History of Diwali

Diwali is the joyous celebration of the triumph of good over evil. It is the popular belief that the fireworks that add splendor to the festivities actually reduces the evil to ashes. The uniqueness of Diwali is that it harmonizes five varied philosophies, with each day assigned to commemorate a special thought or idea. According to a legend, which is also taken to be a history of diwali, the world celebrates Deepavali as the day the goddess stopped dancing after her battle with Mahishasura.The festival begins with Dhanteras, which is the celebration of the birth of goddess Lakshmi from the bottomless ocean. The second day is "Narak Chaturdhashi", which commemmorates the felling of Narakasura by Satyabhama with the help of Indra. This is again another view of history of diwali. Some also believe that the second day is dedicated to Bali the generous king, who returns to his kingdom amidst celebrations. The most famous legend behind the celebrations of diwali is about the prince of Ayodhya, Lord Shri Ram Chandra, his defeating Ravana and his return from exile by lighting lamps on this darkest night of the year.