Light Across Time: Archaeological Continuity and the Global Rearticulation of Diwali Traditions

Sanya Gupta1* and Sanjib Kumar Singh2

Rooted in the narrative of Diwali, marking the return of Shri Ram to Ayodhya, Deepotsava has, in recent years, expanded into a transnational event, attracting participation from multiple countries and symbolising the global resonance of Indic civilisational values. This evolution invites a deeper archaeological and historiographical inquiry into the antiquity and continuity of lamp-lighting traditions across South Asia. Material evidence suggests that the ritual use of lamps predates textual codification. Excavations from the Harappan have yielded terracotta lamps, indicating an early tradition of controlled illumination, possibly linked to domestic, ritual, or symbolic practices. Similarly, early historic levels at sites like Kaushambi and Ahichchhatra have revealed a variety of lamp forms, ranging from simple saucer lamps to more elaborate spouted types, suggesting an evolution in both function and ritual significance. The recurrence of such artefacts across stratified contexts points to a long-standing cultural emphasis on light as a medium of sacred expression. In this continuum, Deepotsava emerges as a revivalist spectacle of an enduring archaeological tradition. Its global articulation today, through record-setting lamp lightings, digital dissemination, and international participation reconfigures ancient practices within a modern heritage framework. Thus, the festival exemplifies how intangible heritage, anchored in material antiquity, continues to shape and redefine cultural landscapes across temporal and spatial boundaries. This paper highlights how large-scale ritual performances contribute to both the preservation and reinterpretation of tangible and intangible heritage.