The word Diwali (or Deepavali) literally means “row of lights”. At dusk rows of deepas, small earthenware lamps filled with oil, decorate houses inside and out and are dotted along the parapets of temples. Devotees also set them adrift on rivers and streams.
It was on the evening of this day that Lord Rama returned to His kingdom, Koshala. With his huge army headed by Hanuman the Lord triumphantly entered Ayodhya, His capital, having rescued His beloved wife, Sita, from the demon-king Ravana.
Although the night was dark, Rama’s overjoyed subjects illuminated the entire city with lamps to receive their Lord with great pomp, splendour and celebration.
Symbolically, the festival of Diwali represents the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance. As Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita:
“One who does good, My friend, is never overcome by evil.”
Source: https://ramaiswami.com/diwali-4/
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