Festivals

Diwali is a popular five day festival celebrated by Hindus all over the world.  It’s a festival marked with pomp and color in honor of Goddess Lakshmi, the Hindu wealth goddess.  Each day of the festival is celebrated based on its own unique beliefs. 

 The five day celebrations are observed as follows:

DAY 1- Dhanteras: Marked on the 13^th day of the Kartik month in the Hindu lunar calendar.   It is dedicated to the god of death, Lord Yamaraj. A special feature of the day is use of new utensils and lighting of Yama-diya at night. Diya are clay-lamp used for illuminating homes during Diwali festival.

DAY 2: Choti Diwali: Marked to celebrate the liberation of mankind from fear by Lord Krishna for killing Narakasur - the demon.  The climax of the day is bathing and body oil massage. According to Hindus belief, those who don’t bathe during Choti Diwali will go to Nakar or hell.

DAY 3: Lakshmi Puja (Pooja)Badi Diwali: The Main day of the festival, commemorates Goddess Lakshmi, requesting for wealth and prosperity. The main activity of the day is cleaning and decorating of homes with torans and beautiful embellishments.

DAY 4: Govardhan: The day is dedicated to Lord Govardha in remembrance of the first pooja by Lord Krishna together with Vraja people requesting for protection against heavy rains.

DAY 5: Bhai Diy:  It is celebrated in honor of brothers and sisters relations. This is where brothers visit their sisters and sisters prepare sweet goodies for their brothers. It is believed to bless both.

The Diwali Festival or the “Festival of lights” is one momentous occasion in India. The main sight you ought to observe during this occasion are the rows of lights displayed in the homes of Hindus.  These alluring glows along the streets of India are produced by a very simple traditional source of light called Diyas. These are made from clay shaped like bowls and in it is filled with oil used to spark off the wick which is usually made of cotton and finally produce fire.

However, at the present time, a lot of modifications are made in crafting diyas to create variety and because of increasing competition in the market as well. Some are made with blue pottery and metal instead of clay. But in the celebration of the Diwali Festival, you can personalize your own diyas so as to make the occasion a bit more special.Here are some ideas on how to make your Diya more creative and unique.

• Color. Painting your diya with traditional shapes and colors makes it look perfect for the Diwali theme. Use acrylic colors and choose a lot of reds, orange and greens which are mostly the colors of Diwali

• Glass fragments. Glue some colorful glass fragments over your diyas and create different designs. In time that the diyas is lit up, the lights will illuminate through the glass and make it more attractive and elegant to look at. Glass sticks well over metal diyas.

·    Shaped Diya. Customize your Diya using Dough made of wheatflour and water. Make it thick to shape the dough well according to your desired figure. Then paint it with acrylic color and let it dry entirely.

·   Shaped Diya with Natural Flower Petals. Another way to decorate your custom-shaped diya is to put natural flower petals in it. Aside from the colorful pattern it creates, it makes it more lively and pleasing to the eye.

·    Diya with Ceramic clay. Ceramic clays are best if you want to make an embossed effect on your diya. Shape the clay to your preferred design then before it completely dries, stick it to the diya until it completely hardens and dries out. Use acrylic color to enhance the design and make it look exquisite.

 On the night of diwali “Lakshmi-Pujan” is performed in the evenings. A traditional Puja is performed after sunset in all the homes.

Five pieces of ghee diyas (lamps) are lit in front of the deities, Naivedya of traditional sweets is offered to the Goddess and devotional songs- in praise of Goddess Laxmi are sung.  

After the Puja people light diyas (lamps) in their homes to usher in light, and clear the darkness from the world.
 
In villages cattle’s 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 .
 
Step By Step Diwali Pujan:
 
First clean the Puja room and then Bathe each Deity ( Lakshmi & Ganesh) first with water, then with panchamitra/or rose water, followed by water once more.
 
Now put Deepak (Lamp)  in front of the Deities - As the  tiny diyas of clay are lighted to drive away the shadows of evil spirits
 
Make  a Panchamitra   with 5 ingredients of milk, curd, ghee(clarified butter), sugar & Honey. 
Place Few mithais, snacks & fruits as a prashad.
 
Make offerings of flowers, abir (red colour), sindoor (vermillion), haldi (turmeric). and Light the Agarbatti (incense sticks) and lamps filled with Ghee .
Now make offerings of fruit, sweet meat ( mithai), Salty snacks ( Mathis, Ghathia, Namakpare) and offer dakshina (token money), which could be given to the poor .
In the end offer paan (betel leaves), cloves. Now pray to the dieties to seek  their blessings.
Ganesh Puja-Ganeshji are a must for Diwali pujan. (Ganeshji is to be worshipped in all pujas before any other god or goddess.) Click here For Aarti
Laxmi Puja : Place Lotus and other flowers  at her feet  as an offering. A silver coin is placed in front of the Goddess during the puja. Now perform Arti with flowers in hand. Click here For Aarti
 After the puja have the Prashad and go out to burst crackers.
 

Diwali Preparations 

Diwali is the time for everyone to rejoice looking forward to a bright future. Especially of the Businessmen,

On this day they do puja of Account books and start writing their new accounts. This is called as “CHOPDA PUJAN” meaning puja of account books.
 
Each house entrances are made colorful with lovely traditional motifs of “Rangoli” designs to welcome Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity.

The Preparations of diwali begins well in advance.

People start decorating their homes, preparing sweets, light up their homes with colorful lights , buy new clothes & Jewelry
 
This new moon night or Amavasya is thus turned into a bright and colorful night. 

The lighting of lamps is a way of paying obeisance to god for attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace, valourand fame.
 
Fireworks are broughtout and the children join in the fun and frolic with all the bang -bang.
It is nice to distribute crackers so that there is universal enjoyment.

Hundreds of fire crackers can be seen glowing and then bursting as though it was a battle of glows and sparks in the skies.   
 
Markets are gaily decorated and lit up everybody adorned with new and bright clothes, especially ladies decorated with the best of ornaments, captures the social mood at its happiest.

It is a very jolly time for visiting, exchanging gifts, decorating homes, feasting, and of course attiring in new clothes.
 
On Diwali day, everywhere in India, at dusk when darkness unfolds itself, you can see a spectacular illumination of tiny flickering lamps adorning in rows - at homes, buildings and streets.

And all this illumination and fireworks, joy and festivity, is to signify the victory of divine forces over those of wickedness