Celebrating Diwali

Diwali is a popular Hindu festival, which is associated with the return of the mythological Prince Ram from exile. As per the Ramayan, Prince Ram was forced into exile by his step mother Kaikai. He was accompanied by his wife Sita dn his younger brother Laxman. The exile was to last 14 years and they were to live in the forests deprived of any royal comforts for the duration.

Being a well loved Prince and considered an incarnation of the Lord Vishnu, the people of Ayodhaya waited eagerly for his return. It is said that on the day that his 14 years of exile ended the people awaiting his arrival lit so many diyas (small earthen lights) that the night sky turned as bright as day. To this day the festival is also known as the festival of lights.

Photo Credit Bandita Bose

While it is true that the earther lights are fast giving way to the Chinese Ladis there is still a fixed number of five diyas that are lit in any house celebrating Diwali. The little flame is lit in more and more elaborately shaped diyas. The sales of these little diyas reaches a peak in the week before Diwali. Another hot selling item is the firecrackers. All kinds of fire crackers are available in the market a few days before the festival.

Photo Credit Bandita Bose

From the simple hand held Phool Jhadi or Sparkler to the most elaborate Rockets that light up the sky in dazzling displays of light, you can have it all for a price. Thankfully there is a ban on the louder bombs that were earlier available in the market in an attempt to control the level of noise pollution that gets generated these days.

One major advantage of Diwali is that thanks to all the smoke from the fire crackers, you don’t get bitten alive by mosquitoes should you choose to sit outside and enjoy the fireworks display in the skies. Many will argue about the smog that descends on the cities for a week or two after the festival as air pollution. True, but as of now no one is going to ban these firecrackers and face the wrath of an angry Indian Mob.

Photo Credit Bandita Bose

So the celebrations continue and may include booze and gambling if you are so inclined. In fact three card poker is a common form of gambling besides rummy on Diwali evening. Many youngsters hide the fact that they are gambling from their elders by hiring flats for their card sessions. In some other cases the gambling is more rampant like in clubs.

It is believed that the Goddess of wealth named Laxmi is supposed to visit your home on Diwali day and so many will worship her on that day. They will leave on all the lights to guide her to their home so that the coming year is a prosperous one. For this reason it is forbidden to lock your home on this eve. After all you don’t want the Goddess Laxmi to reach your home and not be able to enter it.

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Diwali means many different things to different people, but for all it is a time to celebrate.