Deepavali Festival - The Festival of Lights in Bangalore
The importance of Deepavali or Diwali for the Hindu's is found in the Ramayana, a Hindu religious text. It celebrates the return of Lord Rama with, Sita and Lakshmana after defeating King Ravana who kidnapped the beautiful princess Sita and held her captive in his fortress in Sri Lanka.
The illumination of the city of Bangalore during Diwali is similar to the decorations of Ayodhya. As in many other parts of India, millions of Hindu's participate in this celebration; the streets of Bangalore are packed with people at this time of year as it hosts one of the most spectacular celebrations in India.
The Diwali Festival falls between mid-October and mid-November and is celebrated for five days according to the Hindu calendar. As mentioned earlier the festival has extensive association with Hindu scripture but the festival is also important for farmers throughout the country as it falls during the end of the harvesting season. They conduct a religious offering known as the Lakshmi Puja to give thanks to the gods.
As this is the Festival of Lights, there are many beautiful decorations to be seen on the streets of Bangalore, colourful paper lanterns known as kandils or diyas are a traditional part of Diwali decorations. Rangoli is a multi-coloured motif that is prepared in front of almost every house in the city during the festival, it is made out of coloured powder and clay lamps are arranged in the periphery to make it even more beautiful.
Visitors staying at 5 star Bangalore hotels such as the Alila Banglore Hotel will be able to savour some of the best Indian cuisine during this period including delicious sweets which are customarily exchanged among neighbours and friends during the period. Bangalore luxury hotels will also conduct cultural events during Diwali for the benefit of their international guests.