US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, extends greetings on Diwali

US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, on Saturday extended wishes on the occasion of Diwali.

"Happy Diwali to everyone celebrating the victory of light over darkness. May you have a joyous Festival of Lights!," Pompeo wrote on Twitter.

Diwali is observed on the 15th day of Kartik, the holiest month in the Hindu lunar calendar and it is believed that on this day Lord Rama (the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu) returned from a 14-year-long exile, during which he fought and won a battle against the demon king Ravana.

People across India and around the world celebrate the festival by decorating their houses, exchanging gifts, and offering prayers in order to commemorate the "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance".