DIWALI

REFERENCE- Google Images (Diwali wallpapers)

 Deepawali or Diwali is festival of lights is certainly the biggest and the brightest of all Hindu festivals(deep= light and avali = a row i.e., a row of lights) that's marked by four days of celebration, which literally illumines the country with its brilliance, and dazzles all with its joy. Each of the four days in the festival of Diwali is separated by a different tradition, but what remains true and constant is the celebration of life, its enjoyment and goodness.

(Reference- Wikipedia)

HISTORY OF FESTIVAL

Diwali dates back to ancient times in India, according to Hindu mythology The most famous legend behind the celebrations of Diwali is about the prince of Ayodhya Nagri - Lord Shri Ram. The king of Lanka, Ravana, kidnapped Ram's wife - Sita from the jungle, where they were staying as per the instructions of King Dashratha, father of Lord Ram. In order to freed Sita from Ravana's custody, Ram attacked him. This was followed by a war, in which, Ram defeated Ravan and released Sita from his custody. On the arrival of Lord Ram along with his wife Sita, people of Ayodhya decorated their homes as well as the city of Ayodhyaa by lighting tiny diyas all over, in order to welcome their beloved prince Shri Ram and Devi Sita. 

REFERENCE- Google Images (lord ram,sita returning from exile )

Significance

 Diwali is one of the biggest shopping seasons in India; people buy new clothes for themselves and their families, as well as gifts, appliances, kitchen utensils, even expensive items such as cars and gold jewelry.People also buy gifts for family members and friends which typically include sweets, dry fruits, and seasonal specialties depending on regional harvest and customs. Girls and women go shopping and create rangoli and other creative patterns on floors, near doors and walkways.

Spiritual significance

Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs to mark historical events, stories or myths, but they all spiritually mark the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, hope over despair.

Celebrations

Diwali is mainly 5 days festival which are as follows-

• Dhanteras- It is the first day of celebration In morning women complete all household chores, they prepare sweets. Hindus consider it auspicious to purchase gold or silver articles or at least one or two new utensils.

• Choti Diwali-       It is also known as Naraka Chaturdashi. The Hindu mythology narrates that demon 'asura' was killed by Krishna and Kali on this day. People wake early in the morning apply 'ubtan' or any essential oils and take bathe, it is done to remove all the impurities from the body.People wake up early in the morning break any bitter fruit and apply the kumkum-oil paste, which is called 'Ubtan', on their foreheads and then take bath. The breaking of the fruit represents the head of the demon King, Narakasur and the kumkum-oil paste symbolizes the blood that Lord Krishna smeared on his forehead. At dusk, people start lighting Diyas and candles in and around their house to mark the celebration of Chhoti Diwali.

       (Reference- Wikipedia) 

• Diwali- This is the third day which actually marks the main Diwali. In morning rangolis are made using variety of powdered colour including goddess' footprint to mark arrival of lakshmi. 
  New murti (idols) of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi, account books, earthern deepak, lotus flower, camphor, sweets, fruits and sweet paan. In evening after worshiping goddess Lakshmi we line our street and homes with glowing earthern lantern, we explode fireworks. It also marks the Hindu new year. On this day Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya, having successfully rescued Sita and defeated the demon, Ravana.

• Govardhan puja- This is the fourth day of the festival,which occurs after Diwali it is also known as Annakut or govardhan puja.On this day the inhabitants of Vrindavan used to hold a festival to honor King Indra who is responsible to provide rain essentials for successful harvest. To celebrate this festival, devotees build a replica of Govardhana Hill made of various opulent foods, worship Lord Krishna as the lifter of Govardhana Hill, worship the hill as His incarnation, and worship the cows and bulls who are dear to the Lord. At the end of the festival, the hill of prasad(sanctified food) is distributed to the public.

Reference- Google images (govardhan puja)

• Bhai- Dooj- It is the last day of the festival Brothers and sisters look forward to the occasion with immense enthusiasm. To add charm to the occasion, exchange of gifts take place between brothers and sisters as a token of love and appreciation.Bhav duj is a time for family reunions as all brothers and sisters in the family get together. Close relatives and friends are also invited to celebrate the Bhav duj in many families.Special dishes are made.

Myth

Diwali is a five day Hindu festival which occurs on the fifteenth day of Kartika. Diwali means "rows of lighted lamps" and the celebration is often referred to as the Festival of Lights. During this time, homes are thoroughly cleaned and windows are opened to welcome Laksmi, goddess of wealth. Candles and lamps are lit as a greeting to Laksmi. Gifts are exchanged and festive meals are prepared during Diwali. The celebration means as much to Hindus as Christmas does to Christians.

