Diwali-Festival of Lights and crackers

Why is Diwali celebrated?"

Indians celebrate Diwali with great passion. They fire lots of firecrackers and eat sweets and wear new clothes. Why is Diwali so important in India? Diwali is the day when it is said that Lord Rama returned to his kingdom Ayodhya after conquering Lanka. Lord Rama was asked by his father Dashrath to go to the wild forests for fourteen long years. In the forest Ravana, the king of Lanka, abducted his queen Seeta. Lord Rama was along in the jungle with only his brother Laxaman with him. In the forests Lord Rama met the monkey king Sugriva. Sugriva sent monkeys around the world to search for mother Seeta. Finally Lord Hanumana found Seeta in the kingdom of Ravana at Lanka. He burnt Lanka and came back to inform Lord Rama about mother Seeta. Lord prepared a large army of monkeys and bears and invaded Lanka. Ravana was defeated. Vibhishan the brother of Ravana had joined Lord Rama in the battle. After defeating Ravana Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya his kingdom after fourteen long years. Indian Hindus celebrate Diwali as a day of celebration. Candles are burnt in every home. People clean their homes and wear new clothes. Sweets are shared and people wish each other. Diwali is the biggest festival of India that celebrates the victory of good over the evil. Indians all over the world celebrate Diwali and it is also the beginning of new year as per the Hindu calendar.

"How Diwali is Celebrated ?"

This festival is celebrated on a grand scale in almost all the regions of India and is looked upon mainly as the beginning of New Year. As such the blessings of Lakshmi, the celestial consort of Lord Vishnu are invoked with prayers. Even countries like Kenya, Thailand, Trinidad, Siam and Malaya celebrate this festival but in their own ways. This Diwali festival, it is surmised dates back to that period when perhaps history was not written, and in its progress through centuries it lighted path of thousands to attain the ultimate good and complete ecstasy. Diwali or more aptly Deepavali is very enthusiastically celebrated for five continuous days and each day has its significance with a number of myths, legends and beliefs. The First day is called DHANTERAS or DHANTRAYODASHI which falls on the thirteenth day of the month of Kartik. The word "Dhan" means wealth. As such this day of the five-day Diwali festival has a great importance for the rich mercantile community of Western India. Houses and Business premises are renovated and decorated. Entrances are made colourful 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. Believing this day to be auspicious women purchase some gold or silver or at least one or two new utensils. "Lakshmi-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 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 cattles are adorned and worshipped 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 worshipped on this day.