As the earth spins on its imaginary axis as ususal, ushering in the month of aswini, the people inhabiting the region between the Hindukush and the Arakhan, from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, prepares themselves to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights.

Light has a special meaning and significance in human life. A devout traditional Hindu tends a permanent fire in his house. A modern Hindu keeps a lamp or a zero watt bulb burning in his pooja room. The Lord, the Self of all beings is of the nature of light - jyotisvaroopah.

The early Vedic Rishis chanted: lead from darkness to light,
from death to deathlessness. The ultimate reality,
the consciousness, the Brahman is pure light.
It is in the light of that consciousness everything
that falls in the field of experience, including the sun
and the moon, is illumined. He alone shines in
his resplendent glory, and everything
else shines after him.

Chinmaya Jyoti, Vol.2, No.5, November 1980, pg.3
Swami Bodhananda