Contrary to popular beliefs, the festival Diwali is not confined to India. In fact, it is a popular festival in the whole of South-East Asia. The only difference is in the legends that are associated with it. Prionka Jha goes into the myriad and bizzare stories that establish the victory of good over evil. As per the Indian version Lord Rama along with Sita and Lakshma went to an exile for fourteen years. Towards the end of his exile Ravana, the king of Lanka, abducted Sita. To free Sita, Lord Rama fought a fierce battle with Ravana and killed him, his brother Khumbhkarna and son Meghnath. Twenty days later Lord Rama, accompanied with Sita and Lakshmana, returned to Ayodhya completing their long and difficult exile of the forest. His homecoming was an occasion of joy and was celebrated by lighting of ghee diyas, candles in Ayodhya
The myths associated with Diwali, the greatest Hindu festival, have been retold in various countries adopting to their local cultures and legends. But the moral of the story is the same in all the versions --- victory of good over evil. The differences in all these versions in the light of the Indian story are as follows.
As per the Tibetan story Sita was the Ravana’s daughter who abandoned her on the advice of the astrologers. Farmers and cultivators brought her up. Lord Rama abdicated his throne and left for the forest to kill Ravana and Lakshmana assumed kingship.

Burman legend goes back to the 10th century stating that Lord Rama was a very famous Buddhist king. The legend also states that Rama and Sugriva met under the shade of the Bodhi tree.

In Malaysia most of the manuscripts were written after the advent of Islam. And are thus, altered keeping the Islamic tenets and believes in mind. As per the myth King Dasratha was the grandson of Adam. He had two wives, Mandaudari and Baliadari. Ravana asked Dasratha to hand him over Mandaudari, who assumed the status of Ravana’s wife later.
According to the Thai belief the Thai Ramakien states the original story of Lord Rama and Sita. So much so, that the city of Ayuthaya ie Ayodhya has been identified as the kingdom of Lord Rama in Thai Ramakien .The epic further states that on his return to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana, he wanted to reward Hanuman for his services and support. He shot an arrow that fell at the town of Lopburi---- identified as Hanuman’s capital. In India it is believed that Hanuman was a bramachari (celibate) but the Thai epic states that he had many affairs with many apsaras. Finally he got married and had children.
As per the Lao versions, Ravana was King Dasratha’s nephew. Rama, while roaming in the forest in search of Sita, ate the fruit of a particular tree that he was transformed into a monkey. Lord Rama then married a woman turned into a female monkey. As a result Hanuman was born out of this marriage.
The Cambodia belief is slightly different that is--- Sita, in her previous birth was the wife of Lord Indra and was insulted by Ravana. In order to take her revenge she took birth as Ravana’s daughter. Ravana, as advised by his astrologers, abandoned her. But she was discovered by King Janak who brought her up.