History of Diwali: The Legends and the Recorded History of the Festival of Lights

How did Diwali begin?

Diwali has no single founding moment. It most likely grew out of ancient autumn lamp festivals held at the end of the harvest, on the darkest new-moon night of the month of Kartika. Over time, different communities attached their own stories to the same night: Hindus remember Rama's return to Ayodhya, Lakshmi's emergence and Krishna's victory; Jains mark Mahavira's nirvana; Sikhs mark Guru Hargobind's release. The earliest clear written reference is in Emperor Harsha's 7th-century play Nagananda.

• The legends
• Jain history
• Sikh history
• Historical records
• Later history
• FAQ

The legends behind Diwali

These stories come from the Hindu epics and the Puranas. They are told as the reason the lamps are lit, and different regions give pride of place to different ones.

Rama's return to Ayodhya (Ramayana)

The best-known story comes from the Ramayana. Prince Rama of Ayodhya was sent into exile in the forest for 14 years at the command of his father, King Dasharatha, and was accompanied by his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana. During the exile Ravana, the demon king of Lanka, abducted Sita. With the help of Hanuman and an army of vanaras, Rama crossed to Lanka, defeated Ravana and rescued her. His victory is celebrated on Dussehra. When the exile ended and Rama, Sita and Lakshmana returned home, the people of Ayodhya lit rows of lamps to welcome them, and that homecoming is what North India celebrates on Diwali.

The Pandavas' return to Hastinapura (Mahabharata)

A second story, told mainly in parts of North India, links Diwali to the Mahabharata. The five Pandava brothers lost their kingdom to their cousins, the Kauravas, in a rigged game of dice and were sent into exile for 13 years, the last of them in disguise. According to this tradition, they returned to Hastinapura with their mother Kunti and their wife Draupadi on the new moon of Kartika, and their subjects lit earthen lamps across the city to welcome them back.

Lakshmi and the churning of the ocean

The Puranas describe the Samudra Manthan, the churning of the cosmic ocean of milk by the devas (gods) and asuras (demons) in search of amrita, the nectar of immortality. Among the treasures that rose from the ocean was Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and fortune, who chose Lord Vishnu as her consort. Many traditions hold that she emerged on the new moon of Kartika, which is one reason she is worshipped on Diwali night, and why homes are cleaned and lit to welcome her.

Vamana and King Mahabali

King Mahabali, the grandson of Prahlada, was a generous ruler who conquered the three worlds and drove the gods from heaven. Vishnu came to him as Vamana, a dwarf Brahmin, and asked for as much land as he could cover in three steps. When Mahabali agreed, Vamana grew to a cosmic size, covered the earth and the heavens in two steps, and with the third placed his foot on Mahabali's head, sending him to the underworld. Moved by the king's devotion, Vishnu allowed him to return to his people once a year. That return is celebrated as Bali Pratipada the day after Diwali, especially in Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Krishna and Narakasura

Narakasura was a demon king who conquered the heavens and the earth and held thousands of women captive in his palace. Lord Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, defeated him with the help of his wife Satyabhama and freed the prisoners. The victory is remembered on Naraka Chaturdashi, the day before the main Diwali night, and in Tamil Nadu and much of South India this day is Deepavali itself.

Goddess Kali

In the Devi Mahatmya, Kali emerges from the forehead of Goddess Durga during her battle with the demons. In the popular telling, after destroying them her fury could not be stopped until Lord Shiva lay down in her path; when she stepped on him, she halted, which is the image of Kali with her tongue out that is worshipped across Bengal. In Bengal, Assam and Odisha, the Diwali new-moon night is Kali Puja.

Diwali in Jain history: Mahavira's nirvana

For Jains, Diwali marks the day Lord Mahavira, the 24th and last Tirthankara, attained nirvana at Pawapuri in present-day Bihar. Jain tradition dates this to 527 BCE, though some scholars place Mahavira in the 5th century BCE, as a contemporary of the Buddha. According to Jain tradition, the kings gathered there lit lamps to mark the passing of his light of knowledge, which is the Jain explanation of Diwali's lamps.

Diwali in Sikh history: Bandi Chhor Divas

Sikh involvement in Diwali begins with Guru Amar Das, the third Guru, who built an 84-step well (baoli) at Goindwal and made Baisakhi and Diwali occasions for Sikhs to gather there.

The festival's main Sikh meaning comes from Guru Hargobind, the sixth Guru, who was imprisoned in Gwalior Fort by the Mughal emperor Jahangir. Sikh tradition holds that when he was released, he secured the freedom of 52 imprisoned kings by letting them hold on to the tails of his robe as he walked out, and returned to Amritsar during Diwali. The year of his release is debated; accounts range from about 1612 to 1619. Sikhs call the day Bandi Chhor Divas, "the day of release of prisoners", a name formally adopted in the Nanakshahi calendar in 2003.

Amritsar's own story is tied to these years: its sacred tank was completed in 1577 under Guru Ram Das, and the foundation stone of the Harmandir Sahib, the Golden Temple, was laid in December 1588 by the Sufi saint Mian Mir at Guru Arjan's invitation. Today the Golden Temple is lit with lamps and fireworks for Bandi Chhor Divas.

The historical record: Diwali in texts, inscriptions and travellers' accounts

Alongside the legends, written sources show Diwali being celebrated across India for well over a thousand years, under names such as Dipapratipadotsava, Dipamalika and Dipotsava, all meaning a festival or garland of lamps.

Together these records show that the core of Diwali, lamps lit on the new moon of Kartika with clean homes, new clothes and feasting, has stayed remarkably constant for over a millennium.

Later history and modern milestones

King Vikramaditya and the Vikram Samvat

Popular tradition says Diwali marks the coronation of the legendary King Vikramaditya of Ujjain, who is credited with founding the Vikram Samvat calendar era in 57 BCE after defeating the Shakas. The link survives because the Vikram Samvat year begins the day after Diwali in Gujarat, where it is New Year's Day. Historians, however, treat Vikramaditya as legendary: no inscription or coin confirms a king of that name in the 1st century BCE, and the era was only linked to his name from around the 9th century CE.

Swami Dayananda Saraswati

The reformer Swami Dayananda Saraswati, who founded the Arya Samaj in 1875, died on the morning of Diwali, 30 October 1883, at Bhinai near Ajmer. Arya Samaj followers observe Diwali as his Nirvan Divas.

UNESCO recognition

In December 2025, Deepavali was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, becoming India's 16th element on the list. Read more key facts on the About Diwali page.

For how the festival is celebrated today, see Diwali traditions and customs and Diwali celebrations across India.

History of Diwali: frequently asked questions