Jashn-e Chiragha’n: Tracing Deepavali celebrations in the Mughal Empire

This is that time of the year when Delhi is decorated and decked out like a new bride. Old buildings are draped in twinkling lights, and shop billboards scream for attention. Communities across India celebrate Deepavali in different ways.

For the Jain community, Deepavali marks the nirvana (renunciation) of lord Mahavira, and for the Sikh community, the festival marks Bandhi Chhor Diwas, which commemorates Guru Gobindsingh’s release from Gwalior Fort. Closer home, The walled city has a rich tradition of celebrating this festival. Mughal rulers attempted to make it inclusive to promote regional harmony.

Emperor Akbar started celebrating the festival at Agra Fort and distributed sweets like ghewar, shahi tukda, kheer, peda, and jalebi as greetings. The famous 16th-Century court chronicler Abul Fazl writes in the Ain-i-Akbari that festival celebrations began with Dussehra and continued for several weeks. Akbar strongly believed in syncretic traditions and even translated the epic the Ramayana into Persian.