Diwali takes place on Wednesday, Nov. 7, and celebrations are underway in Brampton and Mississauga — home to significant South Asian communities that will celebrate the festival of lights.

The festival is celebrated over a week in India with the main festival observed on the third day in North India, and the second day in South India.

It’s celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and some Buddhists. All four of those religions originate in South Asia, and its followers make up a significant portion of Brampton and Mississauga.

The festival is thought to have originated as a fusion of ancient Indian harvest festivals. A traditional narrative among observing Hindus is that it celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. It’s often linked to the Hindu epic Ramanaya, where Diwali is celebrated as the day that the god Rama returned to the city of Ayodhya after defeating the demon king Ravana.