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poonam

@Angel_Luv

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Posted: 6 years ago

Maa Luxmi biraje aapke dwar

sone chandi se bhar jaye aapka ghar baar

yeh diwali laaye khushiya apar

mubarak ho aapko diwali ka tyohar

Deepawali mubarak ho Deepawali ki aur se,

Dil ka rishta banta hain pyarki dor se, kudha kare ki aapko kushian milti rahe sada,

Badahian bhi kabhi kam na ho hamari aur se,

Deepawali kamna karti hain ki manzilian asan ho,

Guzro na aap kabhi mushkilon ki dor se

Diwali is one of the biggest festival of Hindus, celebrated with great enthusiasm and happiness in India. The festival is celebrated for five continuous days, where the third days is celebrated as the main Diwali festival or 'Festival of lights'. Different colorful varieties of fireworks are always associated with this festival. On this auspicious day, people light up diyas and candles all around their house. They perform Laxmi Puja in the evening and seek divine blessings of Goddess of Wealth. The festival od Diwali is never complete without exchange of gifts. People present diwali gifts to all near and dear ones.

The exact day of the festival is decided by the position of the moon. According to the Hindu calendar, Amavasya or 'no moon day' is considered as the perfect day to celebrate Diwali. This dark night comes after every fortnight and in the month of Kartik, it marks this festival of lights and diyas. As per the English calendar, the festival generally comes in the month of November and December. For all Hindu people, the festival holds an imperative meaning since the festival is reckoned with Lord Rama's victory as the King of Ayodhya after his return to the kingdom from 14 years of exile along with his wife Sita & brother Laxman after killing the demon, King Ravana. The festival is celebrated by lighting diyas and candles to drive away the darkness of Amavasya.

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The 5-days of the Festival are as follows:

Dhanteras: This is celebrated 2 days before Diwali. People usually clean their homes and offices and their surroundings and go for shopping. The purchase of gold, silver and steel is considered very a u s p i c i o u s on this day. S i l v e r C o i n s are the main items of purchase during this day. The evenings are distinguished by gatherings in houses where cards are played and sweets are exchanged.

Dhanteras Legends
A very interesting story about Dhanteras Festival says that once the sixteen year old son of King Hima. was doomed to die by a snake-bite on the fourth day of his marriage as per his horoscope. On that particular fourth day of his marriage his young wife did not allow him to sleep. She laid all the ornaments and lots of gold and silver coins in a big heap at the entrance of her husband's boudoir and lighted innumerable lamps all over the place. And she went on telling stories and singing songs.

When Yama, the god of Death arrived there in the guise of a Serpent his eyes got blinded by that dazzle of those brilliant lights and he could not enter the Prince's chamber. So he climbed on top of the heap of the ornaments and coins and sat there whole night listening to the melodious songs. In the morning he quietly went away. Thus the young wife saved her husband from the clutches of death. 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 Yam, the god of Death.

According to another popular legend, when the gods and demons churned the ocean for Amrit or nectar, Dhanavantri (the physician of the gods and an incarnation of Vishnu) emerged carrying a jar of the elixir on the day of Dhanteras.

Dhanteras Preparations
To mark the auspicious day, houses and business premises are renovated and decorated. Entrances are made colorful with lovely traditional motifs of Rangoli designs to welcome the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity. To indicate her long-awaited arrival, small footprints are drawn with rice flour and vermilion powder all over the houses. Lamps are kept burning all through the nights.

Dhanteras Traditions
On Dhanteras Hindus consider it auspicious to purchase gold or silver articles or at least one or two new utensils. It is believed that new "Dhan" or some form of precious metal is a sign of good luck. "Laxmi-Puja" is performed in the evenings when tiny Diyas of clay are lighted to drive away the shadows of evil spirits. "Bhajans"-devotional songs- in praise of Goddess Laxmi are also sung.

Dhanteras Celebrations
Dhanteras is celebrated with gusto and enthusiasm. "Lakshmi-Puja" is performed in the evenings when tiny diyas of clay are lighted to drive away the shadows of evil spirits. Bhajans ir devotional songs- in praise of Goddess Laxmi are sung and "Naivedya" of traditional sweets is offered to the Goddess. There is a peculiar custom in Maharashtra to lightly pound dry coriander seeds with jaggery and offer as Naivedya.

In villages cattle are adorned and worshiped by farmers as they form the main source of their income. In south cows are offered special veneration as they are supposed to be the incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi and therefore they are adorned and worshiped on this day.

