As the same Diwali customs in India, NRIs celebrated
Dewali in North America, Europe, Asia and South America. Along
with this, Diwali was also celebrated at the White House and
Canada Parliment house.
Today Dewali is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs
and Jains across the globe as the "Festival of Light,"
where the lights or lamps signify victory of good over the
evil within every human being. The festival is also celebrated
by Buddhists of Nepal, particularly the Newar Buddhists.The
Sanskrit word Deepavali means an array of lights that stands
for victory of brightness over darkness. As the knowledge
of Sanskrit diminished, the name was popularly modified
to Diwali, especially in northern India
Diwali is a five day festival which occurs on the fifteenth
day of Kartika. During this time, homes are thoroughly cleaned
and windows are opened to welcome Laksmi, goddess of wealth.
Candles and lamps are lit as a greeting to Laksmi. Gifts
are exchanged and festive meals are prepared during Diwali.
Diwali, being the festival of lights, thousands of lamps
are lit in and outside every home on the day. Lamp or “Deep”
is the symbol of knowledge. Lighting the lamp of knowledge
within us means to understand and reflect upon the significant
purpose of each of the five days of festivities and to bring
those thoughts in to our day to day lives.
The first day of Diwali:
The first day of Diwali is called Dhanvantari Triodasi or
Dhanwantari Triodasi also called Dhan Theras .It is in fact
the thirteenth lunar day of Krishna Paksh (the dark forthnight)
of the month of Kartik. On this day, Lord Dhanwantari came
out of the ocean with Ayurvedic medicine (medicine which
promotes healthy long life) for mankind.
This day marks the beginning of Diwali celebrations. On
this day at sunset,Hindus should bathe and offer a lighted
deeya with Prasad (sweets offered at worship time) to Yama
Raj (the Lord of Death) and pray for protection from untimely
death.
This offering should be made near a Tulsie tree (the Holy
Basil) or any other sacred tree that one might have in their
yard. If there is no sacred tree, a clean place in the front
yard will suffice.
The second day of Diwali:
The second day of Diwali is called Narak Chaturdasi. It
is the fourteenth lunar day (thithi) of the dark forthnight
of the month of Kartik and the eve of Diwali. On this day
Lord Krishna destroyed the demon Narakasur and made the
world free from fear. On this day, we should massage our
bodies with oil to relieve it of tiredness, bathe and rest
so that we can celebrate Diwali with vigour and devotion.
On this night, Yama Deeya should NOT be lit. The Shastras
(Laws of Dharma) declares that Yama Deeya should be offered
on Triodasi night with Prasad.
The misconception that Yama Deeya should be offered on the
night before Diwali came about some years ago when the fourteenth
lunar day (Chaturdasi) was of a very short duration and
caused Triodasi to extend into the night before Diwali.
Some people mistook it to mean that because Yama Deeya was
lit on that night, that it should always be lit on the night
before Diwali.
This is absolutely not true. It is advisable that one consults
with a learned Pandit or Hindu Astrologer for proper guidance
on this matter.
The third day of Diwali.
Actual Diwali.......
This is the day when worship unto Mother Lakshmi is performed.
Hindus cleanse themselves and join with their families and
their Pandit (priest) and they worship the divine Goddess
Lakshmi to achieve the blessings of wealth and prosperity,
the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness.
The fourth day of Diwali.
On this day, Goverdhan Pooja is performed. Many thousands
of years ago, Lord Krishna caused the people of Vraja to
perform Goverdhan Pooja. From then on, every year Hindus
worship Goverdhan to honour that first Pooja done by the
people of Vraja.
It is written in the Ramayan that when the bridge was being
built by the Vanar army, Hanuman (a divine loyal servant
of Lord Rama possessing enormous strength) was bringing
a mountain as material to help with the construction of
the bridge. The call was given that enough materials was
already obtained. Hanuman placed the mountain down before
He could have reached the construction site. Due to lack
of time, He could not have returned the mountain to its
original place.
The deity presiding over this mountain spoke to Hanuman
asking of His reason for leaving the mountain there. Hanuman
replied that the mountain should remain there until the
age of Dwapar when Lord Rama incarnates as Lord Krishna
in the form of man. He, Lord Krishna will shower His grace
on the mountain and will instruct that the mountain be worshiped
not only in that age but but in ages to come. This deity
whom Hanuman spoke to was none other than Goverdhan (an
incarnation of Lord Krishna),who manifested Himself in the
form of the mountain.
To fulfill this decree, Goverdhan Pooja was performed and
is continued to be performed today.
The fifth day of Diwali.
The fifth day of the diwali is called Bhratri Dooj. This
is the day after Goverdhan Pooja is performed and normally
two days after Diwali day.
It is a day dedicated to sisters. We have heard about Raksha
Bandhan (brothers day). Well this is sisters day.
