The festival of lights, colours, festivities… that’s right… it is Diwali time. Diwali is a festival that flaunts different shades at different places. Diwali or Deepawali is the festival of lights and sweetness. It is basically a symbol of the victory of good over evil, brightness over darkness, and truth over falseness. Each and every legend associated with this fabulous festival gives the same message. The thick dark new-moon (Amavasya) night on which the Diwali festival is celebrated, seems like a full-moon (Purnima) night, because of the effulgent light of numerous diyas or deepaks lighted on this night. These diyas not only make Diwali, the festival of lights, but they also symbolise the supremacy and consequence of brightness over darkness. The same message is given by the Hindu Upanishads by saying, “Asato Ma Sadgamaya”. The lighted diyas on Diwali also remind us of the same teaching of the Upanishads.
Diya can be defined as a small earthen lamp that is specially lit on Diwali for puja and decoration purposes. A cotton wick is used in diyas, and oil or ghee serves as the burning fuel. Diyas are plain and coloured, big and small, simple and fancy, and so. Different types of diyas are appropriate for different applications. Children could also make their own diyas as a fun activity on Diwali. This could be done by using clay or dough. It is better not to use a wool wick in ghee diyas.
As the festive season approaches, markets get flooded with various types of gifts, decoration, and puja items. The crafted and designer diyas are one of the big attractions in such markets. Diyas embellished with zari, painted patterns, mirrors, etc. are quite enticing by their very appearance. Diwali melas, markets, and haats, showcase a multitude of handcrafted items made by ceramic and handicraft artists throughout the country. Diyas are one of the major attractions in such markets. Besides the conventional single spout diyas, multi-spout diyas like 10, 11, and 21 spout diyas, and Laxmi-Ganesha diyas can be seen at Diwali markets.
However old may be the tradition of diyas on Diwali, it has never lost its significance and charm. Diwali celebrations are incomplete and graceless without the use of Diwali diyas. There is no doubt, diyas were, are, and will remain a significant part of the Diwali festival.
Deepavali is a festival which has gained its popularity owing to the nature of its celebrations. It has long been considered to have a religious significance which is now lost in the universal feelings of goodness and joy which envelop everyone on this day. Of all traditional Indian festivals, Divali can be safely said to be the most widely accepted and loved by the people of this country. It is one of those rare occasions which give Indians a unique identity.
Lakshmi Pujan on Deepavali
An important part of Diwali festival is Lakshmi Puja. This puja is carried out by households and especially by the business community in India. It is also considered New Year by business people so much so that all new accounts are opened on this day after the ritual of praying to the Goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. This Hindu deity represents prosperity, wealth and good fortune.
Diwali Puja Preparations
Deepavali Puja is performed before the sun sets over the dark night of amavasya. The actual time for this Puja is calculated by religious scholars and pundits, which is declared in newspapers the day before Deepavali. When preparing for the traditional puja, idols of Lakshmi – Ganesh, kalash, roli, mouli, coins, rice grains, kumkum for tilak, betel leaves and betel nuts, incense sticks, camphor, flowers, garlands are required. For offerings and prasad, sweets and fruits are needed.
One essential before the puja is a neat and clean house illuminated with Diyas and candles welcoming Goddess Laxmi and driving away evil spirits. Rangolis are drawn at the entrance and small footprints with rice flour and vermilion are also drawn to indicate the long awaited arrival of Goddess Lakshmi. Oil lamps are kept burning throughout the night to guide Lakshmi after her secret arrival at nighttime.
Lakshmi – Ganesh Puja Sequence
It is considered auspicious to start every puja by taking Shri Ganesha’s name and so is true with Lakshmi Pujan as well. The idols are given a ritual bath and seated on a platform. Devotional song called aarti is sung and prasad is distributed amongst everyone gathered. Every family performs this puja so as to please the Gods to shower them with prosperity and well-being. Fire crackers are burst only after the completion of the puja.
It is to be noted that this puja is a combined worship of five deities. Lord Ganesha is worshipped first. Ma Lakshmi is worshipped in all her three forms as Mahalakshmi - the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity, Mahasaraswati - the Goddess of Learning and Mahakali. Another God that is worshipped on Diwali is Lord Kuber - the Treasurer of Gods.
The largest of the states in the northeast of India is Assam whose capital, Guwahati, has an inspired location on the banks of the River Brahmaputra. Amidst Assam’s verdant lushness and wild sanctuaries, much of the rest of the state is devoted to tea plantation, which yields the strong Assam leaf popular all over the world.
