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Diwali, the festival of lights is indeed the most awaited and the most celebrated festivals of India. People in every nook and cranny of the country welcome the festival with enthusiastic gestures. This wonderful festival is the celebration of five days. On the third day of the celebratory occasion, the key rituals of the Diwali festival take place. Lighting of Diyas and candles all around the house, worshipping the Laxmi Ganesha to summon health and wealth and bursting crackers are the chief rituals of the festival.
In addition to that, the exchange of heartfelt gifts during Diwali these days have become a mandatory part of the celebration. Friends, families, and colleagues share with each other Diwali gifts as a gesture of showing love and affection. Also, special and grand feast with delicious food that mandatorily includes different varieties of sweets is the special attraction of the occasion.
"May the divine light of Diwali drive away all the darkness and bring peace, happiness and prosperity in your life."
This is one of the most common "Happy Diwali" text messages that we love sharing with people in our contact list. The festival of lights is indeed, a celebration like no other. It is celebrated all over the country and is known to bring people together.
Also known as Deepawali, Diwali is one of the grandest Hindu festivals and is celebrated over a period of five days. The word deep means light and the word avali means row. Thus, we see people lighting diyas and other fireworks during Diwali.
Diwali is a five day festival starts on Dhanteras. On Dhanteras people buy jewellery or utensils and worship to God. The second day is called Naraka Chaturdashi. It marks the death of the demon king "Narakasura". It is also called Chhoti Diwali or Small Diwali. According to an interesting saying it is believed that those who do not bathe on this day go to the hell. They put flowers and mango leaves on their doors and windows. Firecrackers are burst in order to drive away evil spirits. During Diwali, all the celebrants wear new clothes, share sweets and snacks with family members and friends.
The festival of Diwali is believed to be the ultimate victory of good over evil. The lighting of diyas and lamps is seen as the eradication of darkness, as we move towards a bright and hopeful future. It is an auspicious occasion that people love to celebrate with their family and friends.
Nowadays, people love to shop online as they eagerly wait for amazing offers and Grand Diwali Sales. Fireworks, diyas, decorations and sweets are all an integral part of our Diwali celebrations. Diwali is indeed one of the major Indian festivals that unites people from every part of the country and fills everyone's hearts with feelings of joy, happiness and compassion.
According to The Ramayana, one of India's great epics, there lived a prince called Rama, thousands of years ago in the kingdom of Ayodhya, who was considered to be the embodiment of dharma (right living) and an incarnation of Vishnu.
As the eldest of his father's sons, Rama was meant to inherit the throne, but was instead exiled to the forest for 14 years by his jealous step-mother who wanted her own son to become emperor instead.
One day while Rama was living in the forest with his wife, Princess Sita (an incarnation of Lakshmi), and his loyal younger brother Lakshman, both of whom had followed him into exile, a powerful king named Ravana, overcome by the princess' beauty, had the brothers distracted so he could kidnap Sita and bring her to his kingdom in Lanka.
Discovering what had happened to Sita, Rama and Lakshman sought the aid of the great warrior Hanuman, who agreed to help rescue her. The three of them trekked to Lanka, killed Ravana in battle, and successfully freed the princess.
After completing the 14-year exile, Rama, Sita, and Lakshman returned to Ayodhya, where the citizens joyously honored the homecoming of their beloved prince by lighting lamps all over the kingdom, giving it the appearance of a row of lights.
Diwali is hence called the "Festival of Lights," celebrating Rama's return from exile, as well as his victory over Ravana as that of good over evil.
Another well-known story connected to Diwali can be found in the Bhagavata Purana, a sacred text that centers around Krishna, who is considered by some traditions to be an avatar of Vishnu like Rama, and by other traditions to be the ultimate source and form of the Divine.
As described in the text, Bhumi Devi, known also as Mother Earth, had a son named Narakasura who was powerful, proud, and arrogant. Fueled by greed, he began conquering neighboring kingdoms, eventually kidnapping thousands of beautiful women and holding them captive. Hearing of his transgressions, Krishna engaged Narakasura in battle, killing him and freeing the women, as well as bringing peace to where Narakasura had wreaked havoc.
Krishna's triumph, like that of Rama's, also symbolizes good over evil and light over darkness, and is therefore celebrated as such by many on Diwali.
Diwali is customarily celebrated over five days with each day holding special importance. They are:
Two days before the main festival day, it's considered good luck to buy a metallic kitchen implement, such as a steel ladle, or, if budget allows, a more extravagant kitchen appliance.
The day before Diwali is known as 'chotti Diwali' (or 'little Diwali'). Traditionally, it was a day for getting on with preparations for the big day, but now it's also an opportunity for last-minute errands and gift exchanges. It's also a time when intricate floral and geometrical designs, known as 'rangoli', are created on floors using coloured powders, rice flour and flower petals.
The third day is the main Diwali celebration. As the sun sets, prayers are said then dozens of clay lamps are arranged around the house. Firework displays follow, but in recent years these have been scaled back due to noise and air pollution concerns. This doesn't dampen the party spirit, though – especially as there's a lavish dinner to enjoy.
Activities on the day after Diwali will vary across different regions. In north India, for example, the morning is dedicated to worshipping the tools of work. Chefs will pay homage to their kitchen implements, businessmen will venerate their ledgers, and artists will offer gratitude for their paints and palettes.
On the fifth and final day of Diwali celebrations, sisters pray for the well-being of their brothers, and receive sweetmeats and gifts in return.
Each region has its favourite dishes. No one fasts on Diwali and there's no set evening menu. In some homes, meals aren't even vegetarian.
Savoury snacks could include samosas, bhajis, aloo tikki (griddle-cooked potato patties) and channa bhatura (spiced chickpeas and puffed bread). Gujarat in west India is famed for its crunchy snacks, known as 'farssan'.
But, save space for the main meal, which may feature meaty curries, such as our next level tikka masala, or a feast of vegetarian Indian dishes, including dhals and pulses.
But it's sweetmeats ('mithai') that are the stars of Diwali. They're made with dairy produce, which has religious significance, and offered to both gods and guests.
Halwai shops are dedicated to making sweet and savoury snacks, although home cooks will also make family favourites, such as fudgy blocks of barfi and fried and sweetened gram flour balls known as ladoos. Try our spiced gram flour ladoo with fragrant saffron and chopped cashews. Then there's gulab jamun (syrupy dumplings) and cardamom-spiced kheer (rice pudding). Halwas, such as those made with carrots, wholewheat flour and semolina, are enjoyed throughout the day as well as for dessert. This Punjabi semolina halwa has a deliciously buttery flavour. And, to fill any gaps, nankhatai (a shortbread-like biscuit) makes a marvellous match with masala chai.
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