Diwali is popularly translated as ‘festival of lights’ and is an official holiday in countries like India, Malaysia and Singapore. Even in places where it is not an official holiday,  Hindus, Sikhs, Jains or Buddhist communities each have their own ways and reasons for  celebrating the occasion. Homes are decorated with colorful lights, fireworks   may be heard and gifts are exchanged among family and friends.

If you live in a country or have a culture and religion that is quite different from the people of the Indian Subcontinent,   remembering   the precise and specific   reasons   why Diwali is celebrated   can be a bit challenging.  But as the translation  of Diwali suggests, this is about the triumph of light against the darkness, of good against evil, of hope against despair, of life against death. And from there, you will find common ground for us all.

Diwali is celebrated today, 26th of October 2011. Take time to greet anybody who has their home lit for the occasion. Happy Diwali!

Diwali—the Festival of Lights—is celebrated in India every year between mid-October to mid-November depending on the new moon cycle. It is also called Deepavali meaning rows of oil lamps.

Diwali is the biggest festival for Hindus. There are many theories on the origin of this festival. The main theories include celebrating the return of Lord Ram from a 14-year-long banishment or vanvas, killing of demon Narakasura celebrated as the victory of good over evil and welcoming the harvest season in some parts of India. The followers of the Jain and the Sikh religions also celebrate the festival linking it to their specific historical events.  

For 2011 Diwali celebrations started on 24th October and were to continue till the 28th. This five-day period of observance is not common to whole of India. In the Eastern region the festival is basically for two days starting on the New Moon night with the worship of Goddess Kali—the most fearsome and ferocious form of the Goddess Durga—who represents a power to destroy all evil forces. Her worship and the lighting of lamps both inside and outside homes are believed to drive away evil forces and to attain the blessings of noble departed souls.

In most other states of India Diwali is celebrated for at least five days. It starts on the 13th day of the dark lunar cycle which is considered auspicious for buying metals or utensils. The 14th day represents the killing of demons and is observed as the symbolic victory over evil. On the 15th or the New Moon day called Amavas Goddess Laxmi—the goddess of wealth—is worshipped and is considered to be the most auspicious day like Kali worship in other parts. Next day is celebrated as first day of the month of Hindu calender and the fifth day is devoted for expression of love between brothers and sisters.

People get into joyous moods during this Festival of Lights. They buy new clothes, buy and distribute sweets, visit near and dear ones and every evening till late burst fire crackers.

On the flip side there is tremendous noise pollution and smoke which linger on all the days. Old people and patients suffer the most. Frightened domestic pets and stray animals find corners to hide behind.

But keep up with the good spirits. Happy Diwali!

Deepavali, the festival of lights, is around us. The Sanskrit word ‘Deepavali’ means ‘a row of lamps’. A new life emerges with the flashing of silks, with decorated boxes of sweets and fruits and with the streaking of the sky with silver and golden fireworks. It is a rebirth into a sweet and sharing life. It is a time of getting together with family and friends.  

Festival of lights

The Hindu people all over the world celebrate Deepavali, the festival of lights. It commemorates victory of virtue over vice. It is an auspicious occasion to begin things afresh, removing all the defects that lead to loss and failures. Actually the inner meaning of this festival is, “the awareness of the inner light”. It is only when the inner light is awakened and humanity is enlightened with love and compassion, the darkness of ignorance can be dispelled.   

Festival of casting away darkness

Deepavali celebrates the victory of goodness over evil, light over darkness, and ushers into the new lunar year of the Hindu calendar. For this event people prepare their houses by cleaning symbolically getting themselves ready for a new start.  They wear new clothes. They sing, “Om asato ma sadgamaya, Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya, Mrityor ma amritam gamaya” which means, “Lead us from falsehood to truth; from Darkness to light; from Death to immortality and from Lethargy to Activity.”

Festival of a new beginning

With Deepavali, life takes on a delicious newness. As the sun turns honey-gold, there is the shivering anticipation on the edges of every starlit evening of winter waiting to return. It is a new beginning of a challenging new year that ushers with the new moon of Deepavali. People welcome Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, luck, light, prosperity and wisdom. They also pray to Lord Ganesha, the “Remover of Obstacles” or the “Lord of Beginnings”.

Festival of senses

Deepavali feasts all the human senses. It is all fun, light and sound immersing us in joy of sharing. It is a delight to all the five senses and also a challenging call to the sixth sense. The skies turn into a beautiful canopy with the colorful fireworks. The lamps in row (Deepavali) remind us to dispel every darkness from our selfish hearts. It is an occasion of hearty songs and sweet melodies. The firecrackers rise to the sky with their bursting noise reminding the world that every evil should be annihilated. The fragrance of festival dishes fills the air and our nose. It is delight to the palate and taste buds with delicious sweets and snacks. It is a call to the whole humanity for a universal brotherhood of shared life.

