Diwali (English
pronunciation: / d ɪ w ɑːli/ )
also called Divali,
Means Deep ki Awali (A celebration of lights )
Deepavali or the "festival of
lights",
Or its called celebration of inner light. is a five-day Hindu
festival which starts on
Dhanteras, celebrated on the
thirteenth lunar day of
Krishna paksha (dark
fortnight) of the Hindu
calendar month Ashwin and
ends on Bhaubeej , celebrated
on the second lunar day of
Shukla paksha of the Hindu
calendar month Kartik .
Dhanteras usually falls
eighteen days after Dussehra .
In the Gregorian calendar,
Diwali falls between mid-
October and mid-November.
Diwali is an official holiday in
India,Nepal, Sri Lanka,
Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana,
Trinidad & Tobago , Suriname,
Malaysia, Singapore and Fiji.
For Hindus , Diwali is one of
the most important festivals
of the year and is celebrated
in families by performing
traditional activities
together in their homes. For
Jains, Diwali marks the
attainment of moksha or
nirvana by Mahavira in 527
BC. Arya Samajists,
celebrate this day as Death
Anniversary of Swami
Dayanand Saraswati. They
also celebrate this day as
Shardiya Nav-Shasyeshti.
The name "Diwali" or "Divali"
is a contraction of deepavali
which translates into "row of
lamps". Diwali involves the
lighting of small clay lamps
filled with oil to signify the
triumph of good over evil. [9]
These lamps are kept on
during the night and one's
house is cleaned, both done
in order to make the goddess
Lakshmi feel welcome.
Firecrackers are burst
because it is believed that it
drives away evil spirits .
During Diwali, all the
celebrants wear new clothes
and share sweets and snacks
with family members and
friends.
The festival starts with
Dhanteras on which most
Indian business communities
begin their financial year. The
second day of the festival is
called the Naraka Chaturdasi .
Amavasya, the third day of
Diwali, marks the worship of
Lakshmi, the goddess of
wealth. The fourth day of
Diwali is known as Kartika
Shudda Padyami. The fifth
day is referred to as Yama
Dvitiya, and on this day
sisters invite their brothers
to their homes.
Dates
Krishna and Satyabhama
fighting Narakasura's
armies -Painting from the
Metropolitan Museum
It begins in late Ashvin
(between September and
October) and ends in early
Kartika (between October
and November). The days in
Ashvin are in the Krishna
Paksha ("dark fortnight") of
that month, while the days in
Kartik are in its Shukla
Paksha ("bright fortnight").
The first day is Dhan Teras.
The last day is Yama Dvitiya,
which signifies the second
day of the light half of
Kartika. Each day of Diwali
marks one celebration of the
six principal stories
associated with the festival.
Hindus have several
significant events associated
with Diwali:
The return of Rama after 14
years of Vanvas (exile). To
welcome his return, diyas
(ghee lamps) are lit in total
of 14.
The killing of Narakasura:
Celebrated as Naraka
Chaturdashi, one day before
Diwali, it commemorates the
killing of the evil demon
Narakasura, who wreaked
havoc. In different versions,
either Krishna or Krishna 's
wife Satyabhama killed
Narakasura during the
Dwapara yuga.
Other events associated with
Diwali include:
Return of Pandavas after 12
years of Vanvas and one year
of agyatavas (living
incognito).
Diwali being the festival
of lights, across India
people celebrate it via
symbolic diyas or kandils
(colourful paper lanterns)
as an integral part of
Diwali decorations.
Diwali celebrations are
spread over five days, from
Dhanteras to Bhaiduj. In some
places like Maharashtra it
starts with Vasu Baras. All
the days except Diwali are
named according to their
designation in the Hindu
calendar. The days are:
1. Govatsa Dwadashi or Vasu
Baras (27 Ashvin or 12
Krishna Paksha Ashvin): Go
means cow and vatsa means
calf. Dwadashi or Baras
means the 12th day. On this
day the cow and calf are
worshiped. The story
associated with this day is
that of King Prithu , son of
the tyrant King Vena. Due to
the ill rule of Vena, there was
a terrible famine and earth
stopped being fruitful. Prithu
chased the earth, who is
usually represented as cow,
and ‘milked’ her, meaning
that he brought prosperity
to the land.
