Diwali, often called the "Festival of Lights," is more than just a celebration of lights, sweets, and fireworks. As Swami Mukundananda beautifully explains, Diwali is a symbolic victory of the divine over demonic tendencies, both within and around us. In Diwali 2025, while the world prepares for another grand festivity, it's vital to revisit the spiritual significance behind this radiant festival.

As the calendar flips towards Diwali 2025, homes across the world will dazzle with lights, sweets will be exchanged, and fireworks will echo in celebration. But in the midst of this joy, a deeper question quietly arises:

Are we only celebrating externally, or are we also lighting the lamps within?

This guide will provide a comprehensive overview of Diwali 2025's date, time, rituals, significance, and celebration methods, all while drawing deep insight from the timeless teachings of Swami Mukundananda. Let’s illuminate our understanding.

"True Diwali is when we light up our hearts, not just our homes."
— Swami Mukundananda

Let us journey together into the true spirit of Diwali 2025, told through stories, scriptures, and soul-touching reflections.

While most of us associate Diwali with the return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya, Swami Mukundananda brings a higher perspective:

“Deepavali is a synthesis of Deep (lamp) and Awali (rows). But the real lamps we must light are those of knowledge, devotion, and selfless giving.”
- Swami Mukundananda

A guru once gave 100 disciples a balloon each. He asked them to blow it up, write their names, and place them in a room. Then he asked everyone to go find their own balloon.

What followed? Chaos. Balloons popped. Frustration rose. No one found theirs.

Then the guru said:

“Pick up any balloon you find, call out the name, and hand it over.”

Within minutes, peace returned. Every disciple had their balloon.

✅ Lesson?
“Happiness is not in finding your own. It’s in giving someone else theirs.”

That’s the message of Diwali 2025 — to find joy not in taking, but in giving. To light someone else’s life, and watch your own illuminate in return.

Everyone knows that Diwali celebrates the return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya after defeating Ravan.
But what most don’t know is what happened in Lanka, just after that victory.

Swamiji shares:

Lord Shiva descended and bowed before Shri Ram.
“O Lord, save me!” he said.
Ram replied, “Shankarji, I’ve already slain Ravan. What danger do you face?”
Shiva replied:
“Not that Ravan, Maharaj. I fear the Ravan within me — lust, anger, pride, greed, illusion. These demons are harder to kill.”

A silence follows in the satsang hall whenever Swamiji narrates this.

Because deep down, we all know:
The real Ravan is within us.

• The one that clings to resentment
• The one that justifies ego
• The one that whispers, “More... more...” when we already have enough

🔥 Diwali is not just a homecoming for Ram. It’s an opportunity for us to return to our own divine nature.

Swamiji beautifully explains how giving activates the brain chemical serotonin, boosting well-being for both the giver and receiver.

“Even observing someone else give can spark joy within you.”

He shares how wealth, or Lakshmi, is often misunderstood:

The 3 Ways People Relate to Lakshmi Devi:

“See wealth not as yours, but as God’s. You are only the caretaker.”
— Swami Mukundananda

It’s tradition to scrub our homes clean for Diwali.
But what about the home of our soul?

Swamiji urges us to take this moment to declutter the inner dust:

• 🧹 Ego
• 🧹 Envy
• 🧹 Resentment
• 🧹 Laziness
• 🧹 Attachment

“The lamps we light should not just illuminate the walls — they should illuminate our intellect.”
— Swami Mukundananda

Let your first diya this year be lit within.

Swami Mukundananda defines Inner Diwali as the process of:

1. Shedding ignorance
2. Embracing spiritual wisdom
3. Aligning with divine values

“Each diya you light outside should remind you of the flame you must kindle inside.” — Swami Mukundananda

He speaks of 5 Inner Diyas we should light:

🌟 The Diya of Discipline

Without it, no spiritual growth can occur.

🌟 The Diya of Devotion

A heart filled with bhakti makes even darkness divine.

🌟 The Diya of Detachment

Enjoy life, but don’t cling to it. Be in the world, not of it.

