The Diwali celebrations begin in India on Monday. The festival of light, also known as Deepawali, is based on the Hindu lunar calendar and falls on the 15th day of the month of Kartik – the darkest night of the year. On this day, Hindus decorate their homes with diya oil lamps, rangoli designs and all kinds of twinkling lights. The celebrations last five days, each dedicated to a festival. Monday is day one: Dhanteras. On this day, people worship the goddess Lakshmi and the god Kubera and pray for prosperity and wealth. Devotees buy new items, including gold coins, gold bars and gold jewelry.