Choti Diwali: This day, just before Diwali is also called N a r a k C h a t u r d a s h i . The houses are further cleaned and polished. In the night, diyas are lit in all the entrances of the house which also include the drainage pipe holes. This s i g n i f i e s that if Goddess Lakshmi is entering your house, the entrance must not be dark.

Choti Diwali / Narak Chaturdasi

Legends behind Chhoti Diwali

The story goes that the demon king Narakasur ruler of Pragjyotishpur (a province to the South of Nepal) after defeating Lord Indra had snatched away the magnificent earrings of Aditi, the Mother Goddess (the ruler of Suraloka and a relative of Satyabhama, Lord Krishna's wife) and imprisoned sixteen thousand daughters of the gods and saints in his harem.

On coming to know about this, Satyabhama was enraged by Narakasura's malevolence towards women, and she appealed to Krishna to give her the golden chance to destroy Narakasura. The legend also says that Narakasura was given a curse that he would be killed by a woman. Krishna granted Satyabhama a boon to fight with Narakasura. With Krishna as the charioteer, Satyabhama entered the battle field. During the war, Krishna swooned for a while, a preordained divinely act adopted to empower Satyabhama to kill the demon. After Narakasura was beheaded, the imprisoned women were released, and Krishna accepted to marry them.

So on the day previous to Narakachaturdashi, Lord Krishna's divine intervention led to the killing of the demon, Narakasura and liberation of the imprisoned damsels as well as recovery of the precious earrings of Aditi. As a symbol of that victory Lord Krishna smeared his forehead with the demon king's blood. Krishna returned home in the very early morning of the Narakachaturdashi day. The womenfolk massaged scented oil to his body and gave him a good bath to wash away the filth from his body. Since then the custom of taking bath before sunrise on this day has become a traditional practice specially in Maharashtra.

It is interesting to note that Bhudevi, mother of the slain Narakasura, declared that his death should not be a day of mourning but an occasion to celebrate and rejoice. Since then, Deepavali is being celebrated by people every year with joyous celebrations with lot of fun and frolic, and fire works.

In South India that victory of the divine over the mundane is celebrated in a very peculiar way. People wake up before sunrise prepare a paste by mixing Kumkum in oil, symbolizing blood and after breaking a bitter fruit that represents the head of the demon King that was smashed by Krishna, apply that mixture on their foreheads. Then they have an oil bath using sandalwood paste.

In Maharashtra also, traditional early baths with oil and "Uptan" (paste) of gram flour and fragrant powders are a 'must'. All through the ritual of baths, deafening sounds of crackers and fireworks are there in order that the children enjoy bathing. Afterward steamed vermicelli with milk and sugar or puffed rice with curd is served.

Diwali: The main day of the Festival. People wear n e w c l o t h e s and decorate their houses with floral and flour rangolis all around. In the evening, people offer puja to their respective Gods and after that the children burst c r a c k e r s . Jains worship Lord Mahavira. Sikhs decorate the Golden Temple with lights and diyas and those away from Amritsar visit Gurudwaras and then distribute s w e e t s .

Lakshmi Puja on Diwali

The third day of Diwali festival is the most important one for Lakshmi-puja and is entirely devoted to the propitiation of Goddess Lakshmi. On this very day sun enters his second course and passes Libra which is represented by the balance or scale. Hence, this design of Libra is believed to have suggested the balancing of account books and their closing. Despite the fact that this day falls on an amavasya day it is regarded as the most auspicious.

The day of Lakshmi-Puja falls on the dark night of Amavasya. The strains of joyous sounds of bells and drums float from the temples as man is invoking Goddess Laxmi in a wondrous holy "pouring-in" of his heart. All of a sudden that impenetrable darkness is pierced by innumerable rays of light for just a moment and the next moment a blaze of light descends down to earth from heaven as golden-footed Deep-Lakshmi alights on earth in all her celestial glory amidst chantings of Vedic hymns.

A sublime light of knowledge dawns upon humanity and this self enlightenment is expressed through the twinkling lamps that illuminate the palaces of thewealthy as well as the lowly abodes of the poor. It is believed that on this day Lakshmi walks through the green fields and loiters through the bye-lanes and showers her blessings on man for plenty and prosperity.

Lakshmi Pooja, or the worship of the goddess of wealth, is the main event on Diwali in North and West India. It is extremely important to keep the house spotlessly clean and pure on Diwali. Goddess Lakshmi likes cleanliness, and she will visit the cleanest house first. This is also the reason why the broom is worshiped on this day with offerings of haldi and kumkum (turmeric and vermilion). Lamps are lit in the evening to welcome the goddess. They are believed to light up Her path.

