Wishing everyone a very happy and cheerful Diwali

Wishing everyone a very happy and cheerful Diwali

Mangalore Today News Network

November 5:  One of the two most famous Indian Festivals, Diwali or Deepavali is celebrated throughout India with a great fervor and enthusiasm. The name itself mean ’rows of lighted lamps’. Diwali celebration includes decorating homes by making ’rangoli’ patterns, hanging mango leaves on the doors and lighting small oil lamps or ’diyas’ and placing them in temples, courtyards, verandahs, roof-tops, all the rooms of the house including the kitchen and the bathrooms. Urban people often replace ’diyas’ with candles to place on roof tops and outer walls as they last longer or now-a-days with colorful bulbs and neon lights. On this day, people worship Lord Ganesha, the foremost of all Hindu Gods and Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity. People exchange sweets and gifts and celebrate with beautiful fireworks.

There are many legends attached to Diwali, the most popular being the return of Lord Rama to his kingdom of Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile and defeating Ravana, the domineering and powerful demon king. In Bengal, the celebration is associated with the worship of Goddess Kali. People wear new clothes on this day and it indicates the beginning of the sowing season for the farmers. Joy and festivity reins every corner of the nation during the Diwali season. The festival actually is five-day long. It usually comes is October or November. People clean their homes on this day and re-paint them. For traditional Hindu businessmen, Deepavali marks the end of the financial year. In Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, the new business year begins on this day. It is best time to start new ventures and symbolic auspicious business deals are done to mark the prosperity in business for the coming year

Diwali festival often commemorates the conquering of the Asura Naraka, a powerful king of Assam, who imprisoned tens of thousands of inhabitants. It was Krishna who finally subdued Naraka and freed the prisoners. Diwali Festival in the south is celebrated in the Tamil month of aipasi (thula month) ’naraka chaturdasi’ thithi, preceding amavasai. The preparations begin the day before, when the oven is cleaned, smeared with lime, four or five kumkum dots are applied, and then it is filled with water for the next day’s oil bath. The house is washed and decorated with kolam (rangoli) patterns with kavi (red oxide). In the pooja room, betel leaves, betel nuts, plaintain fruits, flowers, sandal paste, kumkum, gingelly oil, turmeric powder, scented powder are kept. Crackers and new dresses are placed in a plate after smearing a little kumkum or sandal paste.

In The Morning: Deepavali celebrations begins early in the morning. The eldest family member applies sesame oil on the heads of all the family members. Then, it’s off for a bath, beginning with the youngest in the family. They emerge with new clothes and a look of anticipation at the thought of bursting crackers, which symbolizes the killing of the demon king Narakasur.

But before that comes Lehiyan, the bitter concoction, to cleanse the system of its festive over-eating! Then to the crackers.

A puja is performed for the family deities in the morning. Breakfast consists of murukku , a sweet dish and, of course, idli or dosa .

Wish fulfilment: Some communities believe that when Narakasur was to be killed, Lord Krishna asked him his last wish. Narakasura replied that he wanted to enjoy the last day of his life in a grand manner and Diwali was celebrated. That was the beginning and the practice continued.

In the Evening: In the evening, lamps are lighted and crackers are burst. As most of the cracker manufacturing units are in Tamil Nadu, there is no dearth of fireworks here.

The newly weds go to the bride’s parental home for revelry. Taking blessings from the elders, they burst the first crackers of the day. Usually a vast range of crackers is bought, with costs running into thousands of rupees. The Diwali Celebrations include a visit to the temple, gifts of clothes and jewelry, gorging on sweets and receiving blessings of elders. The groom’s parents, brothers and sisters come down to join in the celebrations.