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Diwali is commonly known as Hindu New Year,The faithful cleanse themselves and join with their families and priests to worship the goddess Lakshmi, consort of Lord Vishnu, to receive blessings of wealth, prosperity, triumph of good over evil, light over darkness. This is also the day Lord Ram returned to Ayodhya, having successfully rescued Sita and defeated the demon Ravan.

Rituals

The rituals vary according to region. However, special blessings are given to Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity, and Ganesh, the remover of obstacles. The Goddess Lakshmi is believed to have been created from the churning of the ocean on the main Diwali day, and that she'll visit every home during the Diwali period, bringing with her prosperity and good fortune. It’s said that she visits the cleanest houses first, therefore people make sure their houses are spotless before lighting lamps to invite her in. Small statues of the Goddess are also worshipped in people’s homes.

Reference- Google images (Diwali puja wallpapers) 

Significance of light 

All the simple rituals of Diwali have a significance and a story to tell. The illumination of homes with lights and the skies with firecrackers is an expression of obeisance to the heavens for the attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace and prosperity. According to one belief, the sound of fire-crackers are an indication of the joy of the people living on earth, making the gods aware of their plentiful state. 

Traditional Diwali Puja

In most of the families the Pooja is done in a simple way by installing the idols of Goddess Laxmi and Lord Ganesha on the eve of Diwali. The Pooja begins by the gathering of the entire family in the Pooja room and installation of the new idols of the deities in the small mandir at home. The senior most member of the family along with the priest of the family performs all the ritual. The ritual begins with the purification ceremony, each of the deities is bathed first with water, then with panchamitra (a mixture of milk, curd, ghee sugar & honey) and then with water again, this is actually a process of the purification of the idols before deities are invoked into it. After this, five pieces of ghee diyas are lit in front of the deities in order to drive away the shadows of evil spirits. The pooja thali containing all kids of prasads are then placed infront of the deities.All the members of the family are then asked to close their eyes and chant the mantras as recited by the priest. Even if they do not know the mantra they can simply close their eyes and remember the deities with full devotion.Once the mantras are over, all the members of the family offer auspicious items like abir (red colour), sindoor (vermillion) and haldi (turmeric), flower and sweet dishes to the deities. They also light incense sticks and diyas infront of the deities and seek their blessings. People also offer silver or gold coins, nariyal and jewelries to the deities.Once the offering and individual Pooja is over, people do aarti and sing bhajans for welcoming the god in to their home and thanking them for being kind to their family till now. Ganesh Aarti is followed by Lakshmi Aarti. The aarti thali is then taken in each room of the home to purify the entire home. After the aarti is over, the priest of the family is presented with gifts and the process of lighting diyas in the entire home begins. After the lighting is done, people take the ‘prasad’ and burst crackers.

Reference- festivals.iloveindia.com

Puja Thali Decoration

Reference- economic-times-diwalifunideas.blogspot.com

Traditional food

Days before the festival, the females of the family start preparing traditional delicacies for the family and friends. On Diwali, there is a custom to exchange sweets to the friends and neighbors that is why Diwali can’t even be imagined without sweets and savories that are specially made at home. The list of Diwali special sweets is exhaustive. Gulab Jamun, Gajar Ka Halwa, Besan Ke Ladoo, Karanji and Jalebis are the most commonly made sweets on this occasion.Apart from sweet dishes, there are several other delicacies that are made on the occasion of Diwali, Dahi-bhalle and Ghathiya are the two most popular of them. The Diwali cuisines also depend upon the culture and family traditions. From north to south and east to west India, several mouth watering delights are prepared in various manners depending upon the prevailing custom and taste of the family members. 

Reference- Google images (traditional sweets)

Diwali Around the World

Diwali is celebrated in almost all the regions of India. Apart from India, the festival is celebrated worldwide. It has become synonymous with the culture and celebrations of India. People in different parts of the world celebrate Diwali with zeal and enthusiasm. They consider the festival as the one that signifies the victory of good over the evil. It is believed that the evil spirits are destroyed into ashes by the fireworks.

The Hindus in Guyana, Fiji, Mauritius, Myanmar, Malaysia, Nepal, Japan, Thailand, Srilanka, Trinidad and Tobago as well as Britain, Indonesia, Singapore, Africa, Australia and even Southern America are known to celebrate Diwali.

Tangible objects

• Rangoli
• puja thali
• sweets
• murti of gods and goddess (Ganesha ji, Lakshmi ji, saraswati ji)
• crackers
• diyas
• flowers (lotus, marigold)
• Match box
• money
• gifts
• coins
• rice 
• oil
• toran
• roli
• cotton
• new clothes (Indian wear- saree,salwar kameez, kurta pajama)
• chandan
• utensils
• jewellery
• fruits

Intangible objects

• peace
• fun
• happiness
• blessing
• joy
• victory
• love
• togetherness
• affection
• faith
• belief
• god