Diwali, which literally means ‘row of lights‘ in ancient Sanskrit, is the India’s most popular religious festival. The underlying essence of Diwali revolves around the victory of good over evil or light superseding darkness. Diyas or lamps made of clay adorn every nook and corner of homes and people celebrate the evening of Diwali with friends and family, eating a delicious feast and bursting firecrackers. Diwali is celebrated nearly all over India with slight variations in some customs and traditions, depending on the region.
For many Hindus, Diwali is a symbolic welcome to Lord Rama, the seventh incarnation of the great God Vishnu, and the subject of the Ramayana, which is one of the most important epics of ancient India and Hinduism. The Ramayana tells the story of the brave, righteous and honorable Rama who goes into exile with his wife and brother to honor a promise made to his stepmother. He then proceeds to bring back his wife Sita who is kidnapped by an evil demon King Ravana from the island of Lanka. The trials and tribulations that Rama faces during his exile and during the battle with Ravana are some of the core pillars of learnings and teachings of the Hindu religion.
In fact, the Ramayana epic is fundamental to the cultural consciousness and traditions of many South Asian countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia.
What Is Diwali?
According to Hindu scriptures, Diwali is the festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil. In North India, Diwali is celebrated as Lord Rama’s return back to his kingdom of Ayodhya after defeated Ravana, the demon king. In South India, people celebrate it as the day Lord Krishna defeated the demon Narakasura. In Western India, the festival marks the day Lord Vishnu, one of the main gods of the Hindu trinity, sent the demon King Bali to rule the underworld. Regardless of the story, much of India celebrates Diwali the same way. Though the reasons of celebrating Diwali are different, the underlying theme and traditions remain the same. Diwali is considered the happiest and most auspicious holiday in Hinduism.
Typically four or five days long, Diwali is a national holiday in India with schools, businesses and governments closed for the entire week. It is one of India’s busiest travel season as people go back home to spend time with family and friends.
How is Diwali celebrated?
Nearly every Hindu home in India and all around the world prepares for Diwali according to similar ancient traditions and customs. Vedic scriptures, the scared texts of Hinduism, mention the festival as ‘Padma Purana’ celebrated after the harvest season.
- The first day of Diwali is called Dhanteras. In India, it is believed that buying some kind of metal on this day is auspicious. So people will buy gold or silver jewelry for their homes and businesses will buy machines or equipment.
- The second day of Diwali is called Narak Chaturdasi, the 14th lunar day. People light 14 diyas or lamps to ward off evil. Demon effigies are widely burned in Goa in celebration.
- The third day is when Diwali is actually celebrated with family and 21 diyas are lit. It is also called Choti Diwali, small Diwali for the children of the house.
- The fourth day is when people celebrate Govardhan pooja, in remembrance of Lord Krishna who, according to ancient mythology, lifted a hill called Govardhan to shelter the people in Vrindavan from heavy rain.
- Diwali celebrations end with observing Bhai Dooj on the fifth day where a sister cooks for her brother and he gives her gifts celebrating the love between siblings.
# Cleaning the house
It is an age old custom to clean the home and business from top to bottom before Diwali. Hindus believe that Diwali is synonymous with Goddess Lakshmi who visits the home and business. She is the goddess of wealth and good fortune and she is believed to have been created from the churning of the ocean on the main Diwali day. She visits every home that welcomes her during the Diwali period, bringing with her prosperity and good fortune. She will not enter if the house is dirty or unkept. Many people will go as far as painting the home, de-cluttering and re-decorating as pre-Diwali prep.
On the day of Diwali, all the lights are turned on, lamps are lit and windows and doors are left open to let the goddess in. Brightly colored rangolis are also drawn in front of homes and businesses. Their geometric designs are usually symbols of nature and their purpose is also to welcome the goodness Lakshmi. In the early evening of the fourth day, a puja (prayer) is performed to Goddess Lakshmi to bless the home with wealth and prosperity.
# Preparing and distributing sweets
Diwali is a feast of the senses especially the sense of taste. Nearly every region has its own set of special Diwali foods and it is customary to distribute sweets of different kinds – sweet and savory – to friends, family, neighbors and colleagues. Almost all sweets are made with pieces of dry fruits like almonds, cashews, raisins, pistachios, and dates. Diwali food preparations start weeks in advance as packets of sweets and savories are packed and sent to families, neighbors and friends.
# Buying new clothes and lighting lamps
Diwali is a great time for Hindus to buy new clothes as it is also considered as the start of a new year – a new season. It is the norm to wear new clothes on each day of celebration. It marks respect and excitement for the festivity. Even cars and buses are adorned with fresh flowers and garlands as a way to welcome all that is auspicious and new.
# Gambling and playing cards with family
Diwali is a great time for families to get together. With more than a week of public holidays, most people travel far and wide to get back home. Often extended family visits and people collectively celebrate. In case people are not able to travel back home, neighbors and friends step in to celebrate together. Diwali is a very social festival where whole communities get together to reign in the new year. Gambling and card games are often played in villages and cities as it is generally considered auspicious to gamble during Diwali. Some Hindus believe the goodness Lakshmi can be invoked through gambling. According to ancient legend, on this day Goddess Parvati played dice with her husband, Lord Shiva and she won. Delighted, she declared that whoever plays dice and gambles on this day shall be bestowed with a good fortune throughout the year.
# Burning firecrackers
Burning firecrackers is synonymous with Diwali especially in the bigger cities. Firecrackers are set off from dusk, often throughout the night all five days. The noise is believed to scare and ward off evil spirits and catch the attention of the gods. In rural villages, firecrackers are not that popular. Instead earthen lamps made of clay and mud as used to light up the night as a way to chase away the evil demons.
The Festival of Lights is truly a spectacular festival that brings out the culture and traditions of India in the best of ways. For all our readers who celebrate Diwali, we wish you a Happy Diwali and Prosperous New Year.
Enjoyed reading about the symbolic background behind Diwali and how it is celebrated for different reasons in various parts of India. The best things about it, I believe, are the fireworks and cheer! A well-written post! 🙂
Thank you Jan. Diwali is certainly one of the most colorful and loud festivals out there because of the fireworks. It is now celebrated almost all over the world.
Love Diwali sweets! As a Malaysian, I am aware of Diwali as it is widely celebrated in Malaysia and reading this has brought back memories.