2. Dhanatrayodashi or Dhan
teras or Dhanwantari
Triodasi (28 Ashvin or 13
Krishna Paksha Ashvin):
Dhana means wealth and
Trayodashi means 13th day.
This day falls on the 13th day
of the second half of the
lunar month. It is considered
an auspicious day for buying
utensils and gold, hence the
name ‘Dhana’. This day is
regarded as the Jayanti
(Birth Anniversary) of God
Dhanvantari, the Physician of
Gods, who came out during
Samudra manthan, the
churning of the great ocean
by the gods and the demons.
3. Naraka Chaturdashi (29
Ashvin or 14 Krishna Paksha
Ashvin): Chaturdashi is the
14th day This was the day on
which the demon Narakasura
was killed by Krishna – an
incarnation of Vishnu . It
signifies the victory of good
over evil and light over
darkness (Gujarati: Kali
Chaudas, Rajasthan : Roop
Chaudas). In southern India,
this is the actual day of
festivities. Hindus wake up
before dawn, have a fragrant
oil bath and dress in new
clothes. They light small
lamps all around the house
and draw elaborate kolams /
rangolis outside their homes.
They perform a special puja
with offerings to Krishna or
Vishnu, as he liberated the
world from the demon
Narakasura on this day. It is
believed that taking a bath
before sunrise, when the
stars are still visible in the
sky is equivalent to taking a
bath in the holy Ganges.
After the puja, children burst
firecrackers heralding the
defeat of the demon. As this
is a day of rejoicing, many
will have very elaborate
breakfasts and lunches and
meet family and friends.
4. Lakshmi Puja (30 Ashvin or
15 Krishna Paksha Ashvin):
Lakshmi Puja marks the most
important day of Diwali
celebrations in North India.
Hindu homes worship Lakshmi,
the goddess of wealth, and
Ganesh, the God of
auspicious beginnings also
known as the remover of
obastacles, and then light
deeyas (little clay pots) in
the streets and homes to
welcome prosperity and well-
being.
5. Bali Pratipada and
Govardhan Puja (1 Kartika or 1
Shukla Paksha Kartika) : In
North India, this day is
celebrated as Govardhan
Puja, also called Annakoot,
and is celebrated as the day
Krishna – an incarnation of
god Vishnu – defeated Indra
and by the lifting of
Govardhana hill to save his
kinsmen and cattle from rain
and floods. For Annakoot,
large quantities of food are
decorated symbolising the
Govardhan hill lifted by
Krishna. In Maharashtra, Tamil
Nadu and Karnataka , it is
celebrated as Bali-Pratipada
or Bali Padyami. The day
commemorates the victory of
Vishnu in his dwarf form
Vamana over the demon-king
Bali, who was pushed into the
patala. In Maharashtra, it is
called Padava or Nava Diwas
(new day). Men present gifts
to their wives on this day. It
is celebrated as the first day
of the Vikram Samvat
calendar, in Gujarat .
6. Yama Dwitiya or Bhaiduj
(also Bhayyaduj, Bhaubeej or
Bhayitika) (2 Kartika or 2
Shukla Paksha Kartika): on
this day, brothers and
sisters meet to express love
and affection for each other
(Gujarati: Bhai Bij, Bengali:
Bhai Phota). It is based on a
story when Yama , lord of
Death, visited his sister Yami
(the river Yamuna). Yami
welcomed Yama with an Aarti
and they had a feast
together. Yama gave a gift
to Yami while leaving as a
token of his appreciation. So,
the day is also called 'YAMA
DWITIYA'. Brothers visit their
sisters’ place on this day
and usually have a meal
there, and also give gifts to
their sisters
Goddess Lakshmi Puja
Main article: Lakshmi Puja
Diwali marks the end of the
harvest season in most of
India. Farmers give thanks for
the bounty of the year gone
by, and pray for a good
harvest for the year to come.
Traditionally this marked the
closing of accounts for
businesses dependent on the
agrarian cycle, and is the
last major celebration before
winter. Lakshmi symbolises
wealth and prosperity, and
her blessings are invoked for
a good year ahead.
There are two legends that
associate the worship of
Lakshmi on this day.
