✨ DEEPAVALI ✨

 

✨DEEPAVALI✨ :-

👉🏻 Introduction:-

 - Every year, Indian communities all over the world celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights, with much fanfare.

- Diwali is a five-day festival that celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair. 

- The origin of the word ‘Diwali’ is from the Sanskrit word ‘Deepavali’ where ‘deepa’ means ‘light’ and ‘vali’ means ‘row’; thus a row of lights, which is exactly what is seen in homes during this time—rows of light in celebration of the festival.  

- This festival is celebrated on Amavasya or ‘no moon’ day and heralds the dawn of a New Year according to the Hindu calendar.

- Celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains, each of these groups honor some historical figure and significance.

- Whatever one’s belief, it is a celebration of good over evil and heralds new, positive beginnings.

👉🏻 Celebrations of Diwali:-

- The Festival of Lights does just that―light up the homes and hearts of communities all over the world. During the five-day period, people’s homes are lit up by diyas’ and the exteriors are often decorated with electric lights. 

- Inside the home, one will find intricate rangoli art, which are patterns on the floor created by either rice or coloured powder. 

- Neighbours exchange gifts, and the emphasis is often on sweets, dried fruit, and other gifts. It is also a time to share with those in need and give freely to members of the community who have little.

- The air is rich with the smell of incense, the acrid smell of burning crackers, and the aromas coming from the kitchen.

- The celebration features various rich savoury and sweet dishes, and while eating out is popular, families will mostly prepare food at home for when guests arrive to exchange gifts and watch fireworks.

👉🏻 Diwali Mythology:-

- Some differences in how the Diwali celebration is performed exist between the north and south. 

- One in particular is associated with the first day of celebrations, when those in South India celebrate the victory of Lord Krishna over the demon Naraka – a day before celebrations in the North. 

- Celebrations in Northern India begin with rituals associated with the return of Lord Rama (Ram) to Ayodhya after years of exile.

- According to latter legend, Diwali celebrates Rama’s return from a 14-year exile imposed on him by his father. 

- Upon his return, he finds his subjects distressed by the demon Ravana, a smart but evil ‘pundit,’ who terrorizes the Kingdom. 

- In celebration of  his return, Rama’s subjects welcome him back by lighting lamps, marking the holiday’s signature ritual. Rama, along with his wife Sita, defeats the demon and frees his Kingdom from oppression.  

- Today, Lord Rama’s return and victory signifies the triumph of good over evil.

 - In addition, another popular ritual associated with Diwali in India is the puja dedicated to the Hindu Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity, Lakshmi. 

- Diwali also commemorates the beginning of the New Year and is marked by the lighting of fireworks.

👉🏻The significance behind the five days of Diwali Celebration:-

√ The First Day:-

- Dhanteras marks the beginning of the end of a 14 day dark period. 

- On this day, the Lord Dhanvantari’s rises from the Ocean with Ayurvedic (medicine) for humankind. 

- This day starts the festival of lights.

√ The Second Day:-

- Narak Chaturdasi celebrates  Lord Krishna’s defeat of a demon named Narakasura. 

- The demon asks Lord Krishna for forgiveness and Krishna grants it. - This day has been dedicated to the belief that even the worst of us can change and deserve sympathy. 

- It is also a celebrated as the day Lord Krishna freed the world from fear.

√ The Third Day:-

- Lakshimi Puja is the main celebration day of Diwali. 

- On this day the Goddess Lakshmi emerged from the ocean bringing with her wealth and prosperity for the world. 

- People responded by honoring and praising Lakshmi, and this practice continues to day.

√ The Fourth Day:-

- Padwa and Goverdhan Puja is a day for the prayer known as Goverdhan Puja (pooja)- a large offering of food. Some celebrate this day in honor of Lord Krishna’s protection of the villagers of Vrindavan from torrential rain caused by Indra (the god of rain and storms).

√ The Fifth Day:-

- Bhai Duj celebrates the love and affection between brothers and sisters. 

- It reinstates the bother’s duty to protect and value his sister, and the sister’s reciprocated affection. 

 - On this day, a great feast is shared between brothers and sisters

👉🏻 How are each of the five days celebrated?

