The Mythic in the Festival of Lights

Diwali day-by-day

- Devdutt Pattanaik

Diwali is without doubt India's answer to America's Christmas, where the religious aspect takes a backseat and secular shopping comes to the fore.

It all began as a post-monsoon harvest festival. But what distinguishes it from other harvest festivals like Pongal (Tamil Nadu) or Bihu (Assam) is that it is also an important festival of traders and moneylenders. A time to balance the books and open new books of accounts. If the harvest was good, debts were repaid and both farmer and moneylender celebrated their fortune. If harvests were bad, this was a time of intense prayer and rituals in hope of a better future.