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Diwali |
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The
Festival of Lights |
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The festival of lights is a yearlong wait for most of
the Indians across the globe, and a unique reason for
jubilation and togetherness. Freshly painted houses,
fun-filled long vacations, dazzling new clothes, mouth
watering mom-made sweets, illuminating firecrackers and
long awaited reunion with all the loving relatives and
friends remain the highlight of the magnificent days of
Diwali.
Shopping, gifting and enjoyment gear up way before the
real
event unfolds, with people indulging in all that release
fun and frolic. The fable behind the celebration remains
different for different places but the theme of the
‘good prevailing over the evil’ remains the same
through out.
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The word "Diwali" is extracted from the
Sanskrit word "Deepavali" - Deepa meaning
light and Avali a row, meaning a row of light. Diwali
falls on the 20th day after Dussera, on Amavasya - the
15th day of the dark fortnight of the Hindu month of
Ashwin (Aasho) (Oct/ Nov) every year, and is celebrated
for five continuous days each day signifying a special
occasion and a distinctive cause. |
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The
Legend of Diwali |
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The
First Day
The First day of Diwali called as Dhanteras or
Dhantryaodashi falls on the thirteenth day of the month
of Ashwin and is dedicated to goddess Lakshmi,
worshipped for wealth and prosperity. Entrances of
houses and business places are beautified with colourful
traditional motifs of Rangoli to welcome Lakshmi, and to
indicate her long-awaited arrival, small footprints are
drawn with rice flour and vermilion powder all over the
houses.
Lakshmi-Puja
is performed in the evenings when tiny diyas of clay are
lighted to drive away the shadows of evil spirits.
Devotional songs, in praise of Goddess Laxmi are sung
and Naivedya of traditional sweets is offered to the
Goddess.
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The
Story Behind The Celebration
It is believed that sixteen-year-old son of King Hima
was doomed to die on the fourth day of his marriage by a
snakebite. So, on that particular day of the marriage
his worried-wife lighted innumerable lamps and laid all
the ornaments in a big heap at the entrance of her
husband's boudoir. And she went on telling stories and
singing songs through the night. When yama, the god of
death, arrived there in the guise of a serpent the
dazzle of those brilliant lights blinded his eyes and he
could not enter the Prince's chamber. So he climbed on
the heap of the ornaments and coins and sat their whole
night listening to the melodious songs. In the morning
he quietly went away. Thus the wife saved her husband
and since then this day of Dhanteras came to be known as
the day of "Yamadeepdaan" and lamps are kept
burning throughout the night in reverential adoration to
yama, the god of Death. |
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