The Indian Culture
Festivals
During Diwali, homes are lighted with lamps called 'divas'
Diwali is known as the festival of lights which is celebrated by Hindus around the world every year. Unlike Christmas or Easter, Diwali has no specific date. The most famous legend behind the festival of Diwali is when the prince of Ayodhya, Lord Ram defeated Ravan and returned from exile after 14 years. The people of Ayodhya welcomed him by lighting lamps on this darkest night of the year. This is why Diwali is called the festival of lights.
The 5 days of Diwali
According to the Hindu calendar, Diwali celebrated for five days, which begin in late October or November. The first day of Diwali is called ‘Dhan Teras’. Since “Dhan” stands for wealth, Goddess Laxmi (Goddess of wealth) is worshipped. This day has a lot of significance for the business in families. The second day is called ‘Narak Chaturdhashi’, which is dedicated to Balithe generous king who returned to his kingdom amidst celebrations. The third day of Diwali is probably the most important day. On this day, the ‘Laxmi Pooja’ is conducted, which is entirely devoted to Goddess Laxmi. The fourth day is known as the ‘Govardhan-Puja’, which is usually performed in north India. Actually, Govardhan is a small hillock in India and on this day people from different states build cow dung hillocks, decorate them with flowers and then worship them. This day is in memory of the lifting of Mount Govardhan by Krishna. The fifth and final day of Diwali is called ‘Bhai Duj’. The purpose of celebrating this day is to strengthen the love between brothers and sisters. Basically, it is the day of sharing food, exchanging gifts and reaching out to the inner most depths of the hearts.
During the festival of Diwali, we wear new clothes, burn crackers, exchange gifts with one another, decorate our homes, make rangolis (the traditional art of decorating courtyards and walls) and of course eat plenty of sweets and delights! We celebrate this auspicious occasion with our family, friends and loved ones.
Evolution
Today, Diwali is still celebrated the original way. However, some ethnic groups like 'Jains' or 'Sikhs' don't celebrate all 5 days of Diwali.
The 5 days of Diwali
According to the Hindu calendar, Diwali celebrated for five days, which begin in late October or November. The first day of Diwali is called ‘Dhan Teras’. Since “Dhan” stands for wealth, Goddess Laxmi (Goddess of wealth) is worshipped. This day has a lot of significance for the business in families. The second day is called ‘Narak Chaturdhashi’, which is dedicated to Balithe generous king who returned to his kingdom amidst celebrations. The third day of Diwali is probably the most important day. On this day, the ‘Laxmi Pooja’ is conducted, which is entirely devoted to Goddess Laxmi. The fourth day is known as the ‘Govardhan-Puja’, which is usually performed in north India. Actually, Govardhan is a small hillock in India and on this day people from different states build cow dung hillocks, decorate them with flowers and then worship them. This day is in memory of the lifting of Mount Govardhan by Krishna. The fifth and final day of Diwali is called ‘Bhai Duj’. The purpose of celebrating this day is to strengthen the love between brothers and sisters. Basically, it is the day of sharing food, exchanging gifts and reaching out to the inner most depths of the hearts.
During the festival of Diwali, we wear new clothes, burn crackers, exchange gifts with one another, decorate our homes, make rangolis (the traditional art of decorating courtyards and walls) and of course eat plenty of sweets and delights! We celebrate this auspicious occasion with our family, friends and loved ones.
Evolution
Today, Diwali is still celebrated the original way. However, some ethnic groups like 'Jains' or 'Sikhs' don't celebrate all 5 days of Diwali.
