Diwali Nov 12, 2023

Diwali

Diwali, the five-day festival of lights, holds significance in Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism. It is celebrated widely both in India, and in countries across the world with an Indian diaspora. The name "Diwali" comes from the Sanskrit term "Dipavali," which means "row of lights," and the heart of the festival lies in the oil lamps, or "diyas," which illuminate homes and public spaces. They create a dazzling spectacle symbolizing the triumph of knowledge over ignorance and good over evil. The city of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, India, pictured in today"s image, hosts one of the world"s largest displays of oil lamps. Hundreds of thousands of diyas are lit on the banks of the Sarayu River during Diwali.

© SANJAY KANOJIA/AFP/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Nov 12, 2018Honoring those who served
Nov 12, 2019Sleep tight, little hedgehog
Nov 12, 2020Upstate autumn
Nov 12, 2021Beavers Bend
Nov 12, 2022Alaska Bald Eagle Festival
Nov 12, 2024Arches National Park anniversary
Nov 12, 2025Colosseum, Rome, Italy

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jan 8, 2018Gardens by the Bay nature park, Singapore
May 1, 2019Purple flowers and Golden Week
Apr 17, 2018The Children’s Cultural Festival in Reykjavik begins today
Mar 29, 2023Manatee Appreciation Day
Jun 24, 2021The call of the wild in Alaska
Feb 21, 2020Carnival comes to Olinda
Apr 30, 2025International Jazz Day
Apr 9, 2021A timeless view of the night sky
Jan 12, 2025Crescent-tail bigeye fish, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Aug 27, 2023Jeju Island, South Korea
Dec 15, 2018A long winter’s nap, perhaps?
Aug 4, 2020Into the woods
Dec 3, 2021Frost on autumn leaves
Jun 9, 2024Bardenas Reales Biosphere Reserve and Natural Park, Spain
Jan 24, 2023Colle Santa Lucia, Dolomites, Italy
Sep 20, 2022Sea Otter Awareness Week
Mar 10, 2021Commemorating the life of a famous railroad conductor
Feb 24, 2018A red fox on the Swiss side of the Jura Mountain range
Jul 2, 2025Spine-cheeked anemonefish in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
Aug 29, 2019Greetings from Asbury Park
Jul 29, 2020Góða ólavsøku, from the Faroes!
Sep 7, 2021Whale hello there!
Sep 10, 2021Celebrating all things Austen
May 14, 2018Celebrating Bike to Work Week, May 14-18
Jul 21, 2021An octagonal architectural treasure
Sep 18, 2022World Bamboo Day
Mar 4, 2018Australian baobab tree, Kimberley region, Western Australia
Nov 15, 2021Manatee Awareness Month
Aug 6, 2025Kalalau Beach on the Nā Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii
Jul 4, 2019It s Independence Day