1. Ram Returns To Ayodhya:
In most of Northern India, Diwali celebrations mark the triumphant return of Lord Ram to his homeland Ayodhya. The people of Ayodhya welcomed their just and victorious king by lighting diyas on Diwali.

2. Lakshmi Puja: The most important rite of Diwali is the Lakshmi and Ganesh puja. This puja is done on the darkest night of the year, that is the no moon day of Ashwin maas (a month of the lunar calendar). The house is cleaned thoroughly, rangolis are drawn and diyas lighted. Lakshmi Puja is done at night amidst diyas.

3. The New Year: For Indian businessmen, Diwali is the starting of the new financial year. They close their books for the last year and begin new books on this day. Many people renovate and paint their houses before Diwali because it is marked as the beginning of Hindu new year.

4. Kali Puja: In Bengal, Odisha and some parts of Bihar, Mahakali or Nishi puja is celebrated on the night of Diwali. This is supposed to be the day on which, Parvati took her Kali avatar and started chopping of the heads of asuras. Kali puja starts late at night and is concluded in the wee hours of the morning.

5. Guru Nanak: Not only Hindus but Sikhs too celebrate Diwali. This is because, on this day Guru Hargobind Ji, the sixth guru of the Sikhs was released from prison along with 62 Hindu kings. After his release from incarceration, he payed a visit to Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib). All the people of Amritsar welcomed him by lighting candles and lamps.

6. Lord Mahavira: Many people believe that Lord Mahavira attained his moksha or nirvana on the 15th of October which is roughly the time around which Diwali is celebrated.

7. The Light Of Hope: A deeper spiritual meaning of Diwali comes from the fact that it is the darkest night of the year. So, to dispel the darkness of ignorance and hopelessness, people light diyas on Diwali. They also burst fire crackers to ward off evil spirits.

These are some of the deep seated spiritual reasons behind the bright Diwali celebrations.

On the day of Diwali, when the rest of the nation will be busy celebrating Diwali, Bengal along with some parts of Assam and Orissa will celebrate Kali Puja. This dichotomy in Indian culture is absolutely mind boggling. On one hand we have the festival of lights, Diwali. On the other hand, people worship the Dark Mother, Kali.

The main difference is that of deity. The rest of India does Ganesha and Lakshmi puja on the day of Diwali. But in the Eastern parts of the country, Goddess Kali is worshipped with great pomp and show. Let us delve a little deeper into this difference.

History Of Kali PujaDiwali
You may not be aware of the fact that most of the pujas in Hinduism are not based on the Vedas. They are based on individual traditions. Bal Gangadhar Tilak started the Ganapati festival in Maharashtra to foster nationalism and it has been a custom ever since. In a similar way, Raja Krishnachandra who was the king of Navadipa started this Bengali puja of Mahakali in the 18th century. The tradition was carried forward by his descendants and the other wealthy zamindar families in Bengal.

As this puja was basically under the patronage of the rich and famous, it survived on a grand scale. Today, Kali puja is second in grandeur only to Durga puja in Bengal.

 The Myth Of Mahakali

There is always mythical story to explain our rituals or pujas. So it is for kali puja. Once upon a time, two asuras, Sumbho and Nishumbho plagued the Earth and the Heaven. Thus the gods prayed to Goddess Durga who is the eternal Shakti of the Universe. To answer their prayers, Kali was born from the forehead of Durga.

Kali attached the errant asuras with a 'khara' which is kind of twisted sword in her hand. Once she started slaying the asuras, her thirst for blood was aroused. She made a garland of the heads of dead asuras and wore around her neck. Then she started slaying anyone who came in her way. To soothe her anger, Shiva (who is her husband) lay in her path. When she stepped on her husband in her fury, she stuck her tongue out in regret. Her fury ended at than moment and that is why she is portrayed with her tongue stuck out and her foot on Shiva.

The Dark Mother

To outsiders, Kali might seem like a very fierce and fearsome goddess. But for her devotees, she is the dark mother. Although she is a Tantrik goddess worshipped, people worship her at home. Kali puja happens at midnight on the amavasya or no moon night of Kartik maasa (a month in the Indian lunar calendar). She is like an all powerful mother who shall rise to protect her children against evil. Earlier she was worshipped to get protection and victory in war. Now she is evoked to avoid droughts, floods and other natural calamities.

The fact that Kali puja coincides with Diwali is a perfect example of India's composite culture.