Many moons ago,in the Vedic era, Yama (Yamraj, the Lord
of death) visited His sister Yamuna on this day. He gave
his sister a Vardhan (a boon) that whosoever visits her
on this day shall be liberated from all sins. They will
achieve Moksha or final emancipation.
From then on, brothers visit their sisters on this day to
enquire of their welfare.
This day marks the end of the five days of Diwali celebrations.
This is also known as Bhai fota among Bengalis. Bhai fota
is an event especially among Bengalis when the sister prays
for her brother's safety, success and well being.
The Origin of Diwali:
Hindu Mythology:
According to Ramayana, Diwali commemorates the return of
Ram, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and the eldest son of
King Dasharath of Ayodhya, from his 14-year exile with Sita
and Lakshman after killing the Ravan, a demon king. The
people of Ayodhya illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas
(oil lamps) and fireworks to celebration of the return of
their king.
In rural areas, Diwali signifies Harvest Festival. Diwali
which occurs at the end of a cropping season has along with
the above custom, a few others that reinforce the hypothesis
of its having originated as a harvest. Every harvest normally
spelt prosperity. The celebration was first started in India
by farmers after they reaped their harvests. They celebrated
with joy and offered praises to God for granting them a
good crop.
During the reign of Emperor Prithu, there was a worldwide
famine. He ordered that all available cultivatable lands
be ploughed.When the rains came, the land became very fertile
and grains were planted. The harvest provided food not only
to feed all of India, but for all civilisation. This harvest
was close to Diwali time and was a good reason to celebrate
Diwali with great joy and merriment by a wider community.
When Lord Krishna destroyed Narakasur on the day before
Diwali, the news of it travelled very rapidly throught the
land.It gave people who were already in a joyful mood, another
reason for celebrating Diwali with greater pride and elaboration.
In the Adi Parva of the Mahabarat , the Pandavas returned
from the forest during Diwali time. Once more, the celebrations
extended beyond the boundaries of India to wherever Hindus
lived.
It is on the same day of Amavasya Swami Dayananda Saraswati,
that leonine sanyasin who was one of the first to light
the torch of Hindu Renaissance during the last century,
passed into Eternity. Swami Ramatirtha who carried the fragrance
of the spiritual message of Hindu Dharma to the western
world, also passed into eternity. The lights kindled on
this day also mark the attempt of their followers to immortalize
the sacred memories of those great men who lived to brighten
the lives of millions of their fellow beings. The passage
of these great men have indeed brought the national-cum-spiritual
tradition of Deepavali right up to modern times.
Sikh Festival
Diwali: On the day of Diwali, the Sixth
Guru of Sikhs , Guru Hargovind secured the release of not
only himself but also 56 other Hindu kings imprisoned at
the fort. The Guru and the kings returned to Amritsar to
a glorious welcome.
In Sikh perspective, Diwali is celebrated as the return
of the sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind Ji from the captivity
of the city, Gwalior. History states two commonly known
reasons for his imprisonment. One is that the Muslim Raja
approached Guru Hargobind Ji upon his entering Gwalior and
told the Guru to denounce his Sikh religion and to join
the Muslim faith. With the intention of utilizing the Guru’s
great strength and fearlessness needed in battles. Being
outraged by this request, the Guru rejected his proposition.
In retaliation he captured the Guru and held him against
his will. But eventually the Guru managed to free himself
of this unjust imprisonment and returned to his beloved
town of Amritsar. To commemorate his undying love for Sikhism,
the townspeople lit the way to, Harmandhir Sahib (referred
to as the Golden Temple), in his honour. For more about
Diwali for Sikhs Click Here.
Martyrdom of Bhai Mani Singh Ji- The martyrdom
in 1734 of the elderly Sikh scholar and strategist Bhai
Mani Singh, the Granthi (priest) of Harmandir Sahib (Golden
Temple). He had refused to pay a special tax on a religious
meeting of the Khalsa on the Divali day. This and other
Sikh martyrdoms gave further momentum to the Khalsa struggle
for freedom and eventually success in establishing the Khalsa
rule north of Delhi
Bhai Mani Singh was a great scholar and he transcribed
the final version of Guru Granth Sahib upon dictation from
Guru Gobind Singh Ji in 1704. He took charge of Harmandir
Sahib's management on 1708. In 1737, he received permission
from Mughal governor of Punjab, Zakarya Khan for celebrating
Divali at Golden Temple for a massive tax of Rs. 5,000 (some
authors say it was Rs 10,000). Invitations were sent to
the Sikhs all over India to join Bandi Chhorh Diwas celebrations
at Harmandir Sahib. Bhai Mani Singh thought he would collect
the tax-money from the Sikhs as subscriptions who would
assemble for the purpose of Divali Celebrations. But Bhai
Mani Singh Ji later discovered the secret plan of Zakarya
Khan to kill the Sikhs during the gathering. Bhai Mani Singh
Ji immediately sent message to all the Sikhs not to turn
up for celebrations. Bhai Mani Singh could not manage to
arrange the money to be paid for tax. Zakariya Khan was
not happy about the situation and he ordered Bhai Mani Singh's
assassination at Lahore by ruthlessly cutting him limb-by-limb
to death. Ever since, the great sacrifice & devotion
of martyr Bhai Mani Singh Ji is remembered on the Bandi
Chhorh Diwas (Diwali) celebration.
