India celebrates four prime festivals like Dussera, Holi, Raksha bandhan and Deepavali. The pages of History claim Raksha bandhan as the festival of Brahman, Dussehra as the festival of Kshatriya and Deepavali as the festival of Vaishya. However, the festivals got so much hype and popularity with time now that people celebrate these festivals with great zeal and enthusiasm. The dark nights of Amavasya changes into Purnima because of the festive light of Diwali.
Festivals and seasons
Festivals relate well with seasons and have an indirect influence on human life. The Kharif crops that spread out on the field in the Diwali brings smile on the faces of farmers. Besides, after the monsoon it gets important to keep up and clean the houses. This task gets fulfilled on the pious occasion of Diwali.
Tithe or time of the festival and the reasons of celebration
People celebrate Diwali in the Shard Ritu (season) for five days from the Kartik Krishna Paksha to Kartik Shukla Paksha.
- Dhanteras is the first day of the festival and people buy household commodities and utensils on this sacred day. The markets buzz with the hustle and bustle of buyers. Earthen lights (Dipak or Diyas) are lit and kept at the house entrance. People worship Lord Yamaraja on the special day.
- The Second day is known as “Narak Chaudas” because on this day Lord Krishna killed the demon “Narkasur”. Besides, this day also well-known because on the day God “Narsingh” killed Hiranya Kashyap and saved Bhakt Prahalad. People clean their homes on the day.
- People worship Goddess Lakshmi on the Amavashya day and the day is mostly popular as “Deepavali”.On this day, Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile and killing the demon king, Ravana. People welcomed him by burning lamps of ghee. On this day, Swami Rama Tirtha immersed his body on the river Ganga. The day is also important because of some great people like Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Guru Govind Singh, etc. People clean and keep up their houses on the day.
- The fourth day reserved for the Govind Puja. Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan hill to save the Bajra Bhoomi from the fury of Lord Indra on this day. Small mounts of the sacred cow dungs crafted to worship in the night.
- The fifth day is known as Bhaiya Dooj. On this day, sisters put tilak on the forehead of brothers and serve them with sweets. The brothers give out gifts to their sisters.
Celebration and decoration
Deepavali is the festival of sharing happiness and joy with one another. Small children are the happiest ones. They get money from their parents and elders to buy sweets and toys. People wear new colourful clothes and roll their tongues on tasty dishes ready in homes especially for this festival. The festive atmosphere sets the people to act proactively. They whitewash their houses and buildings. The shops look attractive displaying colourful items like sweets, utensils, toys, clothes, etc., and offering Diwali festive discounts. Learn more about Diwali festive offers from the website. In the Lakshmi Puja day, the cheerful climax reaches at the best. In the evening the sight of burning earthen lamps, designer candles and electrical lighting makes the atmosphere charismatic and colourful. Business people make new accounts of their business on the day. People believe that on this night Goddess Lakshmi comes down to the earth and visits every home. People send gifts, sweets, etc., to their friends/relatives and wish them good wishes.
Conclusion
Deepavali is the biggest historical and cultural festival for us. One way, it relates and highlights the life, achievements and ideology of our ancestors while on the other way, it provides enlightenment and well-being to the people of our society. So, the festival uplift us from darkness to light, untruthfulness to truthfulness and from failure to success. Diwali is also known as the festival to impress the Goddess Lakshmi. Goddess Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and well-being. She removes sorrow, sadness and darkness from life and compensates these with the happiness of light. Learn more about Goddess Lakshmi from the website. Moreover, there are scientific advantages of the festival as well. The lamps lit with mustard oil cleans the atmosphere by killing the harmful insects and mosquitoes in the atmosphere. It also marks the annual end of the monsoon season in India. Hope this Deepavali enlightens your life with happiness and success and Goddess Lakshmi showers her cherished blessings on you and your family. Wish you a happy Diwali!