The celebration of Diwali in Assam ranges from the diyas and mithai to singing the aarti with the whole family and then celebrating with firecrackers the epic moment that symbolises the victory of good over evil. People also pull out the little electric lights to substitute for diyas and light up the house early.
Countless flickering oil lamps and lights are lit in houses all over Assam, making it a night of enchantment. Worship of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, and fireworks and festivities are an essential part of the celebrations. Beautiful lamps are hung outside homes that are symbolic of the spiritual light dispelling evil and the darkness of ignorance.
Doorways are decorated with torans or flower garlands with mango leaves and marigolds. Rangolis are drawn with coloured powders to welcome guests. Business establishments and families perform chopda pujan or veneration of their business books. Everyone feasts and shops and starts new projects or ventures.
Like many ancient civilizations, the way of life in Bihar is clustered around its magnificent rivers. Few rivers of the world have molded the culture, economy and personality of the people evolving on their banks as has the great river Ganga. In Bihar, the celebration of Diwali starts two days before the actual Diwali as dhanteras, celebrated in honour of Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods. He is believed to have emerged with a pot of amrita during the samudra manthan.
On Dhanteras, new kitchen utensils are bought and kept at the place of worship. The buying of utensils, according to one theory, relates to the myth of Dhanvantari emerging from the ocean with a pot in his hand. People bathe early in the morning and observe a fast, which is broken only after sunset with sweets, puri and other delicacies.
The day before Diwali is celebrated as Choti Diwali or ‘small Diwali’. It is Diwali on a smaller scale, with fewer lights lit and fewer crackers burst. Songs in honour of the deities are sung and aarti is performed. Oil or ghee diyas are also lit. The gods are offered kheel, batashe and khilone and various sweets. After the puja, the diyas are placed in and around the house: on the doorway, near the Tulasi plant, in the backyard, in every room and at the back and front gates. After this, crackers are burst, and people meet friends and neighbours to exchange good wishes and sweets.
The adivasis of Bihar worship Goddess Kali on this day. Eating unripe coconut and taking a beetle is considered auspicious. In Chota Nagpur, the men circumbulate their village with basket full of paddy and grass. A week after the festival of lights is the festival Chhath. For one night and day, the people of Bihar literally live on the banks of the river Ganga when a ritual offering is made to the Sun God.
In Delhi, Diwali festivities start at Dussehra. From then on, as people set out on a frantic spree of shopping, spring-cleaning, whitewashing and re-decorating, the shops and market places embark on a frenzy of sales and promotional offers. Market places are festooned with streamers; melas and fairs crop up everywhere. Many people buy new clothes to wear on Diwali, and on the day of Dhanteras, traditionally, a kitchen utensil of some kind is purchased.
On Diwali day, shops in Delhi remain open till the afternoon, believing that good sales on Diwali day predict a prosperous year ahead. In the corporate sector, the process of buying and distributing Diwali gifts begins several days before the big day, and slowly picks up pace. Sweets and dry fruits are the most common gifts, as are silver coins. But gifts also range from silver dishes and other household gifts to suit pieces.
Delhi gets crowded with shoppers and shopping bonanzas. Often the women of the house perform “aarti” to their husbands, garlanding him and putting a “tika” on his forehead, while praying for his long life. In some houses, there is a ritual of immersing a silver coin in a tumbler of milk. The milk is then sprinkled lightly in the rooms of the house. The prasad is kept in front of the idol throughout the night.
Lakshmi puja in Gujarat lasts for five days, which starts with Dhanteras. The fourth day, or the day of Govardhan Puja is Gujrati’s New Year’s Day. Lakshmi is believed to visit the homes that are well lit. So, families decorate their houses with light, flowers and paper chains.
The markets of Gujarat liven up almost a whole month in advance for Diwali shoppers, from jewellery, clothes, sweets, gift articles, shoes, etc to fire crackers, every thing is in demand and plentiful in supply. It’s a mad frenzy of shopping everywhere, in the days leading up to the festival.
Gujaratis start celebrations on the night before Diwali by drawing rangoli depicting nature or the gods from natural powder colours. On Diwali day, the clothes worn are usually Jhabba (kurta)-dhotis or Jhabba-legengas for the men, while the women are in saris. A visit to the temple is customary. The day is spent preparing food and sweets. Shops are open, but business comes to a halt on Dhanteras, two days before Diwali, and doesn’t resume until Labh Pancham, the fifth day of the New Year. For traders and businessmen, this is the time for a vacation. Diwali evening is celebrated by lighting up streets and markets, and bursting crackers.
