Durga
Maa divulged the secret to Rama on how he could slay the great
Ravana. Hence upon vanquishing the demon Ravana, Lord Rama with
Sita and younger brother Laxmana, returned victorious to his kingdom
of Ayodhya on the day which is called 'Diwali'. Revelers across
northern India re-enact the legend at sundown in a performance
called the Ramlila, featuring actors dressed as Rama shooting
flaming arrows at effigies stuffed with firecrackers.
However,
Bengalis celebrate this festival as a part of their main festival
Durga Puja. This day marks the end of Durga Punja celebration,
the fiest nine being collectively referred to as 'Navratri'. The
festival is dedicated to Mother Goddess Shakti who incarnated
in the form of Goddess Durga, a combined manifestation of the
divine energies of the Holy Trinity - Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh
and all the other devatas, when they summoned her to kill the
mighty demon known as Mahishasur and free the world from his terror.