🌟 The Diya of Discrimination (Vivek)

Learn to see right from wrong, truth from illusion.

🌟 The Diya of Determination

Spiritual progress needs inner grit. Keep going, even when it's tough.

Another of Swamiji’s stories reveals the right way to approach wealth:

A beggar was offered a business deal by a kind man:
“You keep 90%. Just give me 10% of your profits.”
The beggar agreed — but after growing rich, he forgot the agreement.
The man said, “I gave you everything. You couldn’t give back even 10%?”

Swamiji explains:
"God has given us everything — earth, breath, body, mind. So, we must return by giving away at least 10% of our income in seva."

You’ve heard it before: “It’s better to give than receive.”

But why?

🧠 Science says:

• Giving releases serotonin, the “feel-good” brain chemical
• Watching someone else gives a boost to oxytocin, the “compassion hormone”
• Giving increases longevity, happiness, and physical health

📖 Gita says:

“yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat”
(Sacrifice, charity, and austerity must never be abandoned.)
— Bhagavad Gita 18.5

🕊️ Swamiji says:

“To give is not something noble we do. It’s a privilege bestowed by God.”

Swamiji uses a beautiful metaphor:

“Be a river, not a reservoir.”
Use your blessings to bless others, and you’ll never run dry.

Here’s a simplified and spiritually charged version of the Lakshmi Puja for Diwali 2025:

🪔 Step-by-step Guide

1. Clean the Puja space
   • Place a red cloth
   • Set Lakshmi murti or photo
2. Light a Diya
   • Use ghee if possible
   • Offer 5 inner qualities (love, purity, detachment, humility, service)
3. Offer Naivedyam
   • Sweets, fruits, dry fruits — with gratitude
   • Mentally say: “This is yours, O Divine Mother.”
4. Read a verse from the Gita (Recommended: Gita 9.22)
5. End with Aarti & Gratitude

Pray with sincerity

“Let me not ask for wealth for myself, but for strength to serve with whatever you give.”

Chant a Lakshmi Mantra

“Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah” — 108 times
(Use mala if available)

Each Day of Diwali 2025

Swamiji constantly draws from the Bhagavad Gita to explain Diwali’s deeper meaning.

✨ Selfless Giving

“Yajna-dāna-tapaḥ-karma na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat.”
(Sacrifice, charity, and austerity must never be abandoned.)
— Bhagavad Gita 18.5

✨ Inner Peace

“Tyāgāt śāntir anantaram.”
(Only through renunciation comes peace.)
— Bhagavad Gita 12.12

✨ Divine Trust

“Ananyāś chintayanto māṁ ye janāḥ paryupāsate...”
(To those who are devoted, I carry what they lack and preserve what they have.)
— Bhagavad Gita 9.22

Here’s a guide to transform outer rituals into inner growth:

🪔 Dhanteras

• Buy something symbolic (a diya, scripture, even a pen)
• Begin a new health or spiritual goal

🔥 Choti Diwali

• Reflect: What inner demons do I want to defeat this year?
• Light a lamp in the darkest room of your house — then light one in your heart

🌟 Main Diwali

• Perform Lakshmi Puja with gratitude, not greed
• Say this affirmation:

“Maa Lakshmi, all that I have is yours. Make me a channel of your blessings.”

🍛 Govardhan Puja

• Make a small Annakut offering to Krishna
• Serve someone less fortunate with food or love

👨‍👧 Bhai Dooj

• Call your siblings. Tell them how much you appreciate them
• Repair broken bonds — family is sacred

Diwali isn’t just a festival to celebrate. It’s a chance to pass on values, create memories, and build spiritual samskaras in the hearts of children.

Swami Mukundananda emphasizes inclusive spirituality — engaging the entire family in celebration that touches the soul, not just the senses.

🏠 How to Celebrate a Spiritually Enriched Diwali at Home:

🔸 1. Storytelling with Purpose

Tell your children the stories behind Diwali, but focus on the lessons, not just the legends.

