It has been 88 years since the discovery of the phenomena when Sir C. V. Raman and K. S. Krishnan reported a new type of secondary radiation in nature, which was named after Sir Raman. [1] Little had they known that this would become a momentous discovery in physics. Raman spectroscopy (RS) has transcended all its barriers and has emerged as a technology that has touched lives in all its hues. This spectroscopic technique in all its avatars has proven to be a useful tool that can be applied in all the areas ranging from materials to medicine and can be reckoned as a serious contender among all the other analytical tools. The year 2015, which has been declared as the International Year of Light by the UN General Assembly, celebrates research on light science and its applications; what could have been more befitting than to have a special Journal of Raman Spectroscopy issue that is dedicated to the advances in RS and its various facets. This issue takes the readers through the various review articles encompassing Raman spectroscopic applications to materials, forensics, biology, art and archaeology. In addition, review articles on the offshoots of RS such as SERS, UV resonance Raman and coherent RS have also been presented. The compiled articles for this special issue have been contributed by the groups that have been working in the niche areas of Raman research. They are the authorities in their respective areas and have published large volumes of their work in peer-reviewed journals. It is anticipated that these review articles shall be of immense importance for readers who want to further their knowledge in a particular topic.One of the greatest advantages that RS offers over other analytical tools is its non-invasive and non-destructive nature. This has attributed to its prolific use in the field of art, painting and archaeology. In the first review article, Centeno has highlighted the applications of RS to investigate materials relevant to manuscripts, drawings, prints, paintings and museums. [2] In the next article, Buzzini and Suzuki have highlighted the forensic applications of RS for in situ analyses of pigments and dyes in inks and paints. The authors provide a comprehensive review of the forensic applications of RS towards characterization, discrimination, comparison and identification of trace evidence and questioned documents in the form of paints and ink, respectively. [3] In the subsequent article, de Oliveira Penido et al. discuss the use of RS in forensic toxicology wherein identification of cocaine and other contraband drugs have been carried out. [4] The next review article by Doty et al. provides a comprehensive review on the use of RS for analysing substances found in crime scene such as body fluids, human tissue, bones, gunshot residue, fibre and hair. [5] The articles indicate that the use of RS as a routine tool for forensic investigations may not be a distant dream after all.Applications of RS saw new heights after the discovery of Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS). SERS enabled ana...