Happy Deepavali

Today is Deepavali - the Festival of Lights for the Indians all over the world. I would like to take this opportunity to wish all Hindus a Happy Deepavali.

Deepavali is an important celebration for the Hindus. It is traditionally an occasion for the south and north Indian communities to celebrate the victory of good over evil.

On this day, most Hindus will take oil baths and offer prayers to deceased family members. After the morning baths, family members will wear new clothes that are earlier placed at the feet of deity Lord Vishnu on the prayer altar.


Men and women wear differently. For men they will wear silk jippa shirts and veshti tied in kattupanchi style where the cloth is wrapped around the legs (like a pair of trousers) with the ends pleated and folded at the back of their waist.

Sarees worn by women are usually tied in a kuddupaita style, where the pallu or the decorative end of the saree is draped over the right shoulder rather than the left shoulder.

At the house entrance, the womenfolk will draw the kolam, called muggulu in Telugu, using coloured rice or desiccated coconut.

Then they will light up nanda deepa or earthen oil lamps and deepappu semmelu or kuttu-vilakku in Tamil.

After blessing their children at home, the family will offer prayers at the Krishna Temple.

This is how the Hindus celebrate Deepavali.