India being the diverse nation of various communities, sects and religions that it is, has not only upheld the values sacred to each one of them, but has also encouraged specific rituals and customs within these communities over time.

In effect, Hinduism (without making out a case for the fanatics) is the only religion in the world, which has allowed each community or sect to grow within itself, without infringing upon the specific spaces that the community needs. So the rituals of a Hindu Marwari in Rajasthan celebrating Diwali are very different from say someone celebrating Diwali in Tamil Nadu or Gujarat, which is primarily a business community.

Diwali – in the four southern states of India (Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh)
If a burst of crackers shocks you at 4 a.m on the day of Diwali, don't wake up cursing.

Chances are that a South Indian neighbour is heralding the Festival of Lights! Whereas in the North, Diwali is celebrated in the evenings with crackers and diyas, in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, the festival starts early in the morning. It is not a big affair in Kerala, where the biggest festival is Onam.

Called Deepawali (meaning a row of lights), the festival has its roots in a mythical story where in, Lord Krishna killed the demon Narakasura, who was proving to be a terror for the Devas (Gods) just before the first light of the day.

Narakasura had been granted a boon by Gods that in the event of a battle, he could be killed only before the crack of dawn. Since battles traditionally were not fought after dusk, killing Narakasura would have been near impossible making him immortal. So when Lord Krishna did kill him with cheating, the event was celebrated with great fanfare.