An Illustrated Guide to Diwali

Avishek Mukherjee's illustrations explore the stories behind the Hindu festival of Diwali. Celebrated in the month of Kartika (between mid October and mid November), the festival gets its name from the Sanskrit word Deepawali which means 'rows of lights'.

Depicted in this image, the five day celebrations can include families getting together, lighting  diyas  (oil lamps), and special food or sweet treats. Keep exploring some Diwali legends and celebrations through these illustrations...

This image shows the most popular legend from the Hindu epic, Ramayana. According to it, Diwali marks the day Rama, his wife Sita, and brother Lakshmana return to Ayodhya after 14 years of being exiled by his father King Dasharatha.

This image shows the story of Sita's kidnapping, while in exile, by the powerful demon king Ravana. Jatayu the divine bird valiantly tries to fight off Ravana, but the powerful Ravana mercilessly clips his wings. He takes Sita across the sea to his kingdom of Lanka.

Here it shows Rama, with the help of Sugriva, the king of the Vanaras, and his trusted general Hanuman make a bridge of stones over the sea to reach Lanka. The stones are blessed with buoyancy, so they do not sink.

The story continues through this image. It was only a matter of time until Rama reached Lanka, slaying the powerful Ravan to rescue Sita.

Here it shows the victorious return to Ayodhya. To welcome them, the people of Ayodhya cleaned their houses and placed oil lamps to light their path. The ritual of lighting oil lamps is an integral part of Diwali celebrations to this day.

Another legend associated with Diwali is found in the Hindu epic of Mahabharata. This image shows the five Pandava brothers who lose their possessions in a game of dice against the cunning Kauravas. With nothing left to bet, they are exiled for 13 years, finally returning to a joyous welcome.

Diwali is also celebrated in the religion Jainism. Jain scriptures refer to Diwali as  Dipalikaya , which means 'light leaving the body'. As shown in this image, the festival marks the spiritual awakening of Lord Mahavira, the 24th Jain Tirthankar (a supreme preacher).

A major festival for the Sikhs, the day of Diwali is celebrated as Bandi Chorh Diwas (Day of Liberation). Depicted in this image, it marks the day that the sixth guru, Guru Hargobind Sahib, and 52 other prisoners were released from captivity.

Keep exploring to discover cultural stories of the Festival of Lights, from legends and traditions to art and food.