A Festival of Radiance and the Triumph of Truth- Deepavali
Deepavali, also called Diwali, is one of the supreme festivals in Hinduism. It is a festival of happiness, togetherness, lights, love, sincerity and worshipping.
Today, I will take you on a journey where you will feel the holiness of the festival, Deepavali. I will brief you about every reason behind celebrating Deepavali and its performing rituals.
Today, through this blog, I will try to break many myths that grew with time for this adorable festival. So, let's connect, readers!
"Deepavali" is mentioned as a festival in several Sanatan and Jain holy scriptures, such as Harivamsha Purana, Padma Purana, Skanda Purana and others.
"Deepavali" is a word in the Sanskrit language, where "Deepa(दीपा)" means "lamp or light" and "Avali(आवली)" means "a row," which means "row of lights."
In Sanatan rituals, igniting a lamp is a holistic expression of devotion, reverence, enlightenment or happiness. It is a tradition performed in the house of every Hindu in the devotion of their worshipping deity. The illuminance of these lamps represents inner knowledge, purity, and spirituality, which bring good fortune to life. This sacred ritual is our foundation from the era of Satyug.
Deepawali's rituals are connected with the three Yugas(Eras). "Yug" is a Sanskrit word for "an age of the world."
According to Sanatan holy scriptures, there are four yugas- Satyug, Tretayug, Dwaparyug and Kaliyug. Every Yug has a limited duration. The duration of Satyug is 17,28,000 years; the TretaYug is 12,96,000 years; the DwaparYug is 864000 years, and the Kaliyug holds 432000 years. The sum of these Yugas is 43,20,000 years. The most strange fact is the sum of the entire calculation, individually or together, comes in the singular digit 9.
I briefed this calculation so that you can calculate the first ritual of Deepavali was performed more than 2 million years ago.
Sometimes, it becomes hard to understand chronology, but a few incidents are attached to the string because God is behind them.
Deepavali's first ritual was first celebrated in the Satyug after "Samudra Manthan."
According to Vishnu Purana and Shrimad Bhagavatam, during Samudra Manthan, fourteen divine energies came out from the ocean, such as Amrit(Nector), Ucchaisravas: The 7-headed divine horse, Halahal poison, Kamdhenu/Surabhi- wish-fulfilling divine cow, Parijat- a sacred tree with most beautiful flowers, Mrigank: The Moon, Rambha: The celestial Beauty, Varuni: The Goddess of Water and Wine, Sharang: The most powerful Bow, Mace, Dhanvantari: The medicine god, Goddess Lakshmi: The Goddess of Wealth and prosperity, Kaustubh: The most beautiful Jewel, and Panchjanya: The divine Conch. The same conch Lord Vishnu holds in his hands.
If you noticed, the festival "Dhanteras" is celebrated before Deepavali. Dhanteras is glorified as the arrival of Dhanvantri from Samudra Manthan. He is the first medic of the universe who entered the world with a pitcher of Amrit(Nectar).
After Dhanvantri, Goddess Lakshmi arrived from churning. She devoted herself to the waves of the ocean due to the incident of Satyug. After her, fortune and prosperity were depleted from the universe.
During churning, Goddess Lakshmi appeared from the ocean seated on a Lotus flower. She furthermore chose Lord Vishnu as her eternal consort.
With the arrival of Goddess Lakshmi, wealth and prosperity again enlightened the universe.
In devotion and welcome to the Goddess, entire Gods and goddesses showed their gratitude with prayers. After that, the day was counted as the birth of Goddess Mahalakshmi- the mother of the universe. This day began to be celebrated with her worship, chanting and burning lamps.
Today, in Kaliyug, people worship Goddess Lakshmi at home on the occasion of Deepawali rather than Lord Ram. The reason for chanting the mantras of Mahalakshmi is the incident of Satyug. It is a belief that on the occasion of Deepavali, Goddess Lakshmi comes into the home to shower their blessings. So, people worship her for good wealth, prosperity and good fortune.
Another reason behind the Deepavali celebration and performing rituals happened in TretaYug.
After a million years of Satyug, when TretaYug came, Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi incarnated on Earth as Lord Ram and Goddess Sita.
To fulfil his mother, Kaikeyi's desire and maintain his father, King Dashrath's status, Lord Ram accepted the exile with his wife, Sita, and brother, Lakshman. When the Ayodhya people heard their beloved Ram accepted exile for fourteen years, they were heartbroken. Ayodhya residents couldn't consider anyone else as their ruler.
Lord Ram somehow explained their people and left the Ayodhya.
During Exile, Ravan kidnapped the Goddess Sita. Then, Lord Ram cleared every obstacle for his wife with the help of Lord Hanuman and the Vanar Army. Lord Ram killed Ravan for his malefactor deeds and came to Ayodhya, after fourteen years.
When Ayodhya heard about the arrival of their lovable Ram, they were delighted. The bliss surrounded the city. The people of Ayodhya desired to welcome their Ram and Goddess Sita with a pure heart.
In the devotion and respect of their King, the entire Ayodhya city was decorated with beautiful flowers and enlightened by the ignited lamps. The fragrance of colourful flowers touched everyone's soul. People were showing gratitude and love through this beautiful tradition. It displayed their purity and happiness. Everyone enjoyed the day of victory of good over evil. The entire Ayodhya shined like sun rays.
After that day, Deepawali began to be celebrated every year, and the tradition of igniting lamps began.
Deepavali is an auspicious day for every Hindu. On this holy festival, the people of India wash and cleanse their homes. It is a belief that Goddess Lakshmi only enters those homes that look clean and hygienic. People decorate their houses with beautiful flowers, colourful lights, rangolis, and burning lamps and candles. Vegetarian delicious foods are prepared to offer Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesh.