Lakshmi Puja consists of a combined puja of five deities: Ganesha is worshiped at the beginning of every auspicious act as Vighnaharta; Goddess Lakshmi is worshiped in her three forms - Mahalakshmi (the goddess of wealth and money), Mahasaraswati (the goddess of books and learning), and Mahakali; Kuber (the treasurer of the gods) is also worshiped.

All the entrances of the house are kept open because it is believed that the goddess of prosperity- Devi Lakshmi is around during the evening and one should never close their door to her. The diyas are set burning till wee hours of morning.

Padwa/Govardhan Puja: This day marks the e n d of Hindu Financial Year. All the tradesman close their account and slips.

Padwa & Govardhan Puja
Padwa
The day following the Amavasya is "Kartik Shuddh Padwa" and it is only on this day that the King Bali would come out of Pathal Loka and rule Bhulok as per the boon given by Lord Vishnu. Hence, it is also known as "Bali Padyami". This day also marks the coronation of King Vikramaditya and Vikaram-Samvat was started from this Padwa day.
Gudi Padwa is symbolic of love and devotion between the wife and husband. On this day newly-married daughters with their husbands are invited for special meals and given presents. In olden days brothers went to fetch their sisters from their in-laws home for this important day.
Govardhan-Puja
Govardhan-Puja is also performed in the North on this day. Govardhan is a small hillock in Braj, near Mathura and on this day of Diwali people of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar build cowdung, hillocks, decorate them with flowers and then worship them. This festival is in commemoration of the lifting of Mount Govardhan by Krishna. As per Vishnu-Puran the people of Gokul used to celebrate a festival in honor of Lord Indra and worshiped him after the end of every monsoon season but one particular year the young Krishna stopped them from offering prayers to Lord Indra who in terrific anger sent a deluge to submerge Gokul.
People were afraid that the downpour was a result of their neglect of Indra. But Krishna assured them that no harm would befall them. He lifted Mount Govardhan with his little finger and sheltered men and beasts from the rain. This gave him the epithet Govardhandhari. After this, Indra accepted the supremacy of Krishna.
This day is also observed as Annakoot meaning mountain of food. Pious people keep awake the whole night and cook fifty-six or 108 different types of food for the bhog (the offering of food) to Krishna. In temples specially in Mathura and Nathadwara, the deities are given milkbath, dressed in shining attires with ornaments of dazzling diamonds, pearls, rubies and other precious stones. After the prayers and traditional worship innumerable varieties of delicious sweets are ceremoniously raised in the form of a mountain before the deities as"Bhog" and then the devotees approach the Mountain of Food and take Prasad from it.

Bhai Dooj/Kalam Dawat Puja: This day is significant in the lives of s i b l i n g s . After bathing, the sisters apply tikka to their brothers. The brothers take their sisters' b l e s s i n g s and in return promise to keep them safe. This day marks the commencement of the financial year when the tradesman open n e w a c c o u n t books for the coming year.

Bhai Duj / Bhaiya Duj / Bhai Dooj

Diwali, the festival of lights, is a five day long celebrations. The fifth or the last day of diwali is Bhaiya Dooj, popularly know as Bhai Dooj. The reason why this festival is known as bhai dooj is that it falls on the second day after the new moon, that is the Dooj day. And it is a day to pray for the long life of the brother, which is referred as "bhayya or bhai". According to religious scriptures, Yamaraj, the God of death, went to visit his sister's house after a long period of separation. His sister, Yami was very happy to see him and welcomed him by putting an auspicious mark on his forehead for his welfare. Yami and Yamraj then shared a meal. He was so pleased with his sister's reception, he proclaimed that every year, on the dooj day, if a sister puts a tilak on her brother's forehead, then no one can harm her brother. Till date, this tradition is followed. Sisters perform puja for their brothers safety and well being. Brothers in return give gifts to their sisters as a token of love.

Another version Lord Krishna, after killing Narakasur, the asura king, went to meet his sister Subhadra. Subhadra welcomed him in the traditional way by showing him a light and putting on his forehead a tilak of her sisterly protection.

Some other legend says that Bhagawaan Mahavir found nirvana, his brother Raja Nandivardhan was very say and missed his brother a lot. Sister Sudarshana then comforted his brother. Since then, women have been revered during this festival.

