Diwali rangoli and diyas in Varanasi, U.P.
© Subir Basak/Getty Image
Rangolis and diyas lit up for Diwali. Rangolis and diyas lit up for Diwali
Today the country, as well as Hindu settlements all over the planet, observe the festival of Diwali. Diwali is generally observed as the symbolic victory of good over evil, and light over darkness. The festival of lights dates to prehistoric times, and some accept it as a representation of a successful harvest – with diyas representing the presence of the life-giving sun.
A literal translation of Diwali is ‘row of lights’ or ‘series of lights’. Today just about every neighbourhood in India, among other countries will be lit up with diyas, arranged in artistic geometric designs, simply laid out in rows or sometimes used along with the Rangoli designs.
Manicouagan Crater in Québec, Canada
Thousands of jack fish swimming together at Cabo Pulmo National Park, Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico
Aerial view of the Grotta della Poesia (Poetry's Cave) near Roca, Lecce, Italy
'The Spirit of Harlem' mural by Louis Delsarte in Harlem, New York City
Aerial view of tidal channels in marshland of the Mockhorn Island State Wildlife Management Area, Virginia
Mississippi River on the border between Arkansas and Mississippi
Mineral-laden water in the Rio Tinto in Minas de Rio Tinto mining area, Huelva province, Andalusia, Spain
Ocean waves crashing over a heart-shaped rock island off the coast of Sydney, Australia
