Diwali: The light that must be lit within

The right to celebrate this festival is not given by birth or by custom; it must be earned through right living.

- ACHARYA PRASHANT

Diwali is said to mark the return of Shri Ram to Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile: the triumph of truth and clarity over deceit and darkness. The lamps that were once lit to welcome him have become symbols of that inner victory. Yet today, while the lights have multiplied, the remembrance has faded. We celebrate his homecoming, but have we made space for him within? Every year, when Diwali comes, we light the lamps, adorn our homes, and give each other sweets and greetings. But somewhere, quietly, the question creeps up: Has any of this actually helped us see the light? The festival keeps coming back, as if to ask, "What kind of light have you lived by this year?" It's normal to want to be joyful, but joy without understanding quickly becomes empty.

Asking how to celebrate Diwali is like asking how to study for an exam after the results are out. A festival is never just a single day of excitement; it shows how we've lived over the past year. If our days have moved opposite to the values of Shri Ram, then celebrating his name for one evening becomes nothing but an act of self-deception. The lamp has meaning only when it is lit by truth.

Every festival, in that sense, is an examination.

Those who have lived honestly can celebrate in peace.

Those who haven't, should pause and look within.

But today, celebration has turned almost entirely outward. Those who fail the inner test often make the loudest noise outside. We hide our restlessness behind decoration, our emptiness behind display. It is human to seek celebration; it becomes hollow only when clarity is missing. The tragedy is not that people are ignorant; the tragedy is that they stop seeking because they think they already understand.

The festival of lights cannot truly belong to those who still choose darkness.

EARNING THE RIGHT TO CELEBRATE