1. ‘Legends’ associated with Deepawali A ROW OF LIGHTS… Legends: A non-historical or unverifiable story handed down by tradition from earlier times and popularly accepted as historical.

2. ‘Legends’ associated with Deepawali A ROW OF LIGHTS… Legends: A ‘non-historical’ or ‘unverifiable’ story handed down by tradition from earlier times and ‘popularly’ accepted as historical.

3. THE METAPHOR OF LIGHT Astoma Sad GamayaTamso Ma JyotirgamayaMrityorma Amritam Gamaya Lead us from UNREALITY TO REALITYLead us from DARKNESS TO LIGHT Lead us from DEATH TO IMMORTALITY

4. ‘Legends’ associated with Deepawali THE NIRVANA OF MAHAVIRA THE THREE STEPS OF VISHNU THE END OF NARAKASURA THE RETURN OF RAM

5. ‘Legends’ associated with Deepawali THE NIRVANA OF MAHAVIRA THE THREE STEPS OF VISHNU THE END OF NARAKASURA THE RETURN OF RAM

6. THE THREE STEPS OF VISHNU

7. The dwarfed brahmin asks for three steps of land…

8. VISHNU: THE ALL-PERVADING ONE

9. BALI IS SENT BACK TO THE NETHERWORLD

10. THE VAMANA STILL PERVADES….

11. ASSOCIATION OF DIWALI WITH THE VAMANA LEGEND • RETURN OF MAHABALI TO HIS KINGDOM • People of Kerela celebrate the return of the virtuous king back to earth once an year. • LIGHT AS KNOWLEDGE • Vishnu gives the lamp of knowledge to Bali, who returns every year on Diwali to spread the light.

12. ‘Legends’ associated with Deepawali THE NIRVANA OF MAHAVIRA THE THREE STEPS OF VISHNU THE END OF NARAKASURA THE RETURN OF RAM

13. Nirvana of Vardhamana Mahavira Thus people in Bharata every year celebrate "Dipalikaya", to reverently worship the Jinendra on the occasion of his nirvana ("Harivamsha-Purana“, Shaka Samvat 705)

14. Lord Mahavira (599-527BC) The birth to Queen Trishala and King Siddhartha (15th Century Painting)

15. Lord Mahavira (599-527BC) The joys of life The birth His marriage…

16. Lord Mahavira (599-527BC) The joys of life The birth His marriage… …to a teacher of men

17. …to an Example for times to come… Nonviolence, Truthfulness, Non-stealing, Chastity, Non-possession/Non-attachment

18. ‘Legends’ associated with Deepawali THE NIRVANA OF MAHAVIRA THE THREE STEPS OF VISHNU THE END OF NARAKASURA THE RETURN OF RAM

19. THE RETURN OF LORD RAM

20. ESTABLISHMENT OF ‘RAM-RAJYA’

21. ESTABLISHMENT OF ‘RAM-RAJYA’ What is Ram-Rajya? What is its significance?

22. ESTABLISHMENT OF ‘RAM-RAJYA’ ‘ Friends have repeatedly challenged me to define independence. At the risk of repetition, I must say that independence of my dream means Rama-rajya i.e., the Kingdom of God on earth. ’

23. RAM RAJYA ‘ By Ram-Rajya, I do not mean Hindu Raj. I mean by Ramarajya Divine Raj, the Kingdom of God. For me Rama and Rahim are one and the same deity. I acknowledge no other God but the one God of truth and righteousness. ’ ‘ My Hinduism teaches me to respect all religions. In this lies the secret of Ramarajya. ’

24. ‘Legends’ associated with Deepawali ‘A non-historical or unverifiable story handed down by tradition from earlier times and popularly accepted as historical.’ ‘ Whether Rama of my imagination ever lived or not on this earth, the ancient ideal of Ramarajya is undoubtedly one of true democracy in which the meanest citizen could be sure of swift justice without an elaborate and costly procedure. Even the dog is described by the poet to have received justice under Ramarajya. – M. K. Gandhi ’

25. Happy Deepawali Thanks to the Internet, All who generously put stuff on the internet and other ‘want-to-be anonymous’ helpers.