Celebrating The Festival Of Light.

Deepavali is celebrated everywhere today

HAPPY Deepavali! Happy Diwali! Happy Diwali? What? Have you ever wondered what Diwali is about? Deepavali or Diwali is certainly the biggest and the brightest of all Hindu festivals. It's the festival of lights (deep = light and gavali = a row i.e., a row of lights) that's marked by four days of celebration, which literally illumines the country with its brilliance, and dazzles all with its joy.
Each of the four days in the festival of Diwali is separated by a different tradition, but what remains true and constant is the celebration of life, its enjoyment and goodness. Historically, the origin of Diwali can be traced back to ancient India, when it was probably an important harvest festival. However, there are various legends pointing to the origin of Diwali or 'Deepavali.' Some believe it to be the celebration of the marriage of Lakshmi with Lord Vishnu.


Whereas in Bengal the festival is dedicated to the worship of Mother Kali, the dark goddess of strength. Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed God, the symbol of auspiciousness and wisdom, is also worshiped in most Hindu homes on this day.
In Jainism, Deepavali has an added significance to the great event of Lord Mahavira attaining the eternal bliss of nirvana. Diwali also commemorates the return of Lord Rama along with Sita and Lakshman from his fourteen year long exile and vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, the Capital of Rama, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas (oil lamps) and burst crackers.
Nevertheless, the actual legends that go with the festival are different in different parts of India. In northern India and elsewhere, Diwali celebrates Rama's return from fourteen years of exile to Ayodhya after the defeat of Ravana and his subsequent coronation as king; In Gujarat, the festival honours Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth; In Nepal Diwali commemorates the victory of Lord Krishna over the demon king Narakaasura; In Bengal, it is associated with the goddess Kali.
The significance behind Diwali varies amongst the different states of India. While the stories may differ, they all celebrate the triumph of good over evil! For some Hindus, Diwali also marks the end of the calendar year. Diwali is perhaps the most well-known of the Hindu festivals. Today, millions of Hindus all over the world are celebrating Deepavali, it is one of the most eagerly awaited and widely celebrated Indian festivals. They decorate their homes with lanterns; but why?
What is the symbolism behind that? Those lanterns signify God's light, penetrating through the ignorance and sin of our daily lives. They signify the divine light, shining its way through this mundane world.



A home bathed in light is a home in which anger, pain, and ignorance are being dispelled; it is a home that is calling to God. The light of Diwali should be within us. It should symbolize the personal relationship between God and our families. It should not be so we attract attention from passing cars, or so we are the envy of the neighbourhood.
Let the light penetrate inward, for only there will it have lasting benefit. One piece of cotton soaked in ghee, lit with a pure heart, a conscious mind and an earnest desire to be free from ignorance is far "brighter" than 100 fashion deepaks, lit in simple unconscious revelry. Diwali also marks the New Year. For some, the day of Diwali itself is the first day of the new year, and for others the new year's day is the day following Diwali. But, for all this season is one of heralding in the New Year.
In the joyous mood of this season, they clean their homes, their offices, rooms, letting the light of Diwali enter all the corners of their lives. They begin new diaries and calendars. It is a day of "starting fresh." The day begins with most people visiting the temple to obtain blessings from the Hindu gods. Following that, they visit friends and family and exchange gifts and Indian sweets.
Since buying gold jewellery is considered very auspicious on this day, the women dress in their finest Indian attire and head to the jewellers in the afternoon. At night, the houses in India are lit up with diyas (small oil lamps) and the skies, with colourful fireworks. What makes it fun is that these are not professional displays - Instead, everyone creates their own show by lighting up their favourite crackers. The young ones stick to the sparklers, while the older ones brave it out with the louder, more powerful fireworks.
The commotion continues late into the night until every very last firecracker has exploded. Anyways, enough facts. Those who love to watch the festival advertisement are yet to recover from the good old days of watching Muniandy Chinnadorai and his ‘wannabe’ friends decked in their rapper garbs to party, only to panic upon catching a glimpse of his grandmother.