DIWALI OR DEEPAWALI symbolises and establishes man’s inner quest for light so that the darkest corner of his being is brightened, bringing joy to his/her inner world with which warmth, love and compassion are radiated to his surrounding. It celebrates the sacrifice a devotee makes on the path of self-realisation. Hence the prayer “Lead me from darkness to light, from untruth to truth, from ignorance to knowledge and from death to immortality”.

In the absence of spiritual knowledge we see poverty, anger, hatred, friends and enemies. We are affected by affection (raga) and hate (dwasha). On the other hand, if there is the endowment of spiritual wealth we then allow for a complete transformation in personality. We do not allow ourselves to be subjected to anger, hatred and many negative traits.

Light itself is a great inspirational element in man’s communication with God. It is for this reason that this auspicious occasion is marked with prayers and the lighting of earthen lamps filled with ghee. As the deyas begin to flicker into radiant life, there are new hopes and aspirations on this wonderful and tranquil moment of Diwali.

The entire preparation for the festival of Diwali is a stage by stage process which are acts designed to invoke the feelings of illumination within the participants. The preparation to welcome the Divine mother Maha Lakshmi is both a physical and mental conditioning in which the entire family engages. It is a sacred time for reflection culminating in a sacred moment of inner beauty. This exercise serves to re-establish, rejuvenate, renew and rekindle special relationships that may have become cold through the path of devotion and action.

In Hinduism, light is synonymous with God. The attributes of light are revered as God himself/herself. According to Vedanta teachings nothing exists except God and all that we see is God and the light by which we see is also god. Ancient Hindu civilisations understood that their very existence depended on light. In order to truly celebrate Diwali we must understand that worship is not just ritualistic, but that it permeates the very depth of human life.
The first necessity is to appreciate the constructive forces in the universe and within our own personality. We must recognise the resources we have within us and reflect deeply upon what we can accomplish with their help. With them an individual can set up a process of construction and create for himself unimaginable conditions of prosperity, joy and glory.
Diwali then places on us the duty to tirelessly strive to develop a fragrant garden of divine qualities in oneself, and to recognize, encourage and promote divine qualities in the world outside. Respect for the victories that we attain in life is another aspect of the celebration of Diwali. Through victory comes inspiration.

With inspiration we can overcome the difficulties  in a more determined way. If one is not vigilant, even the smallest defeat can generate negative impressions that burden us. It is true that every victory no matter how small gives us a sense of self-confidence and allows us to move on.
The celebration of Diwali and the worship of Maha Lakshmi bring rare spiritual gifts such as compassion, dispassion, purity, charity, universal love, unity, the magnanimity of the heart, peace and tranquility.

THE ORIGINS OF DIWALI
Diwali is a lighting festival during which the Universal Mother is worshipped as Maha Lakshmmi. It is celebrated annually on the darkest night in the month of Kartik. This auspicious occasion is marked with prayers and the lighting of deyas filled with ghee. This festival brings a feeling of homeliness, a feeling conducive to prayer, invocations and adorations to the Divine.
Man’s fascination with light dates back to the predawn of history. All religions point to this phenomenon in expounding the greatness of light. Light itself seems to be a great inspirational element in man’s communication with God. In Hinduism, light is synonymous with God. The attributes of light are invested unto God by sayings such as “the light of god shines through him” or “let him walk in the light of God”.
Light plays a very important part in our daily lives. National events are enjoyed by the use of light in the form of fireworks and other forms of sophisticated illuminating arrangements. A reflection on the part lights play in celebrating national events will help us to understand the celebration of Diwali commemorating the return of Prince Ramchandra to Ayodhya.
The origins of Diwali can be traced through the scriptures to three prominent Avatars (incarnations) these are the Vaaman, Rama and Krishna Avatars. The Skanda Puran reveals that Diwali is directly related to the Vaaman Avatar. In this process we see Bhagwan Vishnu maintaining the enshrining of Diwali which was a result of an expressed request of the King Bali.
Bali had conquered the entire world. So the gods who were under his rule invoked Lord Vishnu to rescue them. The King was performing a great sacrifice when Bhagwan Vishnu in the form of a dwarf appeared before him and requested a gift of three steps of land. Despite warnings from his priest, Bali granted the request. Upon the granting of the request, the dwarf grew towards  heaven. His first and second steps spanned the entire universe leaving no place for the third. To fulfil his promise, Bali offered his head for the third step.
Diwali commemorates the great sacrifice of Bali. Although he was king of a demonic people, he embraced the Divine lord who came to his door. He knew that the entire world belongs to God and acted wisely. He knew that man cannot see the Lord at his door everyday so he willingly give up everything for the blessings of God. Bali’s sacrifice resulted in the enshrining of Diwali, so that one day of the year men may diligently seek the coming of the divine to their doors.
In the Ramayana, Diwali is associated with the return of Prince Raama to Ayodhya after being exiled for 14 years. He was welcomed with a brilliant display of lights to the enthusiasm of the entire kingdom. This was a symbol of benevolence and that the perfect man had triumphed over all evils. The life of Sri Raam demonstrates that the will of man enables him to vanquish the forces of evil around and within him.
Narakasura was an evil personality who plundered the entire world and created tremendous hardship for the righteous people. When his belligerency and wicked deeds reached unbearable proportions, the Devas supplicated to Sri Krishna who then championed their cause. Hence, the death of Naraksura. The contamination that was afflicting the earth was washed away and removed by the hands of Sri Krishna.
A decisive conquest of the forces of darkness and ignorance by the liberating power to the release of concealed light and the deliverance of the people of the earth from the clutches of dark and demonic forces becomes an occasion to be commemorated once a year with a colorful display of lights.
Sri Raam demonstrates that righteousness will always triumph over evil. Compassion, justice, tolerance, patience and steadfastness to duty are the weapons in the battle against evil.
Bali revealed to all men that the entire world belongs to the Supreme lord and to gain everlasting peace one must open oneself to the love of God.
Narakasura represents the ever present evil that grows in the darkness of our less alert moments. Sri Krishna enhances our awareness of those evil tendencies and help us to overcome them.
The scriptures are all steadfast in illustrating the essence of Diwali :- Truth will always prevail over untruth and morality will eventually dominate immorality.