According to the first legend,
on this day, Lakshmi emerged
from Kshira Sagar, the Ocean
of Milk, during the great
churning of the oceans,
Samudra manthan. The
second legend (more popular
in western India) relates to
the Vamana avatar of the big
three Vishnu, the incarnation
he assumed to kill the king
Bali. On this day, Vishnu came
back to his abode the
Vaikuntha; so those who
worship Lakshmi receive the
benefit of her benevolent
mood, and are blessed with
mental, physical and material
well-being.
As per spiritual references,
on this day "Lakshmi-
panchayatan" enters the
Universe. Vishnu, Indra,
Kubera, Gajendra and Lakshmi
are elements of this
"panchayatan" (a group of
five). The tasks of these
elements are:
Lakshmi: Divine Energy
(Shakti) which provides
energy to all the above
activities.
Vishnu: Happiness
(happiness and satisfaction)
Kubera : Wealth (generosity;
one who shares wealth)
Indra: Opulence
(satisfaction due to wealth)
Gajendra: Carries the
wealth
Saraswati: Knowledge
Diwali is not only celebrated
by Hindus; it is somewhat
also a Sikh festival as it
marks the Bandi Chhor Divas
festival.
Spiritual significance
While Diwali is popularly
known as the "festival of
lights", the most significant
spiritual meaning behind it is
"the awareness of the inner
light". Central to Hindu
philosophy (primarily the
Yoga, Vedanta, and Samkhya
schools of Hindu philosophy )
is the belief that there is
something beyond the
physical body and mind which
is pure, infinite, and eternal,
called the Atman. The
celebration of Diwali as the
"victory of good over evil",
refers to the light of higher
knowledge dispelling all
ignorance, the ignorance that
masks one's true nature, not
as the body, but as the
unchanging, infinite, immanent
and transcendent reality.
With this awakening comes
compassion and the
awareness of the oneness of
all things (higher knowledge).
This brings ananda (joy or
peace). Just as we celebrate
the birth of our physical
being, Diwali is the
celebration of this Inner
Light.
While the story behind Diwali
and the manner of
celebration varies from
region to region (festive
fireworks, worship , lights,
sharing of sweets), the
essence is the same – to
rejoice in the Inner Light
(Atman) or the underlying
Reality of all things
(Brahman ).
pronunciation: / d ɪ w ɑːli/ )
also called Divali,
Means Deep ki Awali (A celebration of lights )
Deepavali or the "festival of
lights",
Or its called celebration of inner light. is a five-day Hindu
festival which starts on
Dhanteras, celebrated on the
thirteenth lunar day of
Krishna paksha (dark
fortnight) of the Hindu
calendar month Ashwin and
ends on Bhaubeej , celebrated
on the second lunar day of
Shukla paksha of the Hindu
calendar month Kartik .
Dhanteras usually falls
eighteen days after Dussehra .
In the Gregorian calendar,
Diwali falls between mid-
October and mid-November.
Diwali is an official holiday in
India,Nepal, Sri Lanka,
Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana,
Trinidad & Tobago , Suriname,
Malaysia, Singapore and Fiji.
For Hindus , Diwali is one of
the most important festivals
of the year and is celebrated
in families by performing
traditional activities
together in their homes. For
Jains, Diwali marks the
attainment of moksha or
nirvana by Mahavira in 527
BC. Arya Samajists,
celebrate this day as Death
Anniversary of Swami
Dayanand Saraswati. They
also celebrate this day as
Shardiya Nav-Shasyeshti.
The name "Diwali" or "Divali"
is a contraction of deepavali
which translates into "row of
lamps". Diwali involves the
lighting of small clay lamps
filled with oil to signify the
triumph of good over evil. [9]
These lamps are kept on
during the night and one's
house is cleaned, both done
in order to make the goddess
Lakshmi feel welcome.
Firecrackers are burst
because it is believed that it
drives away evil spirits .
During Diwali, all the
celebrants wear new clothes
and share sweets and snacks
with family members and
friends.
The festival starts with
Dhanteras on which most
Indian business communities
begin their financial year. The
second day of the festival is
called the Naraka Chaturdasi .
Amavasya, the third day of
Diwali, marks the worship of
Lakshmi, the goddess of
wealth. The fourth day of
Diwali is known as Kartika
Shudda Padyami. The fifth
day is referred to as Yama
Dvitiya, and on this day
sisters invite their brothers
to their homes.
