Diwali
E18568
Diwali is a major Hindu festival of lights celebrating the victory of good over evil and light over darkness, marked by prayers, feasts, and fireworks.
Observed surface forms (8)
| Surface form | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Deepavali | 3 |
| Dev Deepawali | 2 |
| Dipavali | 1 |
| Divali | 1 |
| Diwali (Bandi Chhor Divas) | 1 |
| Diwali (Deepotsav celebrations) | 1 |
| Diwali festival period | 1 |
| Festival of Lights | 1 |
Statements (68)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Hindu festival
ⓘ
festival of lights ⓘ religious festival ⓘ |
| alsoKnownAs |
Diwali
ⓘ
surface form:
Deepavali
Diwali ⓘ
surface form:
Dipavali
|
| approxGregorianTime |
November
ⓘ
October ⓘ |
| associatedDeity |
Ganesha
ⓘ
Kali ⓘ Krishna ⓘ Kubera ⓘ Devi ⓘ
surface form:
Lakshmi
Rama ⓘ |
| associatedWithStory |
Krishna’s victory over Narakasura
ⓘ
Lakshmi emerging from the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan) ⓘ defeat of Ravana by Rama ⓘ return of Rama to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile ⓘ |
| calendar | Hindu lunisolar calendar ⓘ |
| celebratedIn |
People's Republic of Bangladesh (from East Pakistan)
ⓘ
surface form:
Bangladesh
Fiji ⓘ British Guiana ⓘ
surface form:
Guyana
India ⓘ Malaysia ⓘ Mauritius ⓘ Nepal ⓘ Pakistan ⓘ Singapore ⓘ Sri Lanka ⓘ Suriname ⓘ Trinidad and Tobago ⓘ global Indian diaspora communities ⓘ |
| culturalAspect |
special festive foods
ⓘ
traditional music and dance ⓘ |
| duration | 5 days in many regions ⓘ |
| economicImpact | major shopping season in India ⓘ |
| environmentalConcern |
air pollution from firecrackers
ⓘ
noise pollution from firecrackers ⓘ |
| etymology | from Sanskrit dīpāvalī meaning ‘row of lights’ ⓘ |
| jainSignificance | commemorates Mahavira’s attainment of nirvana ⓘ |
| keyDay | Amavasya (new moon) of Kartik ⓘ |
| mainTheme |
spiritual renewal
ⓘ
triumph of knowledge over ignorance ⓘ triumph of light over darkness ⓘ victory of good over evil ⓘ |
| majorRitual |
Ganesh Chaturthi
ⓘ
surface form:
Ganesha Puja
Lakshmi Puja ⓘ cleaning and decorating homes ⓘ exchanging gifts ⓘ fireworks and firecrackers ⓘ lighting candles ⓘ lighting electric lights ⓘ lighting oil lamps (diyas) ⓘ rangoli decoration ⓘ sharing sweets ⓘ |
| modernTrend | promotion of eco-friendly celebrations ⓘ |
| observedBy |
Hinduism
ⓘ
surface form:
Hindus
Jainism ⓘ
surface form:
Jains
Sikh people ⓘ
surface form:
Sikhs
some Buddhists ⓘ |
| occursInMonth | Kartik ⓘ |
| religion | Hinduism ⓘ |
| sikhSignificance | coincides with Bandi Chhor Divas ⓘ |
| socialAspect |
community celebrations
ⓘ
family gatherings ⓘ |
| symbolism |
banishing darkness and evil
ⓘ
new beginnings ⓘ welcoming prosperity and good fortune ⓘ |
| typeOfHoliday | public holiday in several countries ⓘ |
Referenced by (27)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
this entity surface form:
Deepavali
this entity surface form:
Dipavali
this entity surface form:
Deepavali
this entity surface form:
Diwali (Bandi Chhor Divas)
this entity surface form:
Divali
this entity surface form:
Diwali (Deepotsav celebrations)
this entity surface form:
Dev Deepawali
subject surface form:
Eastern India
subject surface form:
Northern India
this entity surface form:
Dev Deepawali
this entity surface form:
Diwali festival period
this entity surface form:
Deepavali