This guide offers you a number of ways to discover Diwali! Resources included are a booklist with titles for all ages, e-resources available from the library, and a list of websites to learn more about Diwali.

Diwali is a significant festival in Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism & Buddhists (Newar). In a multicultural and diverse country like India, everyone has their own way of celebrating this festival. 

Diwali is celebrated as the festival of lights, during which homes are decorated with candles. Diwali projects the rich and glorious past and teaches its observers to uphold the true values of life.

For the Hindus, the holiday symbolizes the return of Prince Rama of Ayodhya with his wife, Sita, and brother, Lakshman, from a 14-year-long exile and a war in which Prince Rama stood victorious. People of Ayodhya lit lamps along the way to light their path in the darkness.

To the Jains, it has a whole different meaning. For them, Diwali is the day when the last of the Jain Tirthankaras, Lord Mahavira, attained nirvana, also known as complete knowledge and enlightenment. Lord Mahavira established the dharma followed by the Jains worldwide.

For the Sikhs, Diwali is a story of the struggle for freedom. It celebrates the victory of the sixth guru, Guru Hargobind, from the designs of Emperor Jahangir, who had imprisoned him and 52 other princes with him, in 1619. Guru Hargobind refused to leave the prison for freedom until he was able to bring all of the princes with him.

Although not a primary festival of Buddhism, Diwali is celebrated by some Buddhists as a commemoration of the day when Emperor Ashoka converted to Buddhism in the 3rd century BCE. It is observed by the Vajrayana Buddhist minority among the Newar people of Nepal. They celebrate by lighting lamps, decorating temples and monasteries, and worshipping the Buddha. (Source: Britanica Encyclopedia)

Diwali is celebrated with worship, sharing sweets, fireworks and lights. While the story varies from region to region, its essence remains the same. People learn to rejoice in the inner light and the underlying reality of things. (Source: Center for Spiritual Life)