Diwali Festival
 ¤
Most Popular Hindu Festival
Diwali
(also known as Deepawali), or ‘the festival of lights’ is
perhaps the most popular of all Hindu festivals. Like most festivals,
Diwali has its mythological and historical bedrock. Legend has it that
Hanuman (the legendary monkey-god and prime devotee of Lord Rama, the
god-hero of the great Hindu epic, the Ramayana) delivered the much
awaited message of Rama’s return to Ayodhya (Rama’s kingdom)
after 14 years in exile. The entire kingdom rejoiced upon hearing the
news and Ayodhya was washed, cleansed and dressed up with lights and
shimmering earthen lamps to welcome the Lord himself. Diwali is
celebrated even today to commemorate this event.
¤ Celebrated To Mark The Triumph of Good Over Evil
Before his final return to Ayodhya, not only was Lord Rama required
to spend 14 years in exile, but he had to slay Ravana, the ten-headed
ruler of Lanka, who abducted his wife, in order to rescue her. Thus
the festival is also celebrated to mark the triumph of Good over Evil,
light over darkness, sunshine after rain, laughter after pain.
Diwali is celebrated in the Hindu month of Kartik (around November)
on Amavas, or the new moon right after Dussehra. Today Diwali is also
dedicated to Ganesha (the elephant-headed God of Wisdom and
Prosperity) and Lakshmi (the Goddess of Wealth).
¤ The Mythological Story
The mythological story of Sagar Manthan or ‘churning the ocean’
may help us understand why Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth, is
worshipped during Diwali. Legend has it that once all the devtas, or
demigods were under a curse that made them weak in body and mind. They
were advised by Brahma (Creator in the Hindu Holy Trinity of
Creator-Preserver-Destroyer) to drink amrit, or the elixir of life.
But amrit could only be obtained by the churning of the ocean, which,
needless to add, was no mean feat. Now the question arose as to
how to go about churning the gargantuan ocean. Lord Vishnu (the Hindu
Preserver of the Universe) came up with a solution saying that Mount
Meru could act as the churning stick, while Vasuki (the mythical
serpent) could be used as the coil around Meru. Pleased with the
suggestion, the devtas went to the asuras, or demons and sought their
help in accomplishing the formidable task. The devtas’ promise to
share the amrit with the asuras tricked the latter into consenting to
tug Vasuki from one end.
Thus ensued a phenomenal churning that, however, threatened to
destroy the three worlds (Heaven, Earth and Hell). The gods simply
could not let that happen, so Vishnu appeared in the guise of a giant
tortoise or Kurma (Vishnu's second incarnation) and stabilised the
churning by acting as a base under Mount Meru. It is said that
eventually, spectacular treasures emerged from the great ocean
including Laksmi the Goddess of Prosperity and Wealth, Sura the
Goddess of Wine, Chandra, or the moon, Apsaras, the celestial nymphs,
Kaustabha, the precious gem of Vishnu, Uchchaishravas, the divine
horse, Parijata, the wishing coral tree, Kamdhenu, the wish-fulfilling
Divine Cow, Airavata, the four-tusked white elephant, Panchajanya, or
the conch, Sharanga, the invincible bow, and Dhanvantri, Nimi and
Bharadwaj - the physicians and surgeons.
¤ The Distribution of Poison and The Nector
Then appeared Halahala, the deadly poison, that had to be extracted
before it could spell doom across the universe, and finally emerged
the Amrit Kumbh, or pitcher of amrit. The mighty Shiva (the Destroyer
of the Universe) stepped in to consume the poison as he was the only
one who had the capacity to contain Halahala. Shiva drank the poison
but kept it in his neck, perhaps to prevent the poison from entering
his stomach. Ever since, he has been nicknamed Neelkantha or the
blackneck. Meanwhile, in order to prevent the asuras from consuming
the amrit, the devtas took the priceless pot and fled, with the asuras
trailing behind in pursuit. Eventually the asuras caught up with the
devtas who, in turn, decided to take on the asuras. It is believed
that in all this melee, a few drops of amrit fell from the pot on
spots that are the present-day towns of Nasik, Ujjain, Haridwar and
Allahabad, rendering indestructible and sacred for all times to come.
¤ Goddess Lakshmi -The Main Deity
Since Goddess Lakshmi was amongst the spectacular treasures that
emerged from the great ocean, hence, along with Ganesha, who is
customarily invoked before ceremonies are performed, Lakshmi presides
over all the ceremonies that are performed during Diwali.
Days before Diwali, people get into a veritable tailspin, what with
all the planning and shopping to be done for the ceremonies,
especially for the grand Diwali night.
They wash, clean and even whitewash their homes and shops – it
seems no god or goddess blesses a mess! The women folk especially in
South India decorate their homes and doorsteps with colourful rangolis
(patterns made on the floor by using various coloured powders). Dhan
Teras Celebrations
Two days before Diwali is called dhan teras (dhan is wealth in Hindi
and teras is 13th, to signify the 13th day
after the full moon).
This day is devoted to Goddess Lakshmi as it is believed that she
pays each house a visit on this day of the year. People hold a Lakshmi
puja (prayer ceremony) in their homes. This day is especially
significant for the merchant class, and quite understandably so.
Traditionally this day marked the commencement of the new financial
year and is still considered to do so by some people. In urban India,
many business deals are finalised around this time and business houses
give a Diwali bonus and gifts to their employees on the occasion.
¤ Chhoti Diwali
The day before Diwali is celebrated as Chhoti Diwali (small Diwali).
This is the day when Hanuman reached Ayodhya to deliver the
long-awaited message of Lord Rama’s return. On Chhoti Diwali,
people socialise and exchange sweets and gifts. There is a puja in the
evening, and the puja sthan (most Indian homes have a special room or
corner with a little temple in which they pray) is decorated with
empty earthen lamps and newly purchased idols that are to be
worshipped in it. In Bengal, people celebrate the Kali puja on this
day. Kali is the Goddess of War and is highly revered by the Bengalis.
In South India, an oil massage followed by a bath before dawn on this
day is equated to taking a dip in the holy River Ganga. and a dip in
the Ganga (the holy river of India supposed to absolve one of all
sins) on this day is also considered to be an act of piety.
¤ The Shopping Day
The day is also chalked out for shopping. Markets are piled up with
goodies and decorated to the hilt. Every year, there is an array of
new things on display. Shopkeepers offer mega Diwali discounts to
allure customers.
Firecracker stalls have every conceivable cracker and ‘bomb’,
from rockets to sparklers to fire snakes, burning trains and what have
you, covered in shiny golden and silver paper, for children and adults
alike.
Children look forward to their shopping binge primarily for this
reason. Hordes of families throng the markets of their towns and
villages for the Diwali shopping spree. Clothes are bought for all
members of the family.
Buying utensils on dhan teras is also a must, as doing so is
considered auspicious. Lamps, candles, festoons, animal-shaped sugar
candies, sweets covered with silver foil and packed in bright
cardboard boxes, colourful earthen idols of various important gods and
goddesses and other things adorn endless rows of shelves.
¤ The Mass Celebration of Diwali Festival
Finally the big day arrives and the excitement reaches fever pitch,
especially for the children, as they can hardly wait for the night to
get their hands on the crackers! But the day itself is not without its
share of delightful moments.
The women of the house get their culinary act together to turn out an
elaborate feast. An extensive fare is laid out for the household, and
certain sweets are especially made during this festival, as Diwali is
also the festival of sweets and feasting. In the evening, lamps and
candles are placed all around the house after which the entire family
assembles for the puja. A big earthen diya (lamp) is lit and later
taken around the house to light all the candles and diyas.
Every house – big or small – participates in this ritual.
Even the most modest shacks are transformed into bright households
with a few diyas. Every little village and town glitters on this
night. The sky is set ablaze with thousands of crackers bursting and
diffusing coloured lights high into the sky.
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