10 Stories About Diwali That Every Kid Should Know

Introduction

Remember the days when you used to sit with your Grandmaa and listen to the story of Ravana and Lord Rama, how Lord Rama defeated Demon King Ravana and returned to Ayodhya after 14 years of Vanavasa. 

Those spiritual stories from your Grandmaa connected you to your roots and culture! Unfortunately, your child does not have that exposure. We understand that you two are busy providing your child with the best life, but don’t you want your child to learn about their culture, traditions, and spirituality?

Don’t worry, we have made this easy for you! We have compiled 10 stories about Diwali that can be a part of your bedtime story routine with your little one. Thesestories behind Diwaliwill connect your kids to their roots.

Deepavali Festival History: 10 Diwali Stories for Kids

Even though there are several mythological stories behind the celebration of Diwali, we have covered the 10 most popular Diwali stories that every child will love. So, introduce your culture to your little one with these easy Diwali stories:

1. Return of Lord Rama 

We celebrate Diwali to commemorate the return of Lord Rama, Sita, and Lakshman to Ayodhya. They came back to their kingdom after 14 years, and the people of Ayodhya welcomed them by decorating their houses, lighting diyas, and celebrating together.

Even today, Diwali marks the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya. This is why we clean and decorate our houses, make sweets, and spend time with our family and friends.

2. The Tale of Surpanakha 

When Lord Ram was in the forest with his wife Sita and brother Lakshaman, a witch, Surpanakha, saw them. She immediately wanted to marry Ram and approached him with a marriage proposal. Ram politely declined, saying that he was already married to Sita. Lord Ram asked Surpanakha to go to Lakshaman, his younger brother, with her marriage proposal. 

Lakshaman didn’t want to marry her either, but Surpanakha wouldn’t listen. She got furious that Lakshaman rejected her and turned into her real, evil form. She threatened Lakshaman that she would kill them all. 

Lakshaman, being a brave warrior, didn’t get scared at all. Instead, he took a knife out of his pocket and cut Surpanakha’s nose. 

3. Ram Setu - The Story of Teamwork

When Lord Rama was going to Lanka to rescue his wife Sita from Ravana, he faced a big problem- how to cross the great Indian Ocean? Since there were no planes or ships, they had to find a way to cross the ocean. 

Lord Rama, with this army of Vanars (monkeys) decided to build a bridge, which was called Ram Setu. Hanuman lifted giant boulders as easily as toys, Angad carried heavy rocks on his shoulders, and even the tiniest monkeys brought pebbles. They all wrote “Rama” on the stones, and to everyone’s amazement, the rocks floated instead of sinking!

Even the tiniest squirrel helped, rolling in the sand and shaking it off on the stones. 

This way, they made a bridge till Lanka and saved Mata Sita.

4. Story of Dhanteras

Dhantera or Dhan Trayodashi is celebrated 2 days before Diwali. And there is a very interesting story behind the celebration of Dhanteras.

Dhanteras is the day associated with health, wealth, and prosperity. According to the Puranas, during the Samudra Manthan, many divine treasures emerged. Among them came Lord Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods and the god of Ayurveda.

On Dhanteras, families buy gold, silver, or utensils, believing it brings prosperity. It marks the beginning of Diwali celebrations and reminds us that good health is true wealth.

5. Narakasur and Krishna Story (Story of Bhai Dooj)

A long time ago, there lived a mighty king named Narakasur. But instead of being kind, he became greedy and cruel. He stole treasures, captured kingdoms, and even locked up thousands of innocent women. Everyone was scared of him!

Lord Krishna, decided to stop him. He climbed on his giant bird Garuda and flew to Narakasura’s palace. A big battle began, thunder, roars, and clashing weapons filled the air. But Krishna was brave and strong. With his courage, he defeated Narakasur and freed all the people.

When Krishna came back after defeating the demon king Narakasur, his sister Subhadra did tilak and aarti, praying for her brother’s safety and long life. This is why we celebrate Bhai Dooj.

6. Yam and Yamuna

We all know Lord Yamraj, the god of death. But did you know he had a sister Yamuna? 

Even though they loved each other dearly, Yam was always busy with his duties, but Yamuna wanted to spend time with her brother.