- There are many practices surrounding the Hindu festival, with each day consisting of a different ritual or a prayer to a particular god.

√ On the First Day:-

- People clean, renovate, and decorate their houses and businesses. 

- Some will place a lighted or colorful Rangoli designs outside the door and small lights surround the house.

- Diyas (lamps) are lit and sweets offered as a sacrifice to the Goddess Lakshmi.

√ On the Second Day:-

- Some celebrate by waking up before sunrise, bathing, and anointing themselves with oil. 

- Firecrackers and fireworks are generally set off on this day.

√ On the Third Day:-

- Houses are alight with diyas in celebration of Lakshmi. 

- Firecrackers and fireworks are set into the sky, and sparklers are lit (particularly popular with children). 

- New clothes are worn, gifts and sweets are shared, and people generally partake in a feast.

√ On the Fourth Day:-

- Sacrifices and offerings are made to deities.

√ On the Fifth and final day -

-  Sisters share their meals with their bothers while the brothers share gifts with their sisters.

👉🏻 Diwali celebrations in different parts of India:-

1. North India:-

- In Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Srinagar, Delhi and Punjab, the Deepavali festival is celebrated with fireworks, lights, and, sweets.

- Lord Ganesha and goddess Lakshmi are also worshipped in Hindu homes on this day. 

- If you’re in the capital, you shouldn’t miss the Diwali mela in Delhi that lets you buy decor and food items for the festival and for best Diwali celebration in India. 

- Uttar Pradesh is also considered as one of the best places to visit on Diwali.

2. East India:-

- In West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, and Odisha, Diwali celebraton in East India is mainly the night of ancestors, and earthen oil lamps are lit on poles to guide the souls of the departed loved ones to heaven in Odisha. 

- The people of West Bengal and Assam worship goddess Kali on the night of Diwali festival and offer prayers to their ancestors. 

- The people of Bihar and Jharkhand perform Lakshmi pooja in the evening and women make rangolis on the verandah of their homes and temples. 

- For witnessing Diwali in India, visit any of these places.

3. West India:-

- In Gujarat and Maharashtra, rangoli is an important part of their Diwali decoration.

- While Gujaratis draw footprints of goddess Laxmi on the threshold of the house, light their homes with candles, rice lights, and diyas on the night of Diwali, Maharashtrians perform Lakshmi pooja in their homes and organize a feast known as “Faral” for families and friends, where sweets like karanji, ladoo and snacks like chakli and sev are served.

4. South India:-

- In Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu,  while Andhrites and Tamilians worship Lord Krishna and his wife Satyambha’s victory over the demonic King Narkasura, Kannadigas take oil bath and build forts from cow dung in their homes.

👉🏻 Diwali Celebrations around world:-

- Diwali is an occasion of joy, merrymaking, and togetherness for Indians around the world. 

- While the festival is celebrated on a grand scale throughout the country, it is also celebrated in other countries with large Hindu populations that include Nepal, Srilanka, Mauritius, Singapore, Myanmar, Indonesia, Britain, Malaysia, Thailand, Guyana, Japan, Fiji, Trinidad and Tobago, Africa, and Australia.

👉🏻 Tips to celebrate Diwali safely:-

√ Here are a few tips for celebrating Diwali in India safely:-

• Stay away from synthetic fabrics, only wear cotton clothes.

• Have a fire extinguisher and keep a first aid kit ready in your home.

• Don’t burn crackers in closed areas.

• Don’t let kids burn aerial fireworks like rocket alone.

• Never ever light a cracker while holding it in your hand.

• Make social distancing with others for prevention against covid 19 and compulsory wear mask when go outside home.

• Light crackers at the time and guidelines said by government and follow all precautions.

👉🏻 Diwali amd Ayurveda:-

- There are many common things between ayurveda and Diwali celebrations. Diwali mostly based on Ayurveda only.

- On Diwali day we all get up early to clean our houses and bright lights. Ayurveda also recommends waking up early in Brahma Muhurta.

- On Diwali special food items are prepared which are again based on Ayurveda. 

- The food is adorned with a perfect co binational spices and sweets. Ayurveda also recommends cooking in same manner.

- Diwali is a festival which recommends cleaning one's inner self. The same principle can be found in Ayurveda.