Namaste!

Welcome to The Story of Diwali!

Diwali is the biggest and one of the most important festivals South Asians celebrate every year, also marking the beginning of the Indian New Year.

Tonight, we welcome you to Ayodhya to meet the family and learn of the story that has been told for over 1000s of years.

The legend comes from the Hindu epic, Ramayana. According to it, Diwali marks the day Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana return to Ayodhya after 14 years in exile.

Exiled by his own father King Dasharatha, Rama, his wife Sita and his brother, Laxmana, faced various hardships as they traveled through the forest. While in exile, Sita is kidnapped by Ravana, a powerful demon king.

Rama and Laxmana, along with an army led by Hanuman, the monkey God, traveled to Lanka to rescue Sita.

In the fight of good over evil, Rama defeated Ravana, and rescued Sita. The three then began the journey home to Ayodhya.

Upon their return, the people of Ayodhya placed oil lamps to light their path. The ritual of lighting oil lamps is an integral part of Diwali celebrations to this day.

Tonight, we welcome you to Ayodhya to experience the story of Diwali, a tale that celebrates loyalty, good over evil, and family.

THE STORY OF DIWALI

Inspired by the Ramayana

Adapted by Amee Vyas

Lord Ram - Haroon Khan

Kaikeyi/Sita/Suparnaka/Hanuman - Mala Bhattacharya

Valmiki/King Dasaratha/Bharat/Lakshman/Ravan - Muhsin Ahmad

The Story of Diwali is presented by Create Dunwoody in partnership with East by Southeast, Dunwoody Nature Center, and Stage Door Theater.