Today, Hindus celebrate Diwali, victory over evil

Today, Hindus around the globe will celebrate one of their most important holidays, Diwali, or Deepavali, a festival of lights that's also a new year's celebration.

Diwali begins on the date of a new moon between mid-October to mid-November - around the end of the harvest season for most of India - and marks the start of a new fiscal year for businesses there.

It's an official holiday not just in India, but in neighboring Nepal and Sri Lanka, as well as some other Asian countries.

Traditionally, on the first day families light lamps to represent the victory of good over evil, share sweets and other gifts, wear new clothes, and pray to be visited by Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of good luck. Watching dancing or fireworks can also be part of the festivities.

Locally, Indians also see Diwali as a time to take pride in the culture. Traditions vary as to how long the celebration period lasts - often three or five days, but sometimes for weeks.

Events are being held throughout the region, such as a celebration at the Great Court at Drexel University on Saturday. Students from the region will gather at the Chestnut Street location for a three-course Indian dinner.

The Drexel event includes a competition of Rangoli, or art designs usually created on floors as signs of good luck - and to provide a welcome area for Hindu deities.

The region's Indian population grew enormously last decade, doubling to more than 80,000 in South Jersey and Southeastern Pennsylvania, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. The nation's Asian Indian population grew 70 percent, to more than 2.8 million, over the decade.

New Jersey has the nation's third-largest Indian population, behind California and New York. Pennsylvania ranks eighth.

While those of Chinese descent are still the largest Asian immigrant group in the United States, Indians outnumber them in 25 states, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

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