North India

As Diwali is supposedly celebrated on the occasion when Lord Rama along with wife Sita and brother Lakshman returned to his capital Ayodhya, after defeating and killing the evil King Ravana and spending fourteen years in exile. It was a new moon day of the Kartik season. His homecoming was thus greatly celebrated with lights, fireworks, bursting of crackers and merriment. This tradition of Diwali celebration continued to be observed to this day in the northern states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar and the surrounding areas where huge effigies of Ravana are burned implying Lord Rama s annihilating of the demon king. Thus the Diwali nights in these areas, are nights of fireworks and crackers. They are burnt all night long to celebrate the occasion.