Diwali is one the most well-known Indian festivals and is often referred to as the Festival of Lights. The word itself means "rows of lighted clay lamps." It is a five day celebration marked with bright colors, oil lamps, feasts, and sparklers. Diwali occurs on the 15th day of the Hindu month of Kartika (during October/November in the Gregorian calendar). Homes, courtyards, and rooftops are commonly decorated with small oil lamps (called diyas). Rangoli, a form of colorful sand painting, adorns doorsteps.
