By: Priyanka Saurabh
The “festival of lights” is known as Diwali and is a Hindu, Sikh, and Jain religious festival that begins on the 13th day of darkness. The half cycle of the moon ends on the second day of the Shukla Paksha of Ashwina and the lunar month Kartik. Deepavali, which means “row of lights” in Sanskrit, is the source of the name.
This event is a celebration of the victory of light over darkness. Diwali traditions and celebrations vary by region. The most common Hindu tradition is to light a lamp on the new moon night to attract Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. This paper will uncover facts about Diwali, its history, importance in India and also cover some interesting things that you should know about the Diwali festival.
According to mythology, Ramayana is the story of Lord Rama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and his wife Sita. The demon king Ravana stole Sita and took her to his land Lanka when Lord Rama, his brother Lakshmana and Rama’s wife Sita were all in exile. Then Lord Rama, his brother Lakshmana, and an incredible monkey god named Hanuman, who possessed unmatched abilities, fought and destroyed the Lankan king Ravana as well. When Lord Rama returned to his country after fourteen years of exile, earthen lamps were lit all over the state, and Diwali was celebrated for the first time. This is the story of Diwali
Diwali is a religious holiday. It is one of the most famous festivals in India. Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists celebrate it according to their beliefs, legends, and historical events. Though their beliefs and reasoning may differ, Diwali represents the victory of good against evil, knowledge over ignorance, light against darkness, and faith in suffering. Diwali commemorates the return of Lord Rama to his hometown Ayodhya after 14 years of exile and is widely celebrated as the festival of lights. Lord Rama is the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. During his exile, he fought and conquered Ravana, the demon ruler of Lanka.
Every Diwali celebration has a purpose and a backstory. In the spiritual meaning of Diwali, there is the victory of light over darkness, the victory of good over evil, and the victory of knowledge over ignorance. The lights of Diwali signify the power and enthusiasm of the destruction of all our dark aspirations and thoughts, the eradication of dark shadows and evils, and the continuation of our kindness for the rest of the year. Diwali is a festival that brings together people of all religions and castes from across the country. It is a joyful and humorous time when everyone hugs each other. The festival has a welcoming atmosphere and a sense of purity about it.
As a sign of praise to the deities for the acquisition of education, health, wealth, peace, and prosperity, houses are lit with lights while the sky is filled with firecrackers. The exploding of firecrackers is also said to represent the happiness of the people living on the earth as well as the gods of our abundant existence. People are looking for better ways to show their happiness as a result of their environmental impacts.
While Diwali is widely considered a Hindu festival, it is also celebrated by many different religions, including Sikhism, Jainism, and various folk religions. And not only do all these religions and cultures have different Diwali gods to worship, but they also have different mythological renditions of the same story. Diwali is celebrated with colorful decorations, new clothes, and bright displays of colors and lights as it is generally believed that Diwali is the occasion when the Hindu god of wealth, Lakshmi roams the earth and brings wealth and happiness to the people. Another widespread belief associated with Diwali for Jainism, India’s sixth highest faith, is that it marks the day on which Lord Mahavira, the youngest of the 24 Tirthankaras, attained ‘Nirvana’.
While most Diwali customs date back hundreds of centuries, one of the most recent is associated with Sikhism. Sikhs celebrate Diwali as the day when their guru Hargobind Ji, along with other Hindu kings, was freed from the captivity of the Mughal ruler Jahangir in Gwalior. While Diwali is a one-day holiday in South India, it is a five-day festival across North India, with each place having its significance and dedicated to a different god. Most widely believed that Diwali commemorates the day when the Hindu god Lord Rama appeared in his hometown of Ayodhya to defeat the evil ruler Ravana. Legend has it that lights were lit all over the country to commemorate his return to power.
While most Diwali customs date back hundreds of centuries, one of the most recent is associated with Sikhism. Sikhs celebrate Diwali as the day when their guru Hargobind Ji, along with other Hindu kings, was freed from the captivity of the Mughal ruler Jahangir in Gwalior. While Diwali is a one-day holiday in South India, it is a five-day festival across North India, with each place having its significance and dedicated to a different god. Most widely believed that Diwali commemorates the day when the Hindu god Lord Rama appeared in his hometown of Ayodhya to defeat the evil ruler Ravana. Legend has it that lights were lit all over the country to commemorate his return to power.
The bursting of firecrackers is the most famous and widespread Diwali practice. However, it is a relatively new element to the Diwali celebration, as firecrackers and pyrotechnics were prohibitively expensive until the 1900s, and were used entirely by royalty. Over the past 70 years, Pakistan and India have been in hostility and fought three wars, leaving the border between the two countries always tense. Diwali, on the other hand, is one of the few times in the year when soldiers from both sides put aside their thoughts, greet and even deliver sweets to their counterparts at the border.
All other festivals have religious significance but Deepawali has a commercial significance. The sale of gold and silver is also the highest in this season and also of clothes. Due to giving gifts and presents on this occasion, the sale of all the gift items also increases. That is, the market of Diwali alone is worth billions in our country. The real market for the Indian consumer is Diwali. Why not such a festival bring happiness and gifts to everyone? This zeal and enthusiasm for Diwali should continue.
The writer is a Research Scholar in Political Science, a Poet, freelance journalist and columnist.
