Lights shimmer and eyes glitter in India at Diwali.  This festival celebrates light and good overcoming darkness.  It is also a time to celebrate prosperity. 

The festival of lights is spread over five days.  Houses sparkle after intensive cleaning.  Bouquets of flowers decorate rooms. Families enjoy traditional treats like Laddu wheat cakes. 

	Photo: Tarun Kant

Cheerful candles, oil lamps, and decorative electric lights twinkle.  Many cities brighten the night sky with fireworks displays.

Diwali is also a time to celebrate fortune and friendship.  Friends and relatives exchange cards and gifts.  Traditional gifts often have Hindu images, such as coins with the elephant-headed god Ganesh.  Items made of silver, as well as homemade sweets and decorations, are also popular gifts.  In recent years, gifts such as electronics, jewelry, and watches have become popular.  Stores create colorful displays to entice crowds of shoppers.

Diwali is about sharing light and spreading warmth.