder to make fire-crackers for the upcoming Hindu festival Diwali at a factory on the outskirts of Ahmadabad, India, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017.

Girls make a rangoli on the occasion of Diwali at the Cotton University hostel in Guwahati, India on Nov. 4, 2021. In what other ways do you celebrate Diwali? The holiday is also a time to buy new ...