A VERY HAPPY DIWALI TO YOU & YOUR FAMILY!! MAY THIS YEAR BE FILLED WITH PROSPERITY, PEACE & HAPPINESS!!
THE SIGNIFICANCE
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Deepavali or Diwali , the most awaited festival of the Hindus is celebrated every year with great enthusiasm & splendor. The name ‘Deepavali’ means ‘an array of lights’ – ‘Deep’ meaning ‘light’ & ‘avali’ means ‘row’.
The significance of this festival is the ‘awareness of inner light’. It celebrates the victory of good over evil. All homes are illuminated with lamps to outshine the darkness. It is this light which empowers one to commit ourselves to good deeds & chase away all the negativities within us. The spiritual significance of Diwali is for one to become aware that there something eternal called Atman which is beyond our physical body & mind. The act of this realization & acknowledging the good within will bestow upon us Ananda or Peace & Happiness.
Diwali also marks the return of Lord Rama along with wife Sita & brother Lakshman from his 14 years exile & also the vanquishing of demon king – Raavan. To mark this joyous occasion, the people of Ayodhya celebrate the return of their king Lord Rama by lighting earthern diyas & bursting crackers.
DIWALI 2010
Popularly known as the ‘Festival of Lights’, it is celebrated for 5 days & usually falls between mid-October to mid-November. This year (2010) this festival commences on the 5th of November.
THE FIVE DAYS
Each of these five days has a significance or legend behind it.
Dhanteras is the first day of the five days long celebrations. This day is considered auspicious to purchase gold, silver or new utensils. Houses or business premises are decorated & Laxmi Puja is performed in the evening. Earthern diyas are lighted to drive away all evil.
As per the legend, when the gods & demons churned the ocean of Amrit, Dhanavantri emerged carrying a jar of elixir on this day. Dhavantri is believed to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
Naraka Chathurdashi is the second day of this festival. This is the day Lord Krishna, incarnation of Lord Vishnu, destroyed the demon Narakasur & freed the world from fear. On this day Hindus wake up before sunrise, apply oil on their body, bathe & dress in new clothes. It is believed that bathing before dawn is equivalent to bathing in the holy Ganges. It signifies the victory of good over evil. After the oil bath, families gather to decorate the entrance to their homes with colorful rangolis & burst crackers.
Lakshmi Puja is an important part of Diwali celebrations. Families gather to worship Goddess Lakshmi to bless them with wealth & prosperity. Tiny clay lamps are lit all around the house to welcome prosperity.
Govardhan Puja or Bali Padyami : Govardhan Puja is performed in North India to mark the day Lord Krishna defeated Indra. as per the legend, people of Gokul used to celebrate a festival at the end of every monsoon in honor of Lord Indra. But one particular year young Krishna stopped the people from celebrating. This was followed by a heavy downpour which people believed was because of them neglecting Lord Indra. So, it was on this day Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan hill to shield the people of Gokul from heavy rains. Indra then accepted the supremacy of Krishna.
Bali Padyami is celebrated in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka & Maharashtra.This day marks the victory of Vishnu in his dwarf form Vamana over the demon king Bali by banishing him to hell. Bali was allowed to return to earth once a year to light lamps to vanquish all darkness as per the boon given by Lord Krishna.
Bhai Duj : This is the last day of the Diwali celebrations. It falls on the second day after the new moon (Dooj day) This is the day dedicated to brothers (bhai) & sisters. On this day, sisters perform puja for the safety, long life & well being of their brothers. In return, the brothers give gifts to their sisters. As per the legend, when Yama, lord of death visited his sister Yami after a long period of separation. Yami welcomed him with aarati and put a tilak on his forehead for his well being. To this day this tradition is followed.
SWEET TREATS
Diwali celebration is complete with sharing of traditional mithais or sweets. We wait eagerly every year for mom`s special sweet dishes. Here are a few of them :
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