The tradition of wearing cotton clothes or any cloth made of natural material chosen to wear. The prasad contains puffed rice, fruits, sweets, homemade snacks and dry fruits. This prasad is offered to deities and distributed to every home so that the blessings of Goddess Lakshmi are showered on everyone.
The worship begins with a tilak and burning lamp. The Tilak is on the forehead of deities. Then, fresh flowers are delivered on feet. The worship begins with the chanting of Lord Ganesh's Aarti. Lord Ganesh is the "Pratham Pujniye(First to be worshipped.)" deity. He is known as "Vighanharta," which means extracting all obstructions. Lord Ganesh is the Lord of knowledge and obstacles. His Aarti begins with "Jai Ganesh Jai Ganesh Jai Ganesh Deva," which means "Greetings to you, O great Lord Ganesha." After that, Goddess Lakshmi's Aarti begins with "Om Jai Lakshmi Mata, Maiya Jai Lakshmi Mata," which represents "O! Goddess Lakshmi, glory to you, Oh mother, glory to you."
With these holy words, devotees glorify their beauty and strength.
Many people wonder why Lord Ganesha worshipped on Deepavali. The reason hides in Satyug.
According to the scriptures, Goddess Lakshmi has no child. She approached Goddess Parvati for both sons. Goddess Parvati was worried because her Kartikey had six heads and he ate a lot, and Ganesh was small and childish. Goddess Parvati couldn't refuse the mother of the universe. She gave Lord Ganesha to Goddess Lakshmi. After that, Lord Lakshmi booned that the world would worship Lord Ganesha forever with her. After her boon, Lord Ganesh also began to worshipped on Deepavali.
Once the worship is done, people do the remaining rituals.
During Deepavali, people burn crackers. Many people object to burning firecrackers on Deepavali. Their justifications are it increases air pollution, disturbs the animals, and is a waste of money, but is burning crackers a tradition in Hinduism?
Crackers does what? Does anyone burn crackers for air pollution? No! Crackers also illuminate the atmosphere and the sky.
The Skanda Purana describes the holy tradition of Deepavali, where people held Ulkas (firebrands) to light the path for their departed ancestors.
Have you noticed a chronology of festivals or events performed in the Sanatan? You will see before the Deepavali Dussherra occurs when Lord Rama killed the Ravan. Before Dussherra, "Shraddh occurs(Pitru paksh)." It is a belief that during Shraddhs, our ancestors come to the Earth. During this period, Hindus feed their ancestors through rituals. When ancestors come to the Earth, they don't know the way back, and these lights help them to direct a path to leave the Earth. The Sanskrit word "Akashdeepam" is mentioned as the tradition of "illuminating the sky."
The lights and firecrackers on Diwali night symbolize a farewell to the departed ancestral souls.
Similar traditions of guiding ancestors are observed worldwide, such as "All Souls Day" in Mexico.
In Thailand, people float lamps on water, known as "Loi Krathong," which pays homage to Mother Ganga. Similarly, in Cambodia, Burma, China, and Japan, lamps and lanterns are used to guide the spirits of ancestors.
These traditions reflect the cultural diversity and deep-rooted practice of honouring ancestors.
It is acceptable that firecrackers are not nature-friendly, but it is not impossible to make green crackers. The government should understand the ritual and shouldn't ban it, without knowing deep-rooted reasons. Traditions are essential for the continuity of a civilization. It is a matter of respect and devotion. Instead of banning them, they should work on green crackers.
Recently, a study conducted by IIT-Kanpur, revealed that the scale of pollution caused by firecrackers is relatively less than construction dust, vehicle emissions, and poor infrastructure.
Deepavali is a festival for everyone. Its purity, reason and rituals purify the souls. It is a day of spreading love and kindness. Every holy ritual performed on this day makes you a better person. It teaches the lesson that benefactors are always greater than malefactors.
The festival of Deepavali is also mentioned in the Dwapar Yug. It was again celebrated in Dwapar when Krishna killed the notorious demon Narkasur. Narkasur kidnapped the 16000 women. Krishna killed Narkasur before a day of Deepavali. He married all 16000 women in 16000 forms. When he came the next day, the entire Dwarka celebrated the day with the ritual of igniting lamps as any auspicious day. Dwarka people enjoyed a day full of happiness and victory of good.
Deepavali is a festival of holiness. There is no need for hatred in this world. Love, respect and devotion are enough to have a blissful life. Anyone must follow the traditions and rituals of their religion but under the guidance of a true mentor called "Guru." An honourable Guru will never teach you wrong or try to misdirect. They will educate you from the foundation because their only motive is to see their student as a qualified human. Choose your mentor wisely.
In the era of social media and fake showoffs, try to celebrate this beautiful festival with originality. Try every tradition and ritual and see the magic of actuality. Try to sing the Aarti of deities themselves and feel the resonance of positivity in your surroundings.
Deepavali is a festival of togetherness. Try to spend some time with your family, friends and loved ones. Forget the social media and dummy posts for a few minutes.
Spread happiness everywhere, in everyone's life. Help people who need it most. Donate as much as possible because donation is like knowledge- the more you give, the more you receive back.
I hope my blog served you the hidden truth of the Scriptures. My words helped you to know more about the festival of light, Deepavali.
This Deepavali enjoy your moments with truthfulness rather than clicking multiple pictures. The phone memory will be deleted or removed but the happy moments you spend will surely stored in your subconscious forever.
Now, it's time to leave and work on the new blog. I hope you will find my words factual. We will meet soon with new knowledgeable facts.
If you are interested in reading more blogs related to India, then click on the "Jallianwala Bagh."
Till then, Happy reading. Shubh Deepawali!
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