In October or November
The Festival starts two days after the day of the new moon, known as the amasvasya the darkest night of the Hindu lunisolar calendar - and is known in the West as the Festival of Lights. It celebrates resilience, victory and giving, "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance", and in the Hindu calendar is widely associated with Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity, as well as in various regions with many other gods of the Hindu pantheon. It is celebrated by the Indian diaspora world-wide, either in its own right or as a festival alongside those of Jain and Sikh beliefs.
