Photo of the Day 15 August 2008


Diwali Observance, Jaipur, India, 2001
Photograph by Joe McNally
Two women observe Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, at the ancient palace of the maharaja in Jaipur. The festival lasts five days and celebrates the victory of good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance. During Diwali, buildings and waterways are lit with candles and oil lamps, the earliest forms of artificial lighting after campfires.