Twenty Days to Diwali: Season 4 Begins

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! Dharma Katha · Season 4: The Road to Diwali · Episode 120 Yesterday, in towns across North India, a giant figure of paper and bamboo stood in an open field, ten heads tall. Someone lit an arrow. The fire climbed the figure, the crackers inside it went off one after another, and the crowd cheered as Ravana burned. And this morning, the field is empty. Ash, wet grass, a few children looking for anything left unburned. The battle is over. So what happens now? Missed the previous story? Listen to Episode 106 first. Source note. Label: tradition. The twenty-day reckoning between Dussehra and Diwali, and the link of Diwali to Rama's return, are popular tradition; Valmiki's Ramayana names neither festival, and in the Yuddha Kanda Rama returns by the Pushpaka. Festival dates for 2026 are from published almanacs such as drikpanchang.com: Papankusha Ekadashi on October 22, Sharad Purnima on October 25, Karwa Chauth on October 29, and Diwali on November 8. The beginning of Kartik differs between the purnimanta and amanta calendars; that will be explained in its episode. The reflections are my own. Note: this episode is narrated with an AI voice and the script was written with AI assistance. Sanskrit verses are checked against published editions; corrections are welcome.