The festival of Diwali is incomplete without bhai dooj. It is referred as "Bhaiyya-Duj" in the Hindi-speaking belt, "Bhav--Bij" in the Marathi-speaking communities, "Bhai fota" in Bengal and "Bhai-Tika" in Nepal.

The essence of the Bhai dooj festival is that it is celebrated to strengthen the love between brothers and sisters. It is a day of food-sharing, gift-giving and reaching out to the inner most depths of the hearts. Brothers and sisters indulge themselves on this day by gifting each other gifts. Varied gifts specially meant for bhai dooj is available in the market.

With gleam of Diyas

And the Echo of the Chants

May Happiness and Contentment Fill Your life

Wishing You & Your Family very Happy & Prosperous Diwali!

Edited by Angel_Luv - 6 years ago

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poonam

@Angel_Luv

Stunner

+ 4

Posted: 6 years ago

Although the entire country celebrates Diwali, primarily Hindus, Jains & Sikhs; their way of celebrations differs slightly.

Hinduism
The festival of Diwali is celebrated amongst the Hindu for v a r i o u s reasons. Some people believe that it is celebrated to mark the return of Lord Ram, his wife Sita and his brother Lakshamana from the 14 years of exile. There is also a belief amongst the people that this day also marks the r e t u r n of Pandavas after 12 years of Vanvas (exile) and one year of A g y a t a v a s. Some people relate the festival of Diwali to wealth and prosperity. This festival usually lasts for 5 days for the Hindus. The Bengalis worship Mata Kali, North Indians Goddess Lakshmi, The Brijwasis and South Indians worship Lord Krishna on this day.

Jainism
The Diwali night in Jainism is of great i m p o r t a n c e . According to their beliefs, Lord Mahavira, the last of the Jain Tirthankar of this era, attained bliss of Nirvana on this day at Pavapuri on 15th October 527 on Chaturdashi of Kartika. In the 3rd century, many gods were present there to i l l u m i n a t e the darkness and bring out the lightness. And therefore, Jains celebrate Diwali as a remembrance day of Mahavira.

Sikhism
For Sikhs, Diwali is known as B a n d i C h h o r D i v a s . On this day, Guru Har Gobind Ji freed himself and Hindu Kings from Gwalior Fort, from the prison of Islamic ruler Jahangir and arrived at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Even since the freedom, Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas, to remember the act of b r a v e r y and f r e e d o m of Guru Har Gobind Ji.

Ajse aapke yahan dhan ki barsat ho,

Maa laxmi ka appke ghar par vass ho,

Sankaton ka aaj se nash ho,

Har dil per apka raj ho,

Unnati ka sar pe taj ho

Wish you all a very Happy Diwali!

The festival of Diwali is associated with several different stories in Hindu mythology. Thus, Hindus find cause to celebrate this festival for various reasons. Yet, despite the regional variations, the festival universally marks the victory of good over evil .

In North India, Diwali is most popularly celebrated as the return of Lord Rama, King of Ayodhya, with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana to Ayodhya from a war in which he killed the demon king Ravana. It is believed that the people lit oil lamps along the way to light their path in the darkness. This is the reason, why the festival is celebrated a day earlier in South India since Lord Rama traveled from the south to his kingdom in the north. In North India, the festival is held on the final day of the Vikram calendar. The following day marks the beginning of the North Indian new year, and is called Annakut.

In South India, Diwali (known as "Deepavali") is sometimes assocaited with the divine pair of Shiva-Shakti. According to the Skanda Purana, the goddess Shakti observed 21 days of austerity starting from ashtami of shukla paksha (eighth day of the waxing period of moon) to get half of the body of Lord Shiva. This vrata (vow) of austerity is known as kedhara vrata. Deepavali is the completion day of this austerity. This is the day Lord Shiva accepted Shakti into the left half of the form and appeared as Ardhanarishvara. The ardent devotees observe this 21 days vrata by making a kalasha with 21 threads on it and 21 types of offerings for 35 days. The final day is celebrated as kedhara gauri vrata.

Diwali is also sometimes associated with the killing of the evil demon Narakasura by Krishna's wife Sathyabhama. According to Hindu mythology, this event happened in the time of the Dwapara Yuga. In another version, the demon was killed by Lord Krishna himself. Before Narakasura's death, he requested a boon from his mother, Sathyabhama, that everyone should celebrate his death with colorful light.

Diwali in other parts of the world

With more and more Indians now migrating to various parts of the world, the number of countries where Diwali is celebrated has been gradually increasing. While in some countries it is celebrated mainly by Indian expatriates, in others it has become part of the general local culture. Diwali is celebrated in the following countries: Australia, Canada, Fiji, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Singapore, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Suriname, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States. In most of these countries Diwali is celebrated on the same lines as described in this article with some minor variations. Some important variations are worth mentioning.

