India is considered a land of festivals. The most important festivals of India are Holi, Raksha Bandhan, Dussehra and Diwali, but among all these festivals, Deepawali is the most prominent festival. This is festival of lights. When we remove the darkness of ignorance and ignite the light of knowledge, we experience an infinite and extra-terrestrial bliss. Deepawali also symbolizes the light of knowledge.
Rows of Lamps are lit on this day, hence it is also called the festival of lights. Deepawali is considered to be the most important festival of Hindus. People celebrate Diwali with great enthusiasm.
Diwali festival is celebrated for five days. Preparations for Deepawali start after the festival of Dussehra. Those who do jobs are also given a few days off to celebrate the festival of Diwali so that they can celebrate Diwali happily with their families.
Diwali is celebrated in the month of October or November. On this festival, people light up rows of lamps to express their happiness at night. Cities and villages of whole country are decorated with lamps which are lit up with rows of lamps, it seems as if night has turned into day.
Purpose of Diwali
The word Deepawali is derived from Sanskrit. Deepawali is made up of two words “Deep” and “Avali” which means decorated with lamps. Deepawali is also called the festival of lights because on this day the lamps are illuminated. On this day, all of us get involved in eradicating the darkness by making a row of lamps and on the dark night of Amavasya, innumerable lamps are lit up.
On new moon day of Kartik month this holy festival of Deepawali is celebrated. This festival is celebrated to welcome the winter season after leaving the summer and rainy season. After that, the soft phases of the winter moon make everyone happy.
History of Deepawali
When Lord Rama returned to Ajodhya after killing “Lankapati Ravana” and after spending “fourteen years of exile”, the people of Ajodhya lit lamps to welcome him and to express his happiness on his arrival. In the holy memory of the same day, this day is celebrated with great enthusiasm.
The memory of Lord Rama becomes very fresh on the occasion of this day. On this day “Lakshmi ji” was born at the “time of churning of the ocean”, that is why Lakshmi ji is worshiped on Deepawali and wishes for wealth and prosperity in the house. On this day “Lord Krishna” also killed a demon named “Narakasura”.
Diwali Preparations
People start preparing for Diwali from Dussehra itself. Before Diwali, everyone cleans their homes and gets the house painted . On the occasion of Diwali, people buy new clothes, candles, toys, crackers, sweets, colors to make Rangoli and many things to decorate their homes.
New clothes are made to wear on the day of Diwali, sweets are made. Electric lights are used to decorate the houses. Diwali is the biggest festival of happiness and entertainment in India. On this day, a wave of happiness arises from children to old people.
The whole sky reverberates with the sound of fireworks and crackers. At the beginning of autumn, people get their houses painted and decorated with paintings. Due to proper cleaning, flies and mosquitoes also get away.
Importance of Diwali festival
Diwali has a lot of importance in the country of India. This day is considered to symbolize the victory of “truth” over “evil” . This day is celebrated in a very beautiful and traditional way. On the day of Deepawali, the goddess of wealth “Lakshmi ji”, “Sarasvati ji” and “Lord Ganesh” are worshipped.
According to the Hindu epic “Ramayana”, the festival of Diwali is celebrated to “celebrate the return of Lord Rama, Sita Mata and Lakshmana to Ajodhya after 14 years” of exile. According to the epic Mahabharata, in some regions of India, Diwali festival is also celebrated to “celebrate the return of Pandeva’s after 12 years of exile and 1 year of agyaatavaas”.
It is also believed that “Goddess Lakshmi was born on this day” while “churning the ocean” by gods and goddesses. In some eastern and northern regions of India, this festival is also celebrated as the New Hindi Year.
Description of Diwali
Deepawali festival is celebrated on the new moon day of Kartik month. The festival of Diwali is the biggest festival for Indian’s which lasting for five days. “Dhanteras” comes three days before Diwali. On this day Ahoi Mata is worshiped. On this day people sell old utensils and buy new utensils.
All the pottery shops look very unique from the pottery. On the day of “Chaturdashi”, people take out the garbage of the houses. The festival of Diwali is celebrated with great pomp on the new moon of Kartik month. On the day of “Dhanteras”, merchants create their new ledgers.
It is considered good to take a bath before sunrise on the next day, “Narak Chaudas”. Lakshmi is worshiped on the day of “Amavasya”. “Khil-batashe” prasad is offered in worship. New clothes are worn. The colorful lights of innumerable lamps captivate the mind.
The decoration of shops, markets and houses is spectacular. Happy Diwali is given by embracing each other. The housewives welcome the guests. People celebrate this festival together, forgetting the discrimination between big and small, rich and poor.
Nirvana Day Of Great Men
Mahavira Swami, the pilgrim of Jains, had attained Nirvana on the day of Diwali. That is why this day is very important for the Jain brothers. Swami Dayananda and Swami Ram tirtha also received subsistence on the same day. The day of Rishi Nirvana is of special importance to the Arya Samaj brothers. Sikh brothers also celebrate Diwali with a big ceremony. Thus this day is very holy from a religious point of view.
Lakshmi Pujan
This festival was initially celebrated under the name of “Mahalakshmi Pooja”. Mahalakshmi ji was born in “Samudra Manthan” on the day of “Kartik Amavasya”. Even today on this day Mahalakshmi ji is worshiped in the houses.
On this day, people congratulate their loved ones and friends and wish them happiness and prosperity in the new year. Boys and girls wear new clothes and distribute sweets. we do fireworks at night. Many people also perform Lakshmi Pujan at night. “Durga Saptami” is recited in some places. People who are vengeful instincts destroy intellect by gambling.
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A symbol of cleanliness
While Diwali is a symbol of wisdom of the heart, it is also a symbol of external cleanliness. Mosquitoes, bed bugs, fleas etc. gradually make their home in the houses. Spider webs are found, that is why many days before Diwali, houses are cleaned, wrapped, painted and whitewashed. The whole house is polished and cleaned. People decorate their houses according to their circumstances.
Evils
Even in a festival made for a good purpose, disorders arise in time. The Lakshmi that people used to worship with great reverence for the attainment of wealth and grains is also worshiped by many people for gambling. Gambling has become a practice which is like a stigma for the society and holy festivals.
Apart from this, many ill effects of bomb blasts can also be seen in the modern age. In today’s time, fire crackers are used very loudly all over India. It is believed that on the day of Diwali, the amount of pollution in India increases by 40 to 50%. By using firecrackers we ruin our environment to a great extent for a short time fun.
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Firing crackers are very harmful for both our body and the environment. By using firecrackers in Diwali, we Indians increase the pollution not only of India but of the whole world. There are many accidents due to firecrackers, the victims of which range from children to adults.
Smoke from fire crackers causes “asthma” and many other diseases. Fire crackers cause all kinds of pollution such as air pollution due to smoke, noise pollution due to the sound of firecrackers, land pollution due to poisonous substances falling on the ground, water pollution due to the presence of poisonous substances in water, etc.
Conclusion
Diwali is our religious festival. The festival of Diwali holds a special place in all the festivals. We must preserve the traditions of our festivals in every situation. Traditions make it easier for us to remember its beginning and its purpose.
Traditions take us back to the primordial age of the festival where we have knowledge of our primitive culture. Today we also celebrate our festivals by giving the color of modern civilization but we should not spoil its original form. It should always be celebrated in a reasonable manner.
Gambling and alcohol consumption is very bad and we should always avoid it. Don’t spend too much on fireworks. We all have a duty to maintain the sanctity of our festivals.
This festival provides the excitement of living a new life. We should take special care that it would be meaningful to celebrate Diwali only if none of our deeds and behaviors hurt anyone.
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