DIWALI

Posted On November 10, 2020

Diwali or Deepavali literally means a row of Lights. It is the darkest night as it is Amavasya and yet it is a celebration of light! Diwali the festival of diyas and lamps is one of the most popular festivals of India. Diwali symbolizes the spiritual “victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance”. People of India interpret the Diwali story based on where they live.  

Mythology according to North India In North India ,  the tradition links Diwali to legends in the Hindu epic Ramayana. Diwali is celebrated as the day Rama, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman reached Ayodhya after a period of 14 years in exile. In a way Diwali, is a continuation of Dusshera as it is the celebration of homecoming after the war and victory. On Dusshera day Rama defeated the demon king Ravana and took about 20 days to reach Ayodhya from Sri Lanka.

Legend in South India In south India a different Legend is very popular. All the Devas, led by Indra, went to Vishnu to ask him to rescue them from the evil demon Narakasura. Vishnu promised them that in his  incarnation as Krishna , he would take care of this.

As promised to the Devas , Lord Krishna attacked the great fortress of Narakasura, riding his mount Garuda with wife Satyabhama. Lord Krishna used  various astras to nuetralise the army of Narakasura. Lord Krishna also killed Narakasura’s general, Mura. Thus he is also known as ‘Murāri’ . At last, when Narakasura tried to kill Lord Krishna with a trident, HE  beheaded Narakasura  with his Sudarshana Chakra. It is believed that before Narakasura’s death, he requested a boon from Satyabhama . He requested that everyone should celebrate his death with colorful lights. Thus in south India, this day is celebrated as Deepavali. This day is also celebrated as ‘Naraka Chaturdashi’ .

Diwali – A New Year People of eastern India ,celebrate this day as  Kali Puja. In western states like Gujarat, and certain northern Hindu communities of India, this festival of Diwali signifies the start of a new year. Many celebrate this festival as Lakshmi puja to honor the goddess of wealth and prosperity.

Preperations in full swing In this festival,  people start the preparations immediately after Navratri , by cleaning, renovating, and decorating their homes.This is also the time for people to shop for this grand celebration. Like all other festivals in India, food plays an essential role in Diwali too. Every household prepares a variety  of delicious sweets and delectable savouries.

 Celebrations with glee On the  Diwali day, people traditionally wear new clothes, illuminate the interior and exterior of their abodes with diyas and rangolis, light fireworks and participate in family feasts. A  popular ritual is to  gift sweets to close friends, families and business associates to wish them luck and prosperity for the coming year.

Although it is a tradition to burst crackers on Diwali, now we should now refrain from doing it because of the increase in air pollution. We should aim to celebrate Diwali in an eco-friendly way and respect nature.

Should we introspect ? As human beings this is also a time to introspect. It is necessary for us to show compassion and empathize with those who are less privileged. As mentioned above, it is a customary practice to give gifts to friends and family on Diwali. But over the last few years I have chosen to expand my horizon by extending help to the less fortunate in my little way. The true spirit of Diwali is acheived when we, instead of burning firecrackers, we burn away our egos, false pretences , jealousy and rivalries.

North, south, east or west , we celebrate Diwali to symbolize the victory of good over evil. I hope the glimpse of Diwali has filled your being with light of happiness and joy.