• Why did Ram forgive even Ravan?
• What does light symbolize?
• Who is Goddess Lakshmi beyond gold and gifts?

🔸 2. Family Gita Time

Pick one Bhagavad Gita verse a day during Diwali week. Discuss its meaning together. Try:

• Gita 9.22: “I carry what they lack...”
• Gita 12.12: “Renunciation brings peace.”

Even children can reflect deeply when gently guided.

🔸 3. Inner Diya Activity (Swamiji-inspired)

Have each family member light a diya while naming a virtue they want to cultivate:

• Love
• Patience
• Forgiveness
• Detachment
• Truth

Discuss how you’ll support each other in cultivating that virtue during the year.

🔸 4. Craft + Consciousness

Instead of just rangoli and sweets, help kids:

• Make a handmade gratitude card for grandparents or teachers
• Write a short prayer or poem to Lakshmi
• Create a “light jar” where each day they add a slip of paper with something they did to bring light to someone else’s life

✨ "These are the Diwalis that children remember — not what they wore, but what they felt."

📣 Final Call to Action

🕯️ This Diwali, don’t just scroll through content — transform through it.

✨ 👉 Subscribe to Swami Mukundananda’s YouTube Channel

Join thousands in accessing the Gita wisdom, mind management, bhakti yoga, and transformational guidance that can light your entire year.

✨ "Spirituality blossoms in community." — Swamiji

After your home celebrations, consider joining a temple or satsang-based Diwali to experience the true essence of bhakti, seva, and joy.

🛕 We Recommend: The Grand Diwali 2025 Festival at the Radha Krishna Temple of Dallas

📍 Allen, Texas
📅 October 18–23, 2025
🎉 Event Website →

This year’s events include:

• Lakshmi Puja & Annakut
• Cultural performances
• Youth activities
• Govardhan Leela
• Grand Aarti & Fireworks
• Delicious vegetarian prasadam

💖 "Bring your family not just to witness tradition, but to become part of something timeless."

Diwali Mahotsav 2025 at Radha Krishna Temple of Dallas

A Celebration of Lights, Devotion & Festivities

October 17–21, 2025

Special Events: 24-Hour Akhand Ramayan Paath (Oct 11) | Govardhan Pooja (Oct 21)

राम

💡 Click to light a diya

“Diwali is not just about external lights, but about lighting the lamp of knowledge within our hearts.” — Swami Mukundananda

🚫 No outside fireworks allowed. Only authorized fireworks are permitted.

Swami Mukundananda teaches that Diwali is not a one-day festival. It’s a spiritual declaration — that we will walk toward light every day.

Here’s how you can carry Diwali through the next 12 months:

✨ "This is what it means to celebrate Diwali in the Lord's eyes."

🗓️ When is Diwali in 2025?

Main Diwali falls on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, with Lakshmi Puja in the evening.

🧘‍♂️ What does Swami Mukundananda say about the inner meaning of Diwali?

He teaches that Diwali represents the victory of inner light over inner darkness — a reminder to conquer ego, anger, lust, and pride through bhakti, knowledge, and service.

🌺 How can we celebrate Diwali spiritually with kids?

• Share Ramayan and Krishna Leelas with values
• Engage in family Gita reading
• Perform symbolic rituals with explanations
• Involve them in charity and gratitude activities

💸 What’s the right mindset toward wealth during Lakshmi Puja?

Swamiji advises seeing wealth not as a tool for indulgence, but as a gift from God to be used wisely and generously.

🛕 Where can I attend a community Diwali celebration?

Join the Radha Krishna Temple of Dallas:
👉 https://www.radhakrishnatemple.net/diwali/

📺 Where can I find more teachings by Swami Mukundananda?

👉 Subscribe to his YouTube Channel →
For Gita wisdom, guided meditations, spiritual Q&As, and more.

“O Divine Mother,
I do not ask you for wealth,
But for the wisdom to use whatever I have in service of You.
Let the lamps I light burn away my ego,
Illuminate my mind,
And bring joy to others.
Let this Diwali be not a date on the calendar,
But the dawn of a deeper life.”