Diwali is fast approaching. While sacred for Hindus, it offers visual delights for non-Hindus. As I await the viewing of the annual motorcade with some enthusiasm, I think about Hindu art and the intrinsic deliberateness in making objects and images to aid in devotion. I think about the richness of the iconography of Hindu art whether in a representation of Lakshmi or another god/goddess. I also think about the Ceylonese/Sri Lankan scholar Ananda K Coomaraswamy (1877-1947) whose research and writing upturned Western pejorative notions about Hindu art and consequently paved the way for Western understanding and its occasional influence on non-Hindu art and art practices.