Dates
Krishna and Satyabhama
fighting Narakasura's
armies -Painting from the
Metropolitan Museum
It begins in late Ashvin
(between September and
October) and ends in early
Kartika (between October
and November). The days in
Ashvin are in the Krishna
Paksha ("dark fortnight") of
that month, while the days in
Kartik are in its Shukla
Paksha ("bright fortnight").
The first day is Dhan Teras.
The last day is Yama Dvitiya,
which signifies the second
day of the light half of
Kartika. Each day of Diwali
marks one celebration of the
six principal stories
associated with the festival.
Hindus have several
significant events associated
with Diwali:
The return of Rama after 14
years of Vanvas (exile). To
welcome his return, diyas
(ghee lamps) are lit in total
of 14.
The killing of Narakasura:
Celebrated as Naraka
Chaturdashi, one day before
Diwali, it commemorates the
killing of the evil demon
Narakasura, who wreaked
havoc. In different versions,
either Krishna or Krishna 's
wife Satyabhama killed
Narakasura during the
Dwapara yuga.
Other events associated with
Diwali include:
Return of Pandavas after 12
years of Vanvas and one year
of agyatavas (living
incognito).
Diwali being the festival
of lights, across India
people celebrate it via
symbolic diyas or kandils
(colourful paper lanterns)
as an integral part of
Diwali decorations.
Diwali celebrations are
spread over five days, from
Dhanteras to Bhaiduj. In some
places like Maharashtra it
starts with Vasu Baras. All
the days except Diwali are
named according to their
designation in the Hindu
calendar. The days are:
1. Govatsa Dwadashi or Vasu
Baras (27 Ashvin or 12
Krishna Paksha Ashvin): Go
means cow and vatsa means
calf. Dwadashi or Baras
means the 12th day. On this
day the cow and calf are
worshiped. The story
associated with this day is
that of King Prithu , son of
the tyrant King Vena. Due to
the ill rule of Vena, there was
a terrible famine and earth
stopped being fruitful. Prithu
chased the earth, who is
usually represented as cow,
and ‘milked’ her, meaning
that he brought prosperity
to the land.
2. Dhanatrayodashi or Dhan
teras or Dhanwantari
Triodasi (28 Ashvin or 13
Krishna Paksha Ashvin):
Dhana means wealth and
Trayodashi means 13th day.
This day falls on the 13th day
of the second half of the
lunar month. It is considered
an auspicious day for buying
utensils and gold, hence the
name ‘Dhana’. This day is
regarded as the Jayanti
(Birth Anniversary) of God
Dhanvantari, the Physician of
Gods, who came out during
Samudra manthan, the
churning of the great ocean
by the gods and the demons.
3. Naraka Chaturdashi (29
Ashvin or 14 Krishna Paksha
Ashvin): Chaturdashi is the
14th day This was the day on
which the demon Narakasura
was killed by Krishna – an
incarnation of Vishnu . It
signifies the victory of good
over evil and light over
darkness (Gujarati: Kali
Chaudas, Rajasthan : Roop
Chaudas). In southern India,
this is the actual day of
festivities. Hindus wake up
before dawn, have a fragrant
oil bath and dress in new
clothes. They light small
lamps all around the house
and draw elaborate kolams /
rangolis outside their homes.
They perform a special puja
with offerings to Krishna or
Vishnu, as he liberated the
world from the demon
Narakasura on this day. It is
believed that taking a bath
before sunrise, when the
stars are still visible in the
sky is equivalent to taking a
bath in the holy Ganges.
After the puja, children burst
firecrackers heralding the
defeat of the demon. As this
is a day of rejoicing, many
will have very elaborate
breakfasts and lunches and
meet family and friends.
4. Lakshmi Puja (30 Ashvin or
15 Krishna Paksha Ashvin):
Lakshmi Puja marks the most
important day of Diwali
celebrations in North India.
Hindu homes worship Lakshmi,
the goddess of wealth, and
Ganesh, the God of
auspicious beginnings also
known as the remover of
obastacles, and then light
deeyas (little clay pots) in
the streets and homes to
welcome prosperity and well-
being.
