December means... GIVING is in the air. Forgiveness.
A year in rewind.
All good things must come to an end.
Snow? A White Christmas?
A festival of lights, merriment and profuse joy – DIWALI!
Diwali or Deepawali is a chief Hindu festival which is celebrated with great pomp and show not only in India but across the globe. The festival is a highly extravagant affair for people of all age groups. Diwali is a Hindu festival but this ‘Festival of Lights’ is celebrated by people of nearly all religions with equal fervor, zest and feeling. The festive traditions and jolly celebrations that one gets to see during Diwali are truly splendid and matchless. The whole country is wrapped in a colorful festive cover. There is joy and merriment all over. People are dressed in lovely attires and they are their festive best!
According to Hindu calendar, Diwali falls in the month of ‘Kartik’. The weather during this time is resplendent because it is neither too chilly nor too hot. The festival of Diwali holds different meanings for different religions. For the Hindu community, the festival commemorates the home coming of Lord Rama (along with his consort Sita and brother Laxman) from his long exile in the woods. Lord Rama, while he was in the woods vanquished Ravana, the demon of Lanka. After spending fourteen long years in exile and after conquering Ravana, when Lord Rama returned to his birth town Ayodhya, the native people expressed their profuse delight and jubilation by burning earthen lamps (diyas). The joy of the people knew no bounds and they illuminated the whole town to celebrate their loved king’s homecoming. From then on, people have upheld the spirit of decorating and illuminating their houses on the eve of Diwali.
In Jain community, the festival of Diwali marks ‘Nirvana’ or the attainment of Moksha by Lord Mahavir. Likewise, the Sikh community has its own reason to celebrate this festival. Sikhs commonly refers to the festival as ‘Bandi Chhorh Diwas’. To them, the day marks Shri Har Gobind Ji’s return to Amritsar post freeing 52 kings imprisoned in Gwalior Fort. So, different religious and ethnic communities have their own special reasons for celebrating this grand festival. Whatever is the reason, people are at their jubilant best during Diwali!
Being a mega Indian festival, everything associated with it is majestic! People start cleaning and decorating their houses a month before the festival. So, it goes without saying that the festivity associated with the festival starts a month before the actual festival. The markets are all decked up. The shopkeepers offer heavy discounts. People engage in mega shopping spree. There is vibrancy, mirth and jubilation in the air and this is something really lovely. Children usually get Diwali holidays in schools and colleges. This gives them a lot of time to indulge in all kinds of festivity.
As far as the Diwali Puja is concerned, astrologers predict special auspicious time every year. It is during this time that people are supposed to worship. Lakshmi Pujan is also a very special part of Diwali celebrations. Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped on the eve of Diwali for wealth, good luck and prosperity. It is believed that Goddess Lakshmi descends on planet earth on the night of Diwali and blesses her devotees with good charm. People worship Goddesss Lakshmi all throughout the night to receive good blessings.
Another very typical feature associated with Diwali is Rangoli. Rangoli is a form of floor painting and is a way to deck up one’s house. This form of floor painting can be done in a number of ways. The raw material for Rangoli making can be easily grabbed from the market. One just needs to have a creative bent of mind to be able to come up with a nice Rangoli design. Another very typical Diwali feature is ‘gift exchanging’. It is a common practice amongst loved ones to exchange gifts. The exchange is not mandatory but over the years it has come to have developed into a common practice. It is a very healthy practice and brings people closer to each other.
Diwali is a festival that is meant to bring the families closer to each other. The true spirit of festival is togetherness and sense of oneness that it generates among members of family. It is something that not only symbolizes love and joy and hope, but also gives fresh start to a new year. The New Year is to bring all the novel joys and happiness in the house. It is a picturesque sight when one family celebrates together this amazing festival of lights. It circulates the feeling of homogeny and oneness in the family.