Essentially a festival of lights, Diwali symbolises the age-old Indian culture, which teaches us to vanquish ignorance, which subdues humanity and drives away darkness engulfing the light of knowledge.

Diwali, in northern India, is associated with the coronation of Lord Rama when he returned to Ayodhya after being in exile for 14 years. Deepavali (literally meaning a row of lights in Sanskrit) is celebrated 20 days after Dussehera, when Lord Rama’s subjects welcome him by lighting the diyas (traditional earthern lamps).

This five-day festival which begins on Dhanteras (with the worshipping of when Lord Kuber – god of wealth and Lakshmi – goddess of wealth and prosperity) and culminates on Bhaiya Dooj (or Yama duitiya) also includes Narak Chaturdashi or Chhoti Diwali, Deepawali and Govardhan Puja.

The first day is Dhanteras or Dhantryaodashi, which falls on the thirteenth day in the month of Ashwin. It is believed that sixteen-year-old son of King Hima according to his horoscope was doomed to die on the fourth day of his marriage by a snake-bite. On the fourth day of his marriage his worried wife lit innumerable lamps all over the palace and laid out all her ornaments and lots of gold and silver coins in a big heap at the entrance of her husband’s room.

As the night progressed she told numerous telling stories and sang songs honouring Lord Yama. When Yama arrived in the guise of a serpent to take the boy away, the dazzle of those brilliant jewels blinded him and he could not enter the Prince’s chamber. So he sat through the night and in the morning quietly went away. Thus, Dhanteras is also known as Yamadeepdaan and lamps are kept burning through the night in reverential adoration to Yama – and prayers offered to him to keep away death and despair.