The festive corner has arrived. Everyone’s heart is pumped up with joy and happiness. Festivals are meant to bring happiness and joy to your lives. The festival of Diwali has come and everyone is excited to celebrate.
Table of content
- Introduction to Deepawali
- History and ancient tales associated with this auspicious festival.
- Scientific explanations behind common rituals of Deepawali
- How is Deepawali celebrated?
- How to brighten other’s festive season?
- How can we make this Deepawali a special one!
Introduction to Deepawali
Deepawali , this auspicious Hindu festival usually lasts five days, or six in some regions of India, and is celebrated during the Hindu lunisolar month Kartika (between mid-October and mid-November). It symbolises victory of good over bad and knowledge over ignorance.
History Behind Deepawali
- In Northern India diwali is celebrated to commemorate the return of Lord Shri Ram to Ayodhya after an exile of 14 years . The people of Ayodhya lit earthen lamps filled with pure ghee to celebrate the return of their very loved and respected Sri Ram Ji.
- In Southern India Diwali is celebrated to celebrate the win of Shri Krishna over demon Narakasur
- In Buddhism , diwali marks the anniversary of Nirvana or liberation of Mahavira Bhagwan’s soul.
- Diwali also commemorates the return of Pandvas to Hastinapur from an exile of 12 years.
- One of the most famous tale regarding Deepawali states that long ago there was a prince who was destined to be killed one day after his marriage. Once he gets married , the wife gets to know about it and puts her hardest efforts in finding solutions to this tragic problem. The next day she lights up earthen lamps at her house and puts all the Gold at the entrance of her house. Yamaraj comes to take the prince in the form of a snake but the snake becomes unable to see anything due to glitter and gloss of earthen lamps and the gold. That’s how the wife saves her husband from Yamaraja. The Earthen pots lighted were called Yamadeepak after this incident.
- Diwali holds a special place in Sikhism as well. The third Guru of Sikhs Amardaas ji decided that disciples would be able to come and get the blessings of their guru on Deepawali and in 1619 Guru Hargobind Singh ji was released. In 1577, it was the day of Deepawali when the foundation of Golden Temple was laid.
- According to Hinduism, Deepawali is also assumed as the beginning of New Year for businessmen especially where the businessmen pay all the debt and restart everything from a new and positive mindset.
Science behind Diwali
Who doesn’t get fascinated by this grand festival but Is there some logic behind every ritual we perform! Why do we light Earthen lamps!
- Reason behind lighting Clay lamps
- Deepawali comes during the time when temperature is low and humidity is high. This increases the chances of mosquito breeding and also the chances of fatal ailments like dengue, malaria and chikungunya. In the ancient times, when odomos, mortien, all outs didn’t exist. Lighting Clay lamps with a mixture of 4 types of oils including coconut oil, mahua oil, castor oil, neem oil and ghee proved to be very effective against these disease causing agents.
- Eating all those snacks in Diwali
- Ghee is the reason. Pure ghee holds a very respected place in Ayurveda and it is an excellent source of nourishment to the body during this climate changing period.
- Lakshmi Pujan
- It is an excellent way of paying tribute to the women of house, who brings balance and resilience to the house and makes it a home. It is also said that the Lakshmi resides in the house where a woman is happy.
How is Deepawali celebrated
The Diwali preparations begin much before it arrives. People whitewash their houses, clean them, lighten them up with colourful and glittery led bulbs.
People pray to Godess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha for prosperity of their family and loved ones. It is a festival of sweets( that’s what fascinates most of the people ). People gift sweets and snacks to their loved ones, visit them, forget any underlying issues and forgive each other’s past mistakes. Deepawali is a symbol of joy. One must not only confine their joy to themselves only but they must dissipate it to needy people as well and make their Diwali bright too.
How to brighten up someone else’s Deepawali
Festivals hold a monetary value as well. One must promote Indian products for purchasing the commodities utilized in the celebration of these festivals for illustration, on the occasion of Deepawali you can buy candles, bulbs, diyas( clay lamps) gulab jamuns, rosogollas , jalebis, kaju katlis and other sweets suits from a local vendor.
How can we make this Diwali different from others?
In our busy schedule we forget to enjoy the real essence of beauty festivals, rather festivals are merely considered as a holiday for many. Sometimes we only celebrate the festival with ourselves only and that’s a great thing, but to make this Deepawali a unique one , we can actually go and celebrate it with the needy ones. Gifting good quality sweets to them, gifting blankets to them, gifting new clothes to them would surely make yours and their Diwali a memorable one!
The another way of making it a special one is by self analysing yourself, accepting yourself and promising yourself to improve yourself.