One day, Yamuna decided to invite Yam to her home. She decorated her house beautifully with flowers, made his favorite dishes, and welcomed him with love. She applied a tilak on his forehead and prayed for his long life and happiness.

Yam was deeply touched by his sister’s affection. He told her, “Dearest sister, you have treated me with so much love today. I want to give you a boon, any brother who visits his sister on this day, eats food at her house, and receives her tilak will live a long, happy, and prosperous life.”

From that day on, people started celebrating this bond of love between brothers and sisters. This special day came to be known as Bhai Dooj, celebrated just after Diwali. Sisters pray for their brothers’ well-being, and brothers promise to protect and cherish their sisters forever.

7. The Legend of Goddess Kali

Once upon a time, there was a scary demon named Raktabija. Every time a drop of his blood touched the ground, another demon just like him would grow. The gods tried to fight him, but every time a god tried to kill him, his blood drops would form more demons!

That’s when fierce Goddess Kali appeared. With her sharp eyes and powerful energy, she collected and drank up every drop of blood before it could fall to the earth. Raktabija grew weaker and weaker until finally, Kali defeated him.

Goddess Kali used her wisdom and courage to save the world, and that’s why we light diyas to celebrate her victory over darkness.

8. Goddess Lakshmi Emerged on Diwali

During the samudra manthan, which was done by demons and gods, Goddess Lakshmi emerged on the day of new moon (amavasya). She was the goddess of wealth and prosperity. 

This day, the Amavasya of Kartik month, was celebrated as Diwali and people prayed for Maa Laxmi to come to their home and bless them. This is why we worship Maa Laxmi on Diwali.

9. Govardhan Story

Long time ago, in Vrindavan, people used to pray to Lord Indra for rain. Since everyone in the village did farming, rain was very important for them. 

This made lord Indra very pompous and boastful. So, Lord Krishna decided to break his pride. He asked the villagers to stop worshipping Indra, and instead worship nature and the mountain Govardhan. 

This made Lord Indra very angry. To teach the villagers a lesson, he decided to make it rain non-stop for days. The village started flooding and people ran to Lord Krishna for help. 

Lord Krishna, in all his wisdom, led everyone to the Govardhan Mountain. He lifted the entire mountain on his little finger and gave shelter to the villagers under the mountain. 

Seeing this, Lord Indra realised his mistake and stopped the rain. Ever since, people worship nature and mountain Govardhan after Diwali, for prosperity and happiness.

10. Dev Diwali Story

After Diwali, there is another festival called Dev Diwali, the Diwali of the gods!

This story is about Lord Shiva. Once, a powerful demon named Tripurasura caused chaos everywhere. No one could stop him. Finally, Lord Shiva stepped in. With his mighty bow and arrow, he defeated Tripurasura and brought peace back to the world.

When the gods saw Shiva’s victory, they came down to Earth to celebrate. They lit thousands of diyas along the riverbanks, and it looked like the whole sky was twinkling with joy.

That’s why Dev Diwali is celebrated, it reminds us that even the gods celebrate light, peace, and happiness.

Why You Should Teach Kids the Story Behind Diwali and Diwali History

Teaching kids the Diwali history and the story behind Diwali is more than just sharing traditions, it’s about passing on values of courage, kindness, and valuable life lessons like the victory of good over evil. 

When children hear the Diwali story in English, or read a book about Diwali, they connect with their culture in simple, engaging ways.

The backstory of Diwali, whether it’s Rama returning to Ayodhya, Krishna defeating Narakasura, or Goddess Lakshmi bringing prosperity, help little ones understand why we celebrate Diwali. 

This not only gives children knowledge about their festivals but also helps them take pride in their roots. 

Conclusion

Connecting kids with their customs and culture is essential for their emotional development. When kids learn about the moral stories about Gods and Goddesses, they aspire to be kind, grateful, and generous just like the heroes of these stories.

So, introduce your tiny tots to spiritual and mythology story books to boost their mental and emotional development. If you are looking for ways to teach your kids spirituality, do not forget to check out Mummas, India’s first spiritual learning store for kids. Mummas offers are wide collection of child-friendly best spiritual books with activities that keep kids engaged and entertained for hours on end. 

So, indulge yourself and your child in creative and colourful storybooks from Mummas. Promote their learning and growth.