What is Diwali?

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The word Diwali means 'rows of lighted lamps'. It is celebrated by Hindu people across the world.

Diwali is known as the 'festival of lights' because houses, shops and public places are decorated with small oil lamps called 'diyas'.

Diwali is also celebrated in Sikhism and Jainism.

When is Diwali?

Diwali always falls some time between October and November, but the exact date varies each year as the Hindu calendar is based on the Moon.

In 2024, Diwali is on Friday 1 November.

The story of Diwali

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Long ago there was a great warrior prince called Rama. He was married to a beautiful princess called Sita.
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An evil king called Ravana lived near them. He had ten heads and twenty arms!
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Ravana wanted to make Sita his wife, so he kidnapped her and flew off with her in his chariot.
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Rama realised that Sita had been kidnapped, so he tried to look for her. He met the monkey god Hanuman in the forest.
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Hanuman agreed to look for Sita. He eventually found her imprisoned on the island of Lanka in a beautiful garden.
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Hanuman gathered his monkey army and they prepared to battle Ravana.
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Rama and Hanuman began to battle Ravana, but it was a huge battle and it seemed like Ravana would win...
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...however Rama produced a magical golden arrow and fired it at Ravana. It hit him in the chest.
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With Ravana defeated, Rama and Sita were reunited!
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Rama and Sita returned home at night time. They found that all of the villagers had lit lamps to guide them home. This is why Hindus light lamps on Diwali!

How is Diwali celebrated?

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During Diwali, people also make patterns called rangoli from colourful materials like powders and pastes.

For many people this five day festival honours Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Lamps are lit and windows and doors are left open to help Lakshmi find her way into people's homes.

Other ways that Hindus celebrate the festival include:

Spring-cleaning the home
Wearing new clothes
Exchanging gifts (often sweets and dried fruits) and preparing festive meals
Decorating buildings with fancy lights
Huge fireworks displays

Activity: Rearrange the picture

Activity: Thinking points

Image of a black boy with glasses wearing a blue t shirt with a blue thought bubble appearing.

Have a look at the thinking points below. You can discuss them with somebody else if you want to. There are no right or wrong answers so remember to be respectful if somebody else has a different thought or opinion.

Why do you think Diwali is called the Festival of Lights?
As Diwali marks the Hindu New Year, it can be a time for reflection. Why do you think it is good to reflect back on the year?
If you could design a special decoration for Diwali, what would it look like and why?

Diwali Quiz

Resources for teachers

Looking for more teaching resources? 14-year-old Simran and her 11-year-old brother Vraj explain the traditions and beliefs of their Hindu faith in this series of short films.

BBC Teach has thousands of free, curriculum-linked resources to help deliver lessons - all arranged by subject and age group.