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Deepawali Festival
History of Deepawali
India is a land of festivals. Deepavali or Diwali is the Festival of Lights and is celebrated with fervour and gaiety. The festival is celebrated by young and old, rich and poor, all alike throughout the country to ward off the darkness and welcome the lights into their lives. This festival symbolises the unity in diversity as every state celebrates in its own special ways.
The celebration of the four-day festival commences on Aswayuja Bahula Chaturdasi and would conclude on Kartika Shudda Vijiya. The first day of the festival Naraka Chaturdasi marks the vanquishing of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama. According to puranas Naraka, the son of Bhudevi,acquired immense power as a blessing from Lord Brahma after a severe penance. He soon unleashed a reign of terror in the kingdom of Kamarupa, harassing the lestial beings with his invincible might. Unable to bear the tyranny of the demon, the celestial beings pleaded with Lord Krishna to save them from his torture.
But Naraka could not be easily killed as he had a boon that he could face death only at the hands of his mother Bhudevi. So, Krishna asks his wife Satyabhama, the reincarnation of Bhudevi, to be his charioteer in the battle with Naraka.When Krishna feigns unconciousness after being hit by an arrow of Naraka, Satyabhama takes the bow and aims the arrow at Naraka and kills him instantly.Later Lord Krishna reminds her of the boon she had sought as Bhudevi
The slaying of
the Naraka by Sathyabhama could also be taken to interpret that parents
should not hesitate to punish their children when they stray on to the wrong
path. The message of Naraka Chaturdasi is that the good of the society
should always prevail over one's own personal bonds.
The second day is Amavasya when Lakshmi puja is performed and is believed
that on this day Goddess Lakshmi would be in her benevolant mood and would
fulfill all the wishes of her devotees. One version says that it was on this
day Goddess Lakshmi emerged from Kshira Sagara when the Gods and demons were
churning the sagara for Amrutha Bhandam.
Another version is that when Lord Vishnu in the guise of Vamana, sought
three feet of land from the very generous king Bali Chakravarthy, Bali had
to surrender his head as Vamana had conquered the earth and the sky in His
two strides. Lord Vishnu banishes Bali into the Pathala Loka by keeping his
third stride on Bali's head. Later, pleased by his generosity, Lord Vishnu
grants him a boon and he inturn requests the Lord to guard his palace at
Patha Loka.
Meanwhile, the Goddess is unable to bear the separation and her grief
affects the functioning of the entire universe. Brahma and Lord Shiva offer
themselves as guards and plead with Bali to relieve Vishnu. So, on the
Amavasya day Lord Vishnu returns to his abode and Goddess Lakshmi is
delighted. That is the reason it is believed that those who worship Goddess
Lakshmi on this day would be bestowed with all the riches.
The third day is "Kartika Shudda Padyami" and it is only on this day that
Bali would come out of Pathala Loka and rule Bhuloka 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" and on this day the sisters
invite their brothers to their homes. However, in the northern part of India
it is celebrated as the return of Rama along with Sita and Lakshmana from
his 14 years of exile after killing Ravana. To commemorate his return to
Ayodhya, his subjects illuminated the kingdom and bursted crackers. For the
Gujaratis, Marwaris and other business community Diwali marks the worship of
Goddess Lakshmi and also the begining of the new financial year.
For Bengalis, it is the time to worship Goddess Kali or Durga. The Goddess
Durga continued her "Vilaya Tandava" even after killing the demon
Mahishasura. To control her rage Lord Shiva throws himse
Significance of Diwali
Depavali day,or is it night?It is a festival where people from all age
groups participate in the festivities to give expression to their happiness
by lighting earthern diyas, decorating the houses, bursting fire crackers
and inviting the near and dear ones to their households for partaking in the
sumptious feast. The lighting of lamps is a way of paying obeisance to god
for attainment of health, wealth, knowldge, peace, valourand fame.
It is one time in the whole year that children volunteer to leave their beds
long before the day begins, having delayed their retiring there, in the
first place as long as they possibly can, without incurring pare ntal
wrath.Infact, the traditional oil bath at 3 a.m, is the only chore that
stands between them and the pre-dawn adventures,as they emerge, scrubbed
clean to get into their festive attire, and light up little oil lamps,
candles and agarbathis the wherewithal for setting alight crackers and
sparklers.
Who shall set off the first chian of crackers that go boom,bang and vroom?
and who is the owner of the 10-minute banger that steals the thunder from
your little chain of needle-sized crackers?Does the boy next door have more
crackers than me?
Competition is stiff,and even the little girl in silk pavadais, frocks and
their finery are watching out for the best sparklers and flowerpots, the
rockets and Vishnuchakras which light-up the night sky like a thousand
stars.Grown-ups are all the souls of generocity, and its nary a harsh word
of reproch except a warning to stear clear ofthe crackers.Crackers, clothes,
goodwishes and festive bonhomie abound,as if there is more coming from the
bottomless source of all this happiness.