Answer:
My dear Viktor,
In your previous letter you asked me to describe one of our festivals. Dear friend, Diwali is our most sacred and colourful festival. It is a festival of lights. It is celebrated at the end of the rainy season and the beginning of the winter season. It is celebrated all over India in honour of Lord Rama’s return to Ayodhya after a long exile in the forest.
Great preparations are made many days before the festival. The houses and shops are painted, well cleaned and gaily decorated. In every house sweets are prepared or purchased from the market. Sweets are exchanged among friends and relatives.
The day itself is marked with great rejoicing and merry making. At night, Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, is worshipped in every Hindu home and everybody prays for health and wealth. Some people illuminate their houses with multicoloured electric bulbs. The children specially enjoy this festival. They get toys, sweets and delicious dishes to eat. They explode crackers and indulge in fun and frolic. There is nothing to equal it in any religion or country.
Yours Sincerely,