Diwali is as happy occasion in Jammu & Kashmir Province, as in rest of India. During any festive season, the whole city of Jammu brightens up and there is lot of excitement in the air. Watching or taking part in the Diwali festivities, can be an interesting experience in this state. Diwali is celebrated with traditional fervour and joy, in special style.
Celebrations by Kashmiri Pandits
Deepawali is one of the oldest rituals for Kashmiri Pandits. We find a mention of its celebrations in Nilmat Puran. It was then celebrated as Sukhsuptika which literally means sleep with happiness. The celebration would start from Ekadeshi and last till Amavasya. On Amavasya elders of the family would keep a fast and worship goddess Lakshmmi after sunset. Earthen lamps are placed in temples, on the road crossings, cremation grounds, banks of rivers, streams and lakes hill houses, at the foot of trees, cow sheds, court yards and shops. People would wear new clothes and listen to music.
There’s not much difference about Diwali Festival Celebrations in Orissa. Rows of oil lamps, candles and lanterns adorn the thresholds of all houses. Crackers are burst, sweets are relished and distributed. It could be akin to Diwali Festival anywhere else in India, save for one small ritual. It is a ritual that calls upon the spirits of the family’s forefathers. Jute stems are burnt to light up the dark path that the spirits of the ancestors take back to heaven.
All the members of the household gather together just after dusk. A rangoli of a sailboat is made on the ground. The boat has seven chambers. Over the drawing of each different chamber several items are kept - cotton, mustard, salt, asparagus root, turmeric and a wild creeper. Over the central chamber are the offerings meant for prasad. Perched over the prasad is a jute stem with a cloth wick tied around the edge. It is lit at the beginning of the puja. All members of the family hold a bundle of jute stems in their hands. Lighting their respective bundles from the flame on the rangoli, they raise them skywards chanting:
“Bada badua ho,
andhaara re aasa,
aluwa re jaa.
Baaisi pahaacha re gada gadau tha.”
Beside the rangoli, a mortar and pestle and a plough are also kept and worshiped. After the puja and offerings, the family celebrates Diwali festival by bursting crackers. As in other regions, most people prefer to celebrate it in their own homes, though family gatherings are also common. For Diwali, houses are brightly lit, with the doors and windows kept open as Lakshmi is supposed to visit every home and you can’t afford to leave it dark and abandoned.
Rajasthan is the land of festivals and fairs. People in this sparsely populated state look for any excuse to assemble together in celebration and take a break from their otherwise rugged, tough lives. The elaborate rituals and the gaiety with which they surrender themselves to the numerous fairs and festivals of the region show their sheer zest for life. Celebrated every year in October-November, Diwali is perhaps the most popular of all Rajasthan festivals. It is a celebration of light, both literally and metaphorically.
The origin of this festival can be traced back to the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana, when Lord Ram returned to his kingdom Ayodhya after 14 years of exile. The whole kingdom was lit up with diyas (earthen lamps) to celebrate his return. To date, on Diwali day, house all over Rajasthan glow with twinkle of innumerable diyas, candles and electric lights. The night is illuminated with the flaming lights of fireworks, creating kaleidoscopic designs against the black canvas of the sky.
Diwali festivals give people a chance to decorate their homes, buy new clothes, visit relatives and friends and take time off from their daily routine to gather together and enjoy the festivities. Special food, naturally, is very high on the agenda, keeping in mind the occasion; a wedding , a festival, a celebration to mark the birth of a male child or a good harvest , even good monsoons, are reason enough to celebrate. Women of the neighborhood gather and prepare sweets like Mawa Kachori, Til Ke Laddo, Gonth ke Laddu, Piste ke Launj, Moti Pak, Pheeni, Sohan Papdi, Besan Barfi, Jalebi, Shakarpara- to name just a few.
A state, whose name is synonymous with exuberance, prosperity and an intense passion for life, Punjab or ‘Panj Aab’ literally meaning five rivers, is, as it were, the very heart of the country. The lightening of lamps on festival of Diwali is a way of paying obeisance to god for attainment of peace, love, wealth, health and knowledge. And on Diwali night, people worship God and Goddesses and place Diyas (earthen lamps) in the home, in verandahs, courtyards, and gardens, as well on outer walls and on rooftops. It is time for puja and tradition and also time for fun and revelry.
In Punjab, Diwali Festival is the time for everyone to rejoice, looