[Beerinkol]

Happy Deepavali to all of you.
We celebrate every year birthday for our body, because the body was born on a particular day and we are constantly aware of only the body. But there is a subtle aspect beyond the body which in scientific language is "Consciousness" and the religous word is "God" and Vedic name is "Brahman or Atman".
Do we celebrate birthday for our inner "Self". This inner Self is like a light that gives us "life'. Deepavali is the birthday of that inner light, which most of the time we are not aware of. Our wise ancestors understood the importance of being aware of our inner Self or light and hence made us celebrate Deepavali, which means to be "Aware of the inner light". For our body's birthday we blow "off " light, because this body will also one day blow off. But on Deepavali we lit "light" which is to remind us of the inner light.
Knowing this inner light, one understands inner peace or joy or Ananda. This is symbolized by eating and distributing sweets and the joy of eating sweets does not equal to one zillionth of the joy knowing our inner Self. Light removes darkness of Ignorance and that is symbolized of gods killing Asuras or demons.
The Mahalakshmi is the symbol of light and she is described as Hiranya varna, the color of the bright golden light. Mahalakshmi pooja is done on deepavali days to remind of this wealth of light in us. Knowing this inner light is the real wealth or lakshmi. All other wealth gives comfort to the body and Lakshmi to the Atma.
So friends do not celebrate deepavali as a mere ritualistic festival. Deepavali is the birthday of your "Inner Self, the guiding Light". Happy (Birthday) Deepavali to all of you.
More details in http://sakthifoundation.org/deepavali.htm