Diwali in Goa

Diwali is one of the most important and well known Hindu festivals. Diwali is a festival of lights . The festival usually lasts five days and is celebrated during the Hindu lunisolar month Kartika (between mid-October and mid-November). Diwali symbolizes the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance". The festival is widely associated with Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity. In the lead-up to Diwali, celebrants will prepare by cleaning, renovating, and decorating their homes and workplaces with diyas (oil lamps) and rangolis (colorful art circle patterns). During Diwali, people wear their finest clothes, illuminate the interior and exterior of their homes with diyas and rangoli, perform worship ceremonies of Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and wealth, light fireworks, and partake in family feasts, where mithai (sweets) and gifts are shared. Diwali celebrations in the State of Goa witnesses a unique event on the eve of Diwali when the Narkasurs (demon effigies) are paraded on the streets before they are reduced to ash. These effigies are then filled with fireworks to signify light triumphing over darkness. Some of these large effigies are made using straw and paper and are burnt at dawn in the villages. Beautiful earthen lamps are lit in the verandas of houses all over Goa. During this time a lot of zatras are held all over Goa, but in a grand manner at the temples of Mangueshi, Nagueshi, Ramnathi, Shantadurga and Shirgao to name a few.