How Diwali is celebrated in India & it's significance

Diwali is one of the most celebrated and significant festivals of India. It falls on the new moon day of the Kartik month. According to the legends of the Treta Yuga, on this day, Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram returned to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana, the king of Lanka. To celebrate his victorious return, the people of Ayodhya illuminated the entire city with rows of ghee lamps, decorating their homes in joyous welcome. Since then, this day has been celebrated as Diwali, which literally means “a row of lamps.” In South India, the festival is known as Deepawali, while in North India, it is popularly called Diwali.

Festival of Lights

Deepawali: Group of Festivals

Deepawali is not a day festival but a group of festivals. The festival of Dhanteras comes two days before Deepawali. On this day, people gather around the markets. Buying new things on Dhanteras is considered as auspicious. On this day a lamp is lit at the entrance of the house. This leads to a small Diwali on the next day, Narak Chaturdashi. On this day lamps are lit for Yama Puja. The next day comes Diwali. Fireworks and firecrackers are decorated in different places. 

Laxmi & Ganesh Pujan

Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha are worshipped on the evening of Diwali. After the worship, people keep lamps lit outside their homes. The glowing lamps all-around look very beautiful. Markets and streets sparkle with colourful electric bulbs. Children enjoy a variety of firecrackers and fireworks. People of every age enjoy the burning of colourful sparklers. Bhai Dooj is celebrated on the second day of Deepawali. 

Coincidence with Diwali

According to Lord Shri Ram devotees, on the day of Diwali, King of Ayodhya, Rama returned to Ayodhya after killing the king Ravana of Lanka. People still celebrate this festival in the joy of their return. Devotees of Lord Shri Krishna believe that on this day Lord Krishna killed the tyrannical King Narakasura. Due to the slaughter of this dastardly monster, immense joy spread in the public and people lit lamps of ghee with happiness. According to some mythology, Lord Vishnu wearing the form of Narasimha killed Hiranyakashipu. And after Samudramanthan on this day, Lakshmi and Dhanvantari appeared. Diwali is also important for coins because the foundation stone of the Golden Temple was held on this day in Amritsar in 1577. 

Diwali in different states of India

1. Diwali in Maharashtra 

Fort making in Diwali

Diwali is a four-day event in Maharashtra. The Vasu Baras has said on the first day. On this day, Aarti is sung and the calf is worshipped. The day of Dhanteras is considered special for the bookkeeping of traders in Maharashtra. It is customary to bathe before sunrise on the Naraka Chaturdashi the next day. After the bath, the whole family goes to the temple. The festival of Diwali is celebrated on the fourth day. Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped on this day. Also, traditional cuisines like Karanji, Chakli, Laddu, Shev etc. are enjoyed. Fort making in Diwali is a very famous thing in Maharashtra. To give tribute to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, children used to make the forts by mud. It's very good to see that our next generation is going in the right direction.

2. Diwali in North India 

Fireworks

After killing Ravna, Shri Ram, Lakshman and Sita returned to Ayodhya on Kartik Amavasya. He was welcomed that day with lamps and fireworks. Since then, the festival of Diwali has been celebrated with much fanfare. In the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, etc., along with the worship of Goddess Lakshmi, the festival of Deepawali is celebrated by making the night with lamps and fireworks.

3. Diwali in South India 

It is celebrated in the month of Thulam in Tamil Nadu, South India. The festival celebrated on Narak Chaturdashi, the day before Diwali, is the most prominent day of the Diwali festival in southern India. For this, the special bath is prepared one day, the next day the oil bath is done traditionally. In the morning everyone makes a rangoli by cleaning and washing their house.

Light Lamps

4. Diwali in other states 

Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Jharkhand etc. are tribal-dominated areas. It is customary to donate lamps here. Tribal women and men dance on this occasion. Here, a lamp named Yamraj is also placed from the day of Dhanteras. This lamp is placed at the main entrance of the house so that death does not enter the house.

As a conclusion, it can be said that the tradition of celebrating the festivals of Deepawali is going on with great enthusiasm. Everyone wears new clothes at home. Indoors and outdoors lights are lit with lamps. Everyone enjoys firecrackers. Deepawali allows living in peace and brotherhood, to renounce arrogance, to live with a pure heart, to leave good luck.

My Opinion

In every year, firecrackers had impacted the pollution rate of India & it is increasing year by year. As I mentioned earlier, Deepawali is the festival of lights & not of firecrackers. So we need to reduce the use of these things during this Diwali.

Educate society

Instead of this by saving money of Firecrackers we should donate the books to poor people who are not able to do their studies. So we can contribute to society, if we help each other then surely God will be helping us at any instance of life.

Take care of yourself and your family on this Diwali. Happy Diwali to all of you.

Thank you !!!