Festival of unity

Parties, gifts, social gatherings with family and friends are the hallmarks of this festival. On Deepavali day, people exchange gifts, share firecrackers and fireworks, sit together and enjoy festive meals.

A Green Deepavali to add joy

New awareness is being created to make this festival greener and more joyful. Though the fireworks during this festival are fascinating and charming to eyes and ears, time has come for us to think of a green Deepavali. We have to think of the pollution it could create in the atmosphere. As cities are denser and people live in packed areas, fireworks may lead to accidents and health hazards. Hence it has become a necessity of the time to think of a green Deepavali which can make it more meaningful and more eco-friendly. 

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But there is one festival, which is celebrated by almost all states of India. That is Deepavali, also pronounced as Diwali in some parts, which is the Festival of Lights. The word Deepavali is derived from two words ‘Deepam’ which means Lamp and “Oli” which means light. On the day of deepavali, people lit lamps all over their home and also burn / burst crackers.

The celebration of diwali has lot of stories associated with it, which differs from place to place. It is celebrated for four days.

The first day is called as Aswayuja Bahula Chaturdasi, also called as Naraka Chaturdasi. “Naraka” was a demon king, who was the son of Bhumadevi (or Bhudevi) otherwise known as Mother Earth. He did a severe penance (thapas or prayers) towards Lord Brahma and got his wish fulfilled, that he should be killed only by his mother. He was sure that no mother will kill her own son. So, he cruelly tortured all living beings, with his immense power. The unbearable saints pleaded Lord Vishnu to save them from the tyranny of the demon. Lord blessed them that he will kill Naraka during his avatar as Lord Krishna.

During the Krishna avatar, Bhudevi was in the avatar of Satyabhama, wife of Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna went for a war with Naraka, having his wife Satyabhama as his Charioteer. During the war, Lord Krishna acted as if he got hurt by the arrows of Naraka and acted as fainted. By seeing this, Satyabhama, who was not aware of her Purvajenma (the previous birth), got angry. She took her bow and aimed arrows at Naraka. Being the mother of Naraka, she was able to kill him. The demon king’s live got ended in the hands of his own mother.

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Before dying, Naraka was blessed by Lord Krishna, which gave him Gyaana, the power of good knowledge. He prayed Krishna and asked for a wish that people should celebrate his death as a festival and should not forget him. Lord Krishna blessed him. This is how the festival diwali origined. It is also said as a festival to remove bad (darkness) from your heart, by lighting lamps of knowledge. Hence as a symbolic representation, everyone lights lamp in their home. Also it also teaches the moral, that a parent should punish their children, if they go on wrong path.

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The second day is Amavasya, the no moon day. This day, people perform Lakshmi pooja and offer prayers towards Goddess Lakshmi, who is the Goddess of wealth. It is believed that Goddess Lakshmi would be in her benevolent mood on this day and she fulfill the wishes of her devotees. Also, some people believes that it is the day on which Goddess Lakshmi emerged from Kshira Sagara (Ocean of Milk), when the Gods and demons were churning the ocean for nectar (Amrit), which will make them to live forever.

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The third day is “Kartika Shudda Padyami.” The second day celebration is also associated with one more story saying as the day on which Lord Vishnu taught a lesson to a demon king called Bali, but later blessed him because of his good qualities. On this day (Kartika Shudda Padyami), it is believed that Bali would come out of Pathala Loka (underworld) and rule Bhuloka (Earth) as per the boon given by Lord Vishnu. Hence, it is also known as “Bali Padyami”.

The fourth day is referred to as “Yama Dvitiya.” On this day, sisters invite their brothers to their homes and serve them with special dishes and do poojas for their welfare.

In northern parts of India, Diwali is celebrated as the festival to mark return of Lord Ram along with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman from his 14 years of exile after killing the demon king Ravana. To commemorate his return to Ayodhya, his people illuminated the entire kingdom with beautiful lamps and burst crackers.

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For the Gujaratis, Marwaris and other business community people, Diwali marks the day for worshipping Goddess Lakshmi and also the beginning of the new financial year. For Bengalis, Diwali is the time to worship Goddess Kali or Durga, who killed the demon Mahishasura, which gave Goddess Durga another name as “Mahishasuramardini”.

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Whatever the stories associated, Diwalis is a reason for family get together in most of the families. It is a reason for kids to enjoy wearing new dresses and bursting crackers. It is a reason for elders to enjoy new dishes and sweets, blessing their younger generation. Diwali is a festival of JOY. This time, it falls on October 17, 2009.

Happy Diwali to one and all. Read here for best Diwali Gifts to Share.