Deepawali (called Diwali in short) is a major festival in Hindu religion. It has no fixed date as per the Gregorian calendar. It falls just before the onset of winters, generally in the start of November. This festival has lot of symbolism attached to it. It represents the victory of light over darkness, good over evil. It is a celebration of good fortune and prosperity. Goddess Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, is worshipped on this day. But most of all, this festival is an occasion for families to get together and celebrate life itself.
So how did all this start? As per the Ramayana, Ravana, the king of Lanka, had abducted Sita. Lord Rama rescued his wife, Sita, from Ravana by beating the Lankan army and killing him. This killing of Ravana, the evil, is celebrated as Dusshera, which falls just about two weeks before Diwali. When Lord Rama returned to his hometown, Ayodhya (the town still exists!), along with Sita and his younger brother Laxman, the people were happy to see their king and celebrated by lighting lamps in their homes and all across the town. The festivities caught on and became the modern day Diwali.
The history is fascinating, but my dear reader, what you've read above is simply not enough to describe the general atmosphere that exists on this day. Ask any India what their favourite festival is, and 8 times out of 10, you'll get the answer as Diwali. Well, some people prefer Holi, the festival of colours that represents the onset of spring season. Diwali has been my favourite festival ever since I was a little kid. The preparations for Diwali start well before the day. The ladies of the house prepare tonnes of sweetmeats to gift to friends, neighbours and relatives. A couple of days before Diwali we have Dhanteras. Every household is supposed to buy new utensils on this auspicious day. The whole house is thoroughly cleaned and often freshly painted for Diwali. Households buy new clothes, lamps, sweets, firecrackers for the ocassion.
On the day of Diwali, every corner of the house is clean and shiny. People dress in new clothes and spend the day visiting their friends and relatives and exchanging pleasantries. The major part of the celebrations is the Laxmi Pujan, which is the the worship of Goddess Laxmi. The ceremony is performed by the man of the house and every member of the house has to be present during the occasion. There is a particular auspicious time for performing the ceremony. Then lamps are lighted in every part of the house. It is said that all darkness has to be removed with the use of lights. People often decorate their houses with colourful electric lights. After the Pujan, the fun really starts for children because it is the time for firecrackers. They come in a lot of variety and colour, ranging from glowing lamps to explosive miniature bombs. There can often be competition among neighbouring kids about who has got the better firecrackers. After this is done, the family settles down to a speacial dinner for the day. The dinner is composed of usual Indian delicacies.
In recent times, the use of firecrackers has been questioned as there are many negative aspects associated with their use. As it has often been mentioned to support this cause: Diwali is a festival of light, and not noise. Firecrackers emit a lot of smoke and sound, and can cause significant air and noise pollution. This is especially hard for areas around hospitals etc. Another negative aspect associated with firecrackers is that it has been accused that, to save costs, manufacturers often employ child labour, which is illegal in India. Many people have now voluntarily given up using firecrackers, but the spirit of Diwali is as alive as ever.
So how did all this start? As per the Ramayana, Ravana, the king of Lanka, had abducted Sita. Lord Rama rescued his wife, Sita, from Ravana by beating the Lankan army and killing him. This killing of Ravana, the evil, is celebrated as Dusshera, which falls just about two weeks before Diwali. When Lord Rama returned to his hometown, Ayodhya (the town still exists!), along with Sita and his younger brother Laxman, the people were happy to see their king and celebrated by lighting lamps in their homes and all across the town. The festivities caught on and became the modern day Diwali.
The history is fascinating, but my dear reader, what you've read above is simply not enough to describe the general atmosphere that exists on this day. Ask any India what their favourite festival is, and 8 times out of 10, you'll get the answer as Diwali. Well, some people prefer Holi, the festival of colours that represents the onset of spring season. Diwali has been my favourite festival ever since I was a little kid. The preparations for Diwali start well before the day. The ladies of the house prepare tonnes of sweetmeats to gift to friends, neighbours and relatives. A couple of days before Diwali we have Dhanteras. Every household is supposed to buy new utensils on this auspicious day. The whole house is thoroughly cleaned and often freshly painted for Diwali. Households buy new clothes, lamps, sweets, firecrackers for the ocassion.
On the day of Diwali, every corner of the house is clean and shiny. People dress in new clothes and spend the day visiting their friends and relatives and exchanging pleasantries. The major part of the celebrations is the Laxmi Pujan, which is the the worship of Goddess Laxmi. The ceremony is performed by the man of the house and every member of the house has to be present during the occasion. There is a particular auspicious time for performing the ceremony. Then lamps are lighted in every part of the house. It is said that all darkness has to be removed with the use of lights. People often decorate their houses with colourful electric lights. After the Pujan, the fun really starts for children because it is the time for firecrackers. They come in a lot of variety and colour, ranging from glowing lamps to explosive miniature bombs. There can often be competition among neighbouring kids about who has got the better firecrackers. After this is done, the family settles down to a speacial dinner for the day. The dinner is composed of usual Indian delicacies.
In recent times, the use of firecrackers has been questioned as there are many negative aspects associated with their use. As it has often been mentioned to support this cause: Diwali is a festival of light, and not noise. Firecrackers emit a lot of smoke and sound, and can cause significant air and noise pollution. This is especially hard for areas around hospitals etc. Another negative aspect associated with firecrackers is that it has been accused that, to save costs, manufacturers often employ child labour, which is illegal in India. Many people have now voluntarily given up using firecrackers, but the spirit of Diwali is as alive as ever.
