Happy Diwali!

The festival of lights, happiness and prosperity is upon us and it is time to rejoice, rejuvenate and refresh ourselves with all the pomp and splendour we can gather around us.

India is a land of a variety in languages, cultures, habits and cuisines. It is also a land of Gods and stories.

To know about the Legends behind Diwali celebrations, read on…

Diwali is a five-day festival that begins with  Dhanteras in almost all parts of the country. In Maharashtra however, the celebrations start earlier.  Vasu Baras marks the beginning of the celebrations. This day celebrates the love between a mother and child. The mother  or the nurturer is symbolised by the cow while the child is symbolised by the calf.

The next day is a very important day of celebrations for the country. Dhanteras or Dhan Triyodashi marks the beginning of a new financial year across the country for businessmen and traders. People invest in gold, silver, jewelry, metal kitchenware etc.

The third day of celebration is Naraka Chaturdashi or choti diwali in many parts of India.

It is said that on this day, in the Dwapar Yug, Satyabhama, the queen consort of Lord Krishna killed Narakasura, the demon immortal who terrorized innocent citizens all over the kingdom. This day marks the triumph of justice over injustice. In south India this is the day when the festivities begin. People wake up at dawn, take an oil bath, wear new clothes and burst firecrackers to welcome the New Year.

The fourth and the most important day is that of Diwali. In West Bengal and northern parts of India this day is called Kali Pooja and Lakshmi Pooja. This day celebrates the return of the exiled crown prince of Ayodhya, Lord Ram.

Lord Ram, along with his wife Sita and Lakshman came back home to Ayodhya, his kingdom after an exile or vanvas of 14 years. Ram had left Ayodhya when he came to know that his father, King Dashrath had promised his wife Kaikeyi that her son Bharat would be crowned King of Ayodhya instead of the rightful and the eldest son Ram. It is said that Ram had such regard for his father’s words that he opted to leave Ayodhya to honour Dashrath’s words.

In Panchvati, Sita was abducted by Ravan, King of Lanka who wanted to avenge his insult in Sita’s svayamvar where she chose Ram instead of Ravan. Ram then embarked on the journey to Lanka to rescue his wife along with Hanuman and the vanar sena( monkey army). On the day of Dussehra, Ram killed Ravan and left Lanka to come back to his country. When the people of Ayodhya came to know of the feats of their exiled prince and the news of his home coming, they lit the streets with diyas and celebrated  his arrival into the city with pomp and splendour.

On this day, people worship Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi for a good and prosperous year ahead. The house is lit with diyas and flowers adorn almost every nook and cranny. In North India, this day is also reserved for people to play card games. It is a welcome break from the daily humdrum of life.

Jains believe that this was the day when Lord Mahavir attained enlightenment.

Sikhs  believe that the Sixth Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Hargobind Singh was freed from imprisonment by Emperor Jahangir.

According to the Maharbharat, it is believed that the Pandavs returned to Hastinapur after a 12 year exile including one year of living incognito.

The fifth day of the celebrations is the Kartik Shuddha Padyami where most of North India worships goddess Sarasvati to bless them in their academic pursuits. Students are especially very eager to celebrate this day. We all know why . 😛

The next day is celebrated as Bhai Duj which celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. On this day both the siblings  give gifts to each other and cherish the moments  by being together the whole day.

Diwali is a festival that transcends the boundaries of age, caste, colour, religion and biases. It is a festival that unites the socio cultural diversity that India is and promotes peace and harmony everywhere.

What are you doing this Diwali? How are you celebrating it?

Write in to us.

Have a happy and safe Diwali! 🙂

Team Meritnation