5. Bali Pratipada and
Govardhan Puja (1 Kartika or 1
Shukla Paksha Kartika) : In
North India, this day is
celebrated as Govardhan
Puja, also called Annakoot,
and is celebrated as the day
Krishna – an incarnation of
god Vishnu – defeated Indra
and by the lifting of
Govardhana hill to save his
kinsmen and cattle from rain
and floods. For Annakoot,
large quantities of food are
decorated symbolising the
Govardhan hill lifted by
Krishna. In Maharashtra, Tamil
Nadu and Karnataka , it is
celebrated as Bali-Pratipada
or Bali Padyami. The day
commemorates the victory of
Vishnu in his dwarf form
Vamana over the demon-king
Bali, who was pushed into the
patala. In Maharashtra, it is
called Padava or Nava Diwas
(new day). Men present gifts
to their wives on this day. It
is celebrated as the first day
of the Vikram Samvat
calendar, in Gujarat .
6. Yama Dwitiya or Bhaiduj
(also Bhayyaduj, Bhaubeej or
Bhayitika) (2 Kartika or 2
Shukla Paksha Kartika): on
this day, brothers and
sisters meet to express love
and affection for each other
(Gujarati: Bhai Bij, Bengali:
Bhai Phota). It is based on a
story when Yama , lord of
Death, visited his sister Yami
(the river Yamuna). Yami
welcomed Yama with an Aarti
and they had a feast
together. Yama gave a gift
to Yami while leaving as a
token of his appreciation. So,
the day is also called 'YAMA
DWITIYA'. Brothers visit their
sisters’ place on this day
and usually have a meal
there, and also give gifts to
their sisters
Goddess Lakshmi Puja
Main article: Lakshmi Puja
Diwali marks the end of the
harvest season in most of
India. Farmers give thanks for
the bounty of the year gone
by, and pray for a good
harvest for the year to come.
Traditionally this marked the
closing of accounts for
businesses dependent on the
agrarian cycle, and is the
last major celebration before
winter. Lakshmi symbolises
wealth and prosperity, and
her blessings are invoked for
a good year ahead.
There are two legends that
associate the worship of
Lakshmi on this day.
According to the first legend,
on this day, Lakshmi emerged
from Kshira Sagar, the Ocean
of Milk, during the great
churning of the oceans,
Samudra manthan. The
second legend (more popular
in western India) relates to
the Vamana avatar of the big
three Vishnu, the incarnation
he assumed to kill the king
Bali. On this day, Vishnu came
back to his abode the
Vaikuntha; so those who
worship Lakshmi receive the
benefit of her benevolent
mood, and are blessed with
mental, physical and material
well-being.
As per spiritual references,
on this day "Lakshmi-
panchayatan" enters the
Universe. Vishnu, Indra,
Kubera, Gajendra and Lakshmi
are elements of this
"panchayatan" (a group of
five). The tasks of these
elements are:
Lakshmi: Divine Energy
(Shakti) which provides
energy to all the above
activities.
Vishnu: Happiness
(happiness and satisfaction)
Kubera : Wealth (generosity;
one who shares wealth)
Indra: Opulence
(satisfaction due to wealth)
Gajendra: Carries the
wealth
Saraswati: Knowledge
Diwali is not only celebrated
by Hindus; it is somewhat
also a Sikh festival as it
marks the Bandi Chhor Divas
festival.
Spiritual significance
While Diwali is popularly
known as the "festival of
lights", the most significant
spiritual meaning behind it is
"the awareness of the inner
light". Central to Hindu
philosophy (primarily the
Yoga, Vedanta, and Samkhya
schools of Hindu philosophy )
is the belief that there is
something beyond the
physical body and mind which
is pure, infinite, and eternal,
called the Atman. The
celebration of Diwali as the
"victory of good over evil",
refers to the light of higher
knowledge dispelling all
ignorance, the ignorance that
masks one's true nature, not
as the body, but as the
unchanging, infinite, immanent
and transcendent reality.
With this awakening comes
compassion and the
awareness of the oneness of
all things (higher knowledge).
This brings ananda (joy or
peace). Just as we celebrate
the birth of our physical
being, Diwali is the
celebration of this Inner
Light.
While the story behind Diwali
and the manner of
celebration varies from
region to region (festive
fireworks, worship , lights,
sharing of sweets), the
essence is the same – to
rejoice in the Inner Light
(Atman) or the underlying
Reality of all things
(Brahman ).
