 The Significance of Diwali |
Diwali, the festival of lights, means clay diyas lit all around the house, multi-coloured rangolis, mouth-watering sweets and the inevitable crackers. It also means weeks of rigorously cleaning every part of the house for some; a time to indulge in heavy-duty shopping (with Diwali specials on at several stores) for others; and the peak season of endless card parties for the revellers.
There are several legends associated with the origin of Diwali or Deepavali. One is the return of Lord Ram to Ayodha after 14 years in exile and his victory over Ravan. The people of Ayodha celebrated his return by illuminating the kingdom with earthen lamps or Diyas. For Jains, the special significance of Diwali lies in Bhagwan Mahavir attaining Nirvana on this day. Diwali was also probably celebrated in ancient India as a harvest festival, as it indicates the onset of autumn, a season of plenty.
There are five days of Diwali. Some are celebrated with great fervour all over. Some days are more low-key. In North India, Diwali signifies the beginning of the New Year.
The celebrations begin with Dhanteras, a day to welcome Goddess Lakshmi. Small footprints are drawn with rice flour all over homes and business establishments. Many consider this an auspicious day to set up a venture or buy a new car. Many women buy gold or silver jewellery or at least some utensil to mark this day.
The second day of Diwali is called Narka Chaturdashi or Choti Diwali and marks the defeat of the demon Naraka, in the hands of Lord Krishna. Legend has it that when Krishna returned home early morning after slaying Naraka, the women bathed him with scented oil to wash away the filth from his body. Since then, the custom of taking a ritual oil bath before sunrise is traditional practice on this day, especially in the Southern parts of India.
The third day or Badi Diwali marks Lakshmipuja or the worship of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. It is the main day of the festival. It falls on the dark night of Amavasya and signifies the victory of Lord Vishnu over Bali, the mighty warrior who was a threat to the Gods. Bali was allowed to return to earth once a year, to light lamps to dispel darkness and ignorance.
The fourth day is not often celebrated with the equal fervour of the day before. It marks Varshapratipada. Govardhan Puja is performed in the North and in several parts of India this day is observed as Annakoot. In many temples, the deities are bathed in milk.
The final day of Diwali is a day of special bonding and goes by the many names of 'Bhai Dooj' in the North, 'Bhau-Bij' in Maharashtra, 'Bhai-Phota' on Bengal, etc. Yamraj, the God of Death, is believed to have visited his sister on this particular day and since then it's the day when brothers visit their sisters to celebrate their special bond. The sister prays for the long life of her brother and thus is marked the end of a glittering festival and is a special time for most Indians the world over.
Text by Reshmi Chakraborty
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