You've recently made a trip to one of the Indian villages and learnt how festivals support the livelihood of the villagers. Share your experiences in the form of a travelogue.

Festival: DIWALI

I traveled to India last year as part of my tour of Asia and i made a brief stop at Kolkata. Fortunately for me, i was right on time to witness the festival of Diwali which usually lasts for five days and celebrated between mid-October and mid-November.

Diwali is a celebration that is peculiar to Hinduism and according to locals, it symbolizes the spiritual victory over light and darkness.

In preparation for the celebration, the locals in Kolkata made a whole make-over of their surroundings by cleaning, decorating and renovating their houses and workplaces. They were on their best attires and offered puja (which i was told means worship) to Lakshmi the goddess of prosperity and wealth.

The first day of Diwali was accompanied by making beautiful decorations and cleanings. The second day is  known as Naraka Chaturdashi. The third day which is the day of Lakshmi Puja is the darkest night of the traditional month. The fourth day of Diwali is dedicated to the union of husband and wife and the last day is known as Bhai Dooj which is dedicated to the relationship between brother and sister.

The locals at Kolkata look forward to this day with great enthusiasm and gusto. I stayed in Kolkata for the entire five days of celebration before i moved on to another city.

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