| REGIONAL CELEBRATIONS
Winter crops are sown and, in Punjab, the day following Diwali is known as tikka when sisters make a paste with saffron and rice and place an auspicious mark on their brother's foreheads as a symbolic gesture to ward off all harm. Likewise, on the second day of the month of Kartik, the Maharashtrians celebration thus exchanges gifts. The celebrations thus actually stretch over nearly five days. For that matter, Diwali begins to herald itself 10 days earlier, with the deafening sounds of crackers burst as “appetizers” by impatient youngsters unable to wait till the actual day!
Here in Maharashtra, it is the thirteenth day of Ashwin, the trayodasi, that is observed as a festival commemorating a young prince whom Yama, the God of Death, had claimed four days after his marriage. Filled, however, with compassion for the luckless youth, the legend goes, Yama promised that those who observed the day would be spared untimely death-and so the lamps that are lit to mark the festival are placed facing south, unlike on other festive days, because south is the direction mythologically assigned to Yama.
For the Bengali and Oriya communities in the east, Diwali means Kali puja (worship of Kali, the aggressive manifestation of Shakti or the all-powerful female force). There are in fact legends that trace Diwali observances to the entire Asian belt including Thailand and China.
In north India people celebrated choti Diwali and bari Diwali (literally, small Diwali and big Diwali) on successive days, and exchange trays of sweets, tasting from each to see which family had the most exotic preparations.
For the adult groups, there is also a custom of indulging in gambling during Diwali, as an omen of the luck that one is going to have in the coming year. It is all in fun, though, in a spirit of light-hearted revelry, and merry making….
Diwali is supposed to be a corruption of the more correct word Dipavali, the literal meaning of which in Sanskrit is ‘a row of lamps. Filling little clay lamps with oil and wick, and lighting them in rows all over the house, is a tradition that is popular in most regions of the country, in the south where the festival is known as Dipavali, the custom of lighting such baked earthen lamps is not so much part of this festival as it is of the Karthikai celebrations a fort night later; and in the north, where Diwali is the word used, most communities observe the custom of lighting lamps.
PLACES TO VISIT
As diwali is the festival celebrated nationwide in India, one can witness the splendid festivities anywhere in the country. But off course the metro cities and the places of northern India celebrate this festival as the coming of the New Year. The display of fire crackers, diya and the preparation of traditional eatables are some of the things one should experience in a lifetime. | 