Nepal

In Nepal, Diwali is known as "Tihar" and celebrated during the October/November period. Here the festival is celebrated for five days and the traditions vary from those of India. On the first day, cows are given offerings, in appreciation of the food they have given and agricultural work they have performed. On the second day, dogs and all living animals are revered and offered special food. On the third day, celebrations follow the same pattern as in India, with lights and lamps and much social activity. On the fourth day, Yama, the Lord of Death, is worshipped and appeased. On the fifth and final day, brothers and sisters meet and exchange pleasantries.

Trinidad &Tobago

In Trinidad and Tobago, communities all over the islands get together and celebrate the festival. One major celebration that stands out is the Divali Nagar, or Village of the Festival of Lights. It features stage performances by the east Indian cultural practitioners, a folk theatre featuring skits and plays, an exhibition on some aspect of Hinduism, displays by various Hindu religious sects and social organizations, nightly worship of Goddess Lakshmi, lighting of oil lamps, performances by various schools related to Indian culture, and a food court with Indian and non-Indian vegetarian delicacies. The festival culminates with magnificent fireworks displays ushering in Diwali. Thousands of people participate in an atmosphere typically devoid of alcohol and in a family environment.

Malaysia

In Malaysia, Diwali is known as "Hari Deepavali," and is celebrated during the seventh month of the Hindu solar calendar. It is a federal public holiday throughout Malaysia. In many respects it resembles the traditions followed in the Indian subcontinent. "Open houses" are held where Hindu Malaysians welcome fellow Malaysians of different races and religions to their house for a sumptious meal. "Open house" or "rumah terbuka" is a practice very much unique to Malaysia and shows the goodwill and friendly ties practised by all Malaysians during any festive occasion.

Singapore

In Singapore, the festival is called "Deepavali," and is a public holiday. Observed primarily by the minority Indian community, it is typically marked by a light-up in the Little India district and is most known for the fire-walking ceremonies not practiced as part of the festival in other countries. The Hindu Endowment Board of Singapore along with Singapores' government organize many cultural events around Diwali time.

Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, this festival is also called "Deepavali" and is celebrated by the Tamil community. On this day, it is traditional for people to wear new clothes and exchange pleasantries.

Diwali Orkut Scraps, Diwali myspace comments, Pictures [credit to manesha76]

Edited by Angel_Luv - 6 years ago

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poonam

@Angel_Luv

Stunner

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Posted: 6 years ago

Diwali, t h e f e s t i v a l o f l i g h t s , brings happiness in everyone's life. It brings the light of victory, removing all the darkness of evil. So this Diwali, let's celebrate this joyous festival by having a safe and eco friendly Diwali.

Let's protect o u r e n v i r o n m e n t and p r o m o t e Green Diwali.

Illuminate house by l i g h t i n g it with diyas all over instead of using the lights run by electricity.

Use the environment friendly free cracker which causes l e s s pollution surrounding you.

Look for o p e n spaces before lighting the fire crackers and keep a safe distance.

Avoid using oil lamps or crackers in your home to so that any kind of m i s h a p s do not occur.

Keep the stock of crackers a w a y from fire in order to avoid any kind of accident.

In case of e m e r g e n c y keep the staircase and fire escapes free from crowding.

Check the fire extinguishers if they are w o r k i n g properly.

Keep the children away from fire crackers if they are n o t accompanied by any elder member.

Do not use matches or lighters to burst the crackers as they have d a n g e r o u s open flames.

Avoid w e a r i n g loose clothes are fire catches in them fast.

Now here are some tips for eco friendly celebration :

R a n g o l i is a great way to start the festive celebration. Adding the colours to the festival of lights will only bring more joy to the faces of your loved ones.

A full house family g e t t o g e t h e r can never go wrong during the festival.

A game of cards and some m i t h a i , the night is all set!

While decorating your house for the festival, use r e c y c l a b l e products. And also while cleaning the house, give the unnecessary things to the under privileged people (i.e. your favourite charity)

Try the e c o - f r i e n d l y Diwali and protect our environment from any kind of h a r m f u l pollution .

Fill our homes with lights of happiness, not of flames.

Have a g r e e n Diwali. Have a c l e a n Diwali.

Have a happy and safe diwali.

[credit to Crazy Creatives]

Edited by Angel_Luv - 6 years ago