A Complete Guide on Diwali – Festival of Lights
Diwali is the biggest festival in India. It is the festival of lights and candles. The word 'Diwali' means the row of diyas. This festival is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, and Buddhists. This festival is celebrated new beginnings and the victory of good over evil and light over darkness. On this day, people light up their houses with lights and candles. People worship Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi for good welfare, wealth, and prosperity.
Diwali is celebrated in the month of October or November. In some parts of India, Diwali is celebrated for five consecutive days. Hindu religion considers it a celebration of life, and they strengthen the relationship on this occasion. People also clean and decorate their houses and shops at this festival.
People light up their houses and shops with candles and diyas to welcome goddess, Lakshmi. On this occasion, people wear new clothes and exchange gifts, sweets, and greetings with their family and friends. Sweets and toy shops are decorated to attract people. There is a heavy rush in markets on festival days. There is also a belief in giving food to those who really need it.
How many days is Diwali Celebrated in India?
Diwali is the biggest and ancient festival of India. It is celebrated with great enthusiasm and fun. In India, Diwali is celebrated for five consecutive days.
First Day : This day we celebrated Dhanteras. On this day we worships of Lord Yama and buying gold.
Second Day : This day we celebrates Chhoti Diwali and also called is Narak Chaturdashi.
Third Day : This Day we celebrate the Main Diwali and worships the Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha for the wealth and prosperity.
Fourth Day : Govardhan Pooja is done on this day.
Fifth Day : On this day, sisters do tilak on their brothers and pray for their long life.
Why is Diwali Celebrated - Mythological Reason
There are some historical reasons to celebrate this festival. It is a good time not only for Hindus but also for other religions to celebrate with great enthusiasm.
1. Birth of Goddess Lakshmi
Lakshmi is the most popular goddess in India because she is the goddess of wealth and one of the deities of the Hindu religion. As per the mythology, she was first incarnated on the full moon day of Kartik month.
Lord Vishnu Saves Lakshmi: on this day, Lord Vishnu impersonates in his 5th incarnation as Vamana-avatar save Lakshmi from the prison of King Bali. This is also the reason to celebrate Diwali.
2. Lord Krishna Killed Narakaasur
On the next day of Diwali, Krishna killed the demon king Narakaasur of Pragjothispura takes great delight in torment the beings there. Krishna saved 16,000 women from his alluring. The celebration of this privilege gone on for two days, including the Diwali day as a victory day.
3. The Victory of Lord Rama
It was when Lord Rama, Mata Sita, and Lakshman returned to Ayodhya after conquering the demon king Ravan and Lanka. It was on a full moon day of Kartik. The people of Ayodhya decorated the whole city with diyas and lights.
4. Return of Pandavas
According to Mahabharata, it was the day of the full moon of Kartik when the five Pandavas returned from 12 years of exile. As a result of their defeat in the hands of the Kauravas at the gambling. Who loved the Pandavas, celebrated the day by lightening the candles and diyas.
5. A special Day for the Arya Samaj
It was the amavas of Kartik when the scholar Maharishi Dayananda get his nirvana. His main mission was to ask humankind to treat one another as brothers through practices of integrity.
6. The Special day of Jains
Mahavir Tirthankar, who is considered to be the founder of modern Jainism, also gets his nirvana on Diwali day. Mahavira unrestrained the royal life and left his family to become a monastic, undertaking fasting and bodily mortifications. So, it is also a special day for Jainism.
7. The Special Day of Sikhs
The third Guru of Sikh Shri Guru Amar Das committed Diwali as a day of red-letter when all Sikhs would assemble to take the blessings of Guru. On the amavas of Kartik, the foundation stone of Golden Temple was placed in 1577. The 6th Guru of Sikh Hargobind, who has imprisoned by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir, was rescued from the Gwalior fort along with 52 kings.
Diwali is a great festival for all religions. So, it is celebrated with more excitement and fun. It is the day of enjoyment and spending time with family.
Also Read : 8 Most Common Religions in India
How Diwali is Celebrated in India?
People celebrate Diwali with more enthusiasm. They cleaned their houses and decorated them with lights and candles. They spend time with family and friends. They also exchange gifts and sweets with family and friends. People also wear new clothes on this occasion. They also buy household items. They decorate their homes with colourfull rangolis.
People celebrate Diwali with lightening diyas and candles to welcome the goddess, Lakshmi. No, festival or occasion is complete without food. There is the tradition of buying Kheel and Batasha bhog. People cook fried and tasty dishes on this day. Food includes many sweets, pastries, and cakes.
On Diwali day, family members also gather for Lakshmi and Ganesh Pooja. They pray to goddess Lakshmi, the lord of wealth, for prosperity. Religious places like temples and gurudwaras are also busy with rituals rites on Diwali. Cities shine with colorful lights and ghee lanterns. Firework constantly shoots that create the show of noise, chaos, and delight in some areas.
People also sparkle crackers on this day. Families spend time together on this day and enjoy a meal and crackers. It is the day to start fresh and new. It is time to make peace and clear all debts.
Diwali is a great festival that is celebrated with prosperity and purity. It teaches us the lesson of victory of good over evil.