Uprising against the Mughal Empire- "Sarbat
Khalsa": The Sikh struggle for freedom from the oppressive
Mughal regime, the festival of Divali did become the second
most important day after the Baisakhi, when Khalsa was formally
established by the Tenth Guru Gobind Singh in 1699. After
the execution of Banda Bahadur in 1716, who had led the
agrarian uprising in Punjab, the Sikhs started the tradition
of deciding matters concerning the community at the biennial
meetings which took place at Amritsar on the first of Baisakh
and at Divali. These assemblies were known as the "Sarbat
Khalsa" and a resolution passed by it became a "gurmata"
Jain Festival Diwali:
Among the Jain festivals, Diwali is one of the most important
one. For on this occasion we celebrate the Nirvana of Lord
Mahavira who established the dharma as we follow it. Lord
Mahavira was born as Vardhamana on Chaitra Shukla 13 in
the Nata clan at Khattiya-kundapura, near Vaishali. He obtained
Kevala Gyana on Vishakha Shukla 10 at the Jambhraka village
on the banks of Rijukula river at the age of 42. He initiated
his shaashan (Jaina-shashana) on Shravana KrashNa 1 at his
first assembly at Rajgrah. After having preached the dharma
for 30 years, he attained Nirvana at Pava, at the age of
71 years and 6 and half months. For more about Diwali for
Jains Click Here.
Celebration:
In Punjab, the day following Diwali is known as tikka when
sisters make a paste with saffron and rice and place an
auspicious mark on their brother’s foreheads as a symbolic
gesture to ward off all harm.
In North India on the day of the Diwali the children emerge,
scrubbed clean to get into their festive attire, and light
up little oil lamps, candles and agarbathis the wherewithal
for setting alight crackers and sparklers.
Likewise, on the second day of the month of Kartik, the
people of Maharashtra exchange gifts. In Maharashtra, it
is the thirteenth day of Ashwin, the trayodasi, that is
observed as a festival commemorating a young prince whom
Yama, the God of Death, had claimed four days after his
marriage. Filled, however, with compassion for the luckless
youth, the legend goes, Yama promised that those who observed
the day would be spared untimely death—and so the lamps
that are lit to mark the festival are placed facing south,
unlike on other festive days, because south is the direction
mythologically assigned to Yama.
For the Bengalis, it is the time to worship Goddess Kali
, yet another form of Durga, the divine embodiment of supreme
energy. KALI is the Goddess who takes away darkness. She
cuts down all impurities, consumes all iniquities, purifies
Her devotees with the sincerity of Her Love.
Tradition:
Diwali is supposed to be a corruption of the word Deepavali,
the literal meaning of which in Sanskrit is ‘a row
of lamps.’ Filling little clay lamps with oil and wick
and lighting them in rows all over the house is a tradition
that is popular in most regions of the country. In the north,
most communities observe the custom of lighting lamps. However,
in the south, the custom of lighting baked earthen lamps
is not so much part of this festival as it is of the Karthikai
celebrations a fortnight later. The lights signify a welcome
to prosperity in the form of Lakshmi, and the fireworks
are supposed to scare away evil spirits.
For the grown-ups, there is also a custom of indulging
in gambling during Diwali. It is all in fun, though, in
a spirit of light-hearted revelry, and merrymaking.
The children can be seen bursting fire crackers and lighting
candles or earthen lamps. This is a time of generously exchanging
sweets with neighbors and friends. Puffed rice and sugar
candy are the favorite fares.
Diwali is a time for shopping, whether for gifts or for
adding durable items to one’s own household. The market
soars—everything from saffron to silver and spices
to silks. Yet, symbolic purchases are to be made as part
of tradition during Diwali.
Whatever may be the fables and legends behind the celebrations
of Diwali, all people in India exchange sweets, wear new
clothes and buy jewellery at this festive time. Card parties
are held in many homes. Diwali has become commercialised
as the biggest annual consumer spree because every family
shops for sweets, gifts and fireworks. However, in all this
frenzy of shopping and eating, the steady, burning lamp
is a constant symbol of an illuminated mind.
"Why
diwali is celebrated, History behind the celebration of
deepawali?"
Special
Day for the Sikhs: The third Sikh Guru Amar
Das institutionalized Diwali as a Red-Letter Day when all
Sikhs would gather to receive the Gurus blessings. In 1577,
the foundation stone of the Golden Temple at Amritsar was
laid on Diwali. In 1619, the sixth Sikh Guru Hargobind,
who was held by the Mughal Emperor Jahengir, was released
from the Gwalior fort along with 52 kings. ....
Sikh
Festival Diwali
