Not many people know that the other name of Diwali is "Naraka Chaturdasi". In Dwapar Yuga, Lord Krishna, the ascendant of Lord Vishnu, killed the notorious demon Narakasura on the same day as that of Diwali.

Narakasura was the son of God Bhoomi. Despite of a great parentage, he possessed devilish tendencies. He used to loot the people of three worlds and due to the supernatural powers he had nobody could stop him. Not only he plundered their valuable things, but abducted the womenfolk too. There was a terror of Narakasura everywhere.

Once Narakasura attacked the heavens to get hold of the army of elephants of Lord Indra. Indra being helpless before the demon, immediately to Lord Krishna to ask for help. Krishna at that time was spending a leisurely time with his wife Satyabhama. In order to fulfill both his duties as a friend and as a husband he took Satyabhama at the battlefield.

On his divine vehicle Garuda (a giant eagle), Lord Krishna set for the fort of Narakasura. His grand fort was guarded by a five headed demon Mura. With his flying discus, Krishna beheaded Mura and then challenged Narakasura to come to fight on the battlefield. It was an easy victory for great Shri Krishna. Narakasura was killed and his son Bhagdatta was taken by Krishna under his supervision on the request of Bhoomi Devi.

The killing of Narakasura again takes us to the message that it is inevitable for virtue and truth to win over vice and evil. The same message Lord Rama portrayed by killing Ravana. Bhoomi Devi herself was happy of the killing of her Son. The acuteness of Narakasura's evil deeds can be guessed from the fact that Lord Krishna had to take an oil bath to get rid of his blood splashes.

It is still a tradition among Hindus to clean the Krishna idols with hot water before burning the effigy of Narakasura. So, along with Lord Rama, Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Krishna too is prayed by the Hindus.