Also Read : Unique Ways of Celebrating Diwali in India
Best Places to Visit in Diwali in India
- Ayodhya
- Amritsar
- Varanasi
- Udaipur
- Jaipur
- Goa
- Delhi
- Kolkata
- Madurai
- Gujarat
- Mysore
- Mumbai
- Odisha
- Assam
- Chennai
- Jammu
Get Complete Guide : 20 Best Places to Visit in Diwali Vacation in India
What To Wear During The Diwali Celebration?
Diwali is the festival of lights and colors. The clothes that bring out inner light are traditional for the celebration of lights and colors. This festival is also called a “festival of dresses.” People get an opportunity to buy bright and ethnic clothes. This festival is signed by vibrant colors as well as themes of illumination and light. So, it is advisable that wear those clothes which reflect the joy and excitement of the celebration.
Most of the people love to wear traditional clothes during the celebration. People like to wear a lot of jewelry, mehandi and buy new clothes for the festival. Before dressing in new clothes, you must have a bath and cleanse your skin so that all the evils run away from your life. Diwali is just around, and people start their shopping for Diwali. Whether it is traditional to wear for men or women, it never goes out from trend and stays you tuned with Indian tradition. So, if you are in what to wear during the Diwali celebration, then you are in the right place.
Designer Lehengas : Do you also love to wear lehenga on special occasions? Is yes, then it is the best option. Lehengas also provide proper comfort, making you look trendy and royal. It is the all-time favorite traditional attire of women.
Sarees : If you want to look classy and gorgeous, then don’t look forward. Saree gives you a pretty view and a privilege for Indian women to wear for many occasions. Indian festivals are incomplete without sarees, so you can choose them to wear if nothing comes in your mind.
Salwar Suits : If we talk about the women dresses for Diwali, then desi look can’t stay behind. Salwar suit is an excellent option for women who want comfortable and classy. They are available in impressive numbers in a Bollywood style. There are many latest designs which make your look different from the crowd.
Indo-western Dresses: They are swaggy and give you a different look. In indo-western dresses, there are capes, jackets and shrugs are in high demand. There is no doubt that indo-western dresses are always in trend. Due to layering numbers, though, it is very difficult to find a traditional dress that can reflect a modern woman in you.
Anarkali Gowns : Designer gowns in traditional wear will stand out you in-crowd. The Anarkali gowns are designed with embroidery work and in silk fabric to ensure that every eye will be on you. Gowns give you a pretty look, and you get yourself a dream beauty.
Churidar Kurta Set for Men : If you bored with regular jeans and shirts, then try churidarkurta set. It is the right option for modern men. It is a classy and comfortable attire that you can choose for a festival.
Diwali dresses and outfits are available in the market. You can choose any of these dresses to look stylish and classy.
Also Read : What To Wear In India – Essential Packing List
Do’s and Don’ts during Diwali
Diwali is a time of celebration when the entire family comes together and celebrates. The festival represents the spreading of joy and love. Diwali is special with the delicious food, the sparkling fireworks, and of course, all the decorations, including the lighting of Diya’s.
However, it is also a celebration where a number of injuries happen. More than often, the festival of prosperity, and happiness turns into a disaster due to carelessness and improper precautions. It is always better to be cautious than be sorry later. Here are some of the things to be taken off during the Diwali celebration. While most of them are things one might know of, it’s good to brush up these points.
What We Should do in Diwali
- Buy fireworks only from a licensed shop. Make sure you check the manufacturing date too. More than often, it is the fireworks that are improperly made and sold at unlicensed shops that bring in the damage. Since the demand for fireworks is high, there might be crackers that are expired, which is highly dangerous too.
- Burst the crackers from an open space. Make sure you are also away from combustible materials like dry grass or trees. In the excitement of bursting crackers, most of them don’t look around their surroundings. Bursting crackers right outside the house is also a common practice that can be dangerous.
- Don’t stay in close proximity with the other crackers while lighting fireworks. A spark is enough to light the whole bunch. Make sure you keep a good distance from Diya lamps, matchboxes, and even other crackers. When bursting crackers that would explode, keep a distance from those too after lighting.
- Have a bucket of water with you or a garden hose. Keeping a bucket of water of a garden hose next to you would be handy in case something goes wrong. Even a small flame can later turn into fire. Water is also useful when you need to extinguish any of the firecrackers properly or even wash hands before taking something else.
What we should not do in Diwali
- Don’t attempt to relight a dud. If the flame of a firecracker went off or is not coming out as expected, just let it be. Don’t go and try to relight the dud or fiddle with the firework as there is a chance of it still bursting. Douse it off with water if the flame is there, and yet it doesn’t burst after several minutes.
- Don’t wear garments that might be easy to catch fire. Avoid dressing up in silk, chiffon, and such material that are easy to catch fire. Make sure you also don’t wear anything too flowy. It is best to dress in cotton cloths that are loose and comfortable.
- Don’t let children be on their own. Adult supervision is absolutely necessary when children go out to burst crackers. Most of the time, kids do not know these precautions or would not follow them in the excitement of celebrating. They would even try some stunts. Having adult supervision is necessary to make sure about their safety.
Have a Safe and Happy Diwali.!!
