Diwali commonly referred to as “The Festival of Lights”, denotes the triumph of good over evil and the overcoming of darkness by the light. Diwali also symbolizes the elimination of ignorance by knowledge and wisdom. Commonly known as Deepavali or Divali, this festival is celebrated over a period of five days.
Diwali usually falls in the month of “Kartika” in the Hindu calendar, which is between mid-october and mid-november. Although this festival is associated with Goddess Lakshmi, the giver and bearer of wealth and prosperity, different cultures associate it with Goddess Durga, Kali, Dhanvantari or Sita and Ram, Lord Vishnu, Krishna, Yama, Yami and Vishwakarma.
Diwali can be traced to the Indian sub-continent courtesy of the early Sanskrit texts. This five day festival commences after the twentieth day of Dusshera, thus beginning the five days of celebration, revolving around Diwali.
- Dhanteras marks the beginning of Diwali. It is a common belief among Hindus that household items bought during this day, bring about prosperity and good luck.
- Narakachaturdashi marks the second day of this festival. It is also known as “Choti Diwali” and this day is also celebrated as proper Diwali among certain communities in Southern India.
- The third day is the grand occasion and is celebrated as proper Diwali and Lakshmi Puja. It is also the bringer of the darkest night of the month.
- Goverdhan Puja falls immediately after Diwali and it symbolizes the sacred relationship between husband and wife.
- “Bhai-dooj” or “Bhai-Tika” marks the end of Diwali and this day is dedicated to celebrating the bond between a sister and her brothers. This day, among certain craftsmen and artisans of the Hindu and Sikh communities is also celebrated as Vishwakarma puja, Vishwakarma being the God of all things mechanical, modern and ancient.
Meaning and Significance of Diwali
Diwali is derived from the Sanskrit words “Dipavali” in which “ Dipa” refers to “Diya” or a lamp, candle or lantern and “avali” means a continuous row, thereby translating together as a row or a series of light.
One of the most significant connotation of Diwali is it being symbolic of knowledge or light illuminating the darkness of the night. Hence, it is celebrated as the occasion where ignorance is over come by the light of knowledge and wisdom. Diwali also marks the end of the lunar month, Ashwin and the beginning of the month of Kartika as per the Hindu calendar.
Nevertheless, Diwali is not just celebrated by the Hindus, but it is also celebrated by the Jains as the day of the final spiritual liberation of Mahavira. The Sikhs celebrate it as “Bandi chhor divas” or the day their revered saint Guru Hargobind was freed by the Mughal emperor from prison. The Bengali community celebrate Diwali as Kali Puja in which they worship the Goddess Kali. Among the Nepalese population of India and Nepal, this festival is referred to as “Tihar” and among the Buddhists it is called “Swanti”.
Diwali – Its various stories of origin
The story of origin of Diwali dates back to the Ramayana. Lord Rama the incarnation of Lord Vishnu was the rightful ruler of Ayodhya, but due to some family politics he was sent for “Vanvaas” alongwith his wife Sita. Vanvaas implied that they were forced to live in the forest as ascetics for a period of fourteen years. Seeing this injustice happen to Rama, his brother Lakshmana insisted that he join his brother and his sister in law for their Vanvaas.
Lord Rama ran into many friends and foes, during this period, the most talked about being Ravana a powerful ruler of Sri Lanka. Ravana fell for Sita and when he knew she was married, blinded by his power, he kidnapped her. Lord Rama was furious and with the help of his brother and ardent devotee Lord Hanumana, along with other allies, defeated and killed Ravana.
After much trials and tribulations he got his wife back and soon his stipulated time period in the forest also ended. Lord Rama being a just and benevolent leader was welcomed to Ayodhya with numerous diyas, as a triumphant return of the rightful King.
It was this night that later came to be celebrated as Diwali, the night where light overcame the dark and the triumph of good over evil. Among the Hindus of South India this day marks the victory of Lord Krishna. Another incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Lord Krishna is said to have defeated and killed the demon Narakasura.
This demon was the king of Pragjyotishepura and had created havoc among his subjects. Being an exceptionally powerful ruler none dared to oppose him, hence Lord Krishna challenged and killed the demon, also rescuing sixteen thousand females kept in captivity by Narakasura.
Diwali, also commonly known as Lakshmi Puja, is associated with the goddess of prosperity and wealth. Goddess Lakshmi was born from “Samudra Manthana”, which was the churning of the ocean by the “Devas” or the Gods and the “Asuras” or the Demons.
The ocean was churned using Mount Mandara as the churning rod and “Nagaraja Vasuki”, or the king of snake was used as the churning rope. A number of divine things were released as a reult of this Manthana and Goddess Lakshmi was also born out of this event. Diwali, therefore, commemorates the day Goddess Lakshmi chose to wed Lord Vishnu.
In the eastern regions of the Indian sub-continent, Hindus celebrate Diwali in reverence to the goddess of “Shakti” or power, Kali Mata. Among certain trade and merchant families of India, Diwali also celebrates goddess Saraswati, or the goddess of knowledge, learning and wisdom. Kubera, or the God in charge of the divine treasury, accounting and capital management, is also worshipped on this day.
Diwali among the Jains
Among the Jain community Diwali is observed as “Mahavira Nirvana Divas”. This day marks the physical death of Mahavira, wherein he attained nirvana. There were eighteen kings who attended the final teachings of Mahavira and the proclaimed that there entire kingdoms be lit with lamps, in memoriam of the spiritual light of Mahavira. This, according to Jainism began their tradition of celebrating the festival of light.
Diwali among the Sikhs
Diwali marks three important landmarks in the Sikh religion. It is the day the city of Amritsar was founded in 1577.
Next in line, is the release of Guru Hargobind imprisoned by a Mughal Emperor. Guru Hargobind was the prisoner in the Gwalior Fort Prison and it was on this day he was freed and he arrived at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
Finally, this day marks the martyrdom of Bhai Mani Singh in 1738. Bhai Mani Singh staunchly refused to convert to Islam, under the Mughal Empire and also tried to celebrate Diwali for which a fine was levied onto him but he was unable to pay it. Eventually, he was martyred and the Sikh community still revere him on the occasion of Diwali.
The Elaborate Celebration of the Five Day Festival- Diwali
- Dhanteras – The first day: Dhanteras is a compound word consisting of, “Dhan” meaning wealth and “teras” meaning thirteen. The number thirteen signifies the thirteenth day or the fortnight of Karthik. It also marks the beginning of the five day festival of Diwali.
People clean their homes and surroundings during this day and puts rows of Diyas or earthen lamps to illuminate and brighten the night skies. Theses brightly lit diyas, illuminate the workplaces and homes. People buy household items and utensils specifically on this day, as it is considered auspicious. In the evenings people pray to Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha. Offerings of sweets and flowers are made to the deities during the prayer.
Legend has it that the term “Dhan” also refers to “Dhanvantari”, the Goddess of health and healing, who was born along with Goddess Lakshmi during “Samudra Manthana”, the event of churning of the ocean.
People who practice Ayurveda are seen performing “ Yagya”, or offering prayers to Goddess Dhanvantari during Dhanteras.
- Chhoti Diwali –The second day: “Chhoti” or little Diwali kis also known as “Narakachaturdashi”. “Naraka” translates to hell and “chaturdashi” is the fourteenth. This day is observed as an auspicious occasion to perform various rituals, for the emancipation of the soul from the sufferings of hell. This day in other words is considered sacred for the soul.
In many Hindu communities this day is considered a scared time to light the path of dead ancestors, in their spiritual journey. People perform rituals and offer light, water and prayers to their ancestors, for a brightly lit and peaceful after life.
“Narakachaturdashi” is also the day celebrants purchase a variety of festive foods and sweets. Many households prepare various confectionary items, such as barfis, shreekhand, sandesh and halwa. Shops are decorated and they sell various sweet items such as rasgulla and laddus.
Families also visit their relatives, friends and business associates during this day. Among some of the Hindu communities of Tamil Nadu, Goa and Karnataka, this day is celebrated as Diwali and younger members of the family receive an oil massage from the elders of the family, after which they take a ritual bath before sunrise.
- Diwali –The third day: the darkest fortnight of the festival, Diwali is the third day when the five day long festival reaches its zenith. The entire Indian subcontinent is lit during this occasion and this includes the Hindu, Jain and Sikh Temples.
The elders of the family receive visits from the younger members. There is exchange of gifts and pleasantries. Workers, labourers and employees receive Diwali bonus from their employers.
People clean and decorate their workplace during this day. They also perform puja celebrations during this day in their workplace. Some shops remain closed or close early so that they can enjoy more family time. The major difference between Diwali and many other Hindu festivals is the fact that unlike other auspicious occasions, people do not fast during this day but instead they feast on sweets and delicacies.
The festive spirit is high as the evening approaches. Celebrants, after finishing their preparation take a bath and wear new clothes. Many communities prefer to wear their traditional attire and the children, can be seen especially excited for the festival of light and happiness.
The family members finally gather together for Lakshmi puja. Prayers and offerings are made to Goddess Lakshmi by the family. Other Gods and Goddesses such as Ganesha, Saraswati, Ram, Laxman, Sita and Hanumana are also worshipped and revered during this puja.
The prayer comes to a crescendo with “aarti”. After this the elders of the family give blessings and sweets to the younger ones and now the puja diya or lamp is used to light all the diyas or lamps placed in rows in the house. Once the entire house and the surrounding areas are brightly lit people come out and light fireworks, exchange gifts and pleasantries with their neighbours and relatives. Diwali is the grandest celebration, where everyone celebrates the festival by giving sweets and gifts ti their loved ones.
Among the Bengali Hindu community, this day is celebrated as Kali Puja. Goddess Kali being te symbol of “Shakti” or power, and the reign of the supreme power over evil. The rituals and celebration of Diwali is seemingly alike with Lakshmi Puja and the only difference is that the main focus here is the worship and emphasis on Goddess Kali.
The cleaning and lighting of diyas at home is significant in Diwali, as it is to ensure that Lakshmi enters people’s homes and it is a common belief that Goddess Lakshmi presides in homes that are clean and brightly lit. This cleaning of homes and offices is also symbolic of the monsoons and its process of cleaning and purifying the surrounding areas.
- Govardhan Puja – The fourth day: The day after Diwali is the onset of the bright fortnight, of the lunisolar calendar. This Puja is known by different names among the different communities of India, namely:
Padwa
Annakut
Bali padyami
Kartik shukla pratipada
Bali pratipada
This day has different reference stories and some of them are as follows:
This day is celebrated among various Hindu communities as the day Lord Vishnu defeated the mighty Bali. Bali was a King who was immensely powerful and could not be defeated by any mortal being. Hence, the Gods had to descend to defeat this powerful King.
Govardhan Puja is also symbolic of the day Lord Shiva and his wife Goddess Parvati, engaged in a game of “dyuta” or dice, in a board of twelve squares and thirty pieces. Lord Shiva eventually lost the game and had to surrender his adornments and attire to Goddess Parvati. This metaphorical tale symbolized the female pro-creative energy.
The twelve squares in the dice board are the number of months and the thirty pieces, indicate the number of days in a month.
This day celebrates the bond between a husband and wife, in some communities the husbands give gifts to the wives. Usually, parents invite their son-in-law or daughter-in-law and enjoy a family meal together.
Among the Hindus in the central region and the North West of India, this day is celebrated as Govardhan Puja, or the day in reverence of Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna is said to have saved the farming and animal herding communities against great floods and heavy rainfall. Therefore, cow dung miniature mountains are made to honour Lord Krishna during Govardhan Puja .
- “Bhai-Dooj” or “Bhai-Tika –The final day: The final day or the fifth day of Diwali is celebrated as Bhai-Dooj or Bhai-Tika, both terms literally translating to brother’s day. Jjthis day is significant as it is believed that Lord Krishna, returns to his sister, Subhadra, after defeating Narakasura. Subhadra welcomed Krishna with a “tilaka” or “tika” on his forehead, hence the tradition of applying “tika” on the brother’s forehead continued.
It is also referred that on this day “Yama” the God of Death, was welcomed by his sister “Yamuna”, by applying Tilaka on his forehead.
This day distinguishes itself from Rakhi, because, unlike Rakhi, where sisters tie the sacred thread around their brothers’ wrists, in Bhai-dooj, sisters welcome their brothers with Tilaka on their forehead followed by a festive meal like on Rakhi. Usually the brothers, travel to their sister’s residence and celebrate this day.
The female members of the family gather together and offer prayers, asking for the well being of their brothers. After the prayer session, they give their brothers special meals which they have prepared, for this occasion. In return the brothers give gifts and money to their sisters and the day comes to a conclusion.
Diwali , therefore can be termed, not just as a religious function, but it has a definite impact on the socio-economic infrastructure of the country. Various sectors of business, experience better profits during this festival, since people splurge during Diwali as it is considered lucky to invest during Lakshmi Puja.
There is a significant bonding in the social circles as well, regardless of religion, caste or creed as Diwali is the festival of sharing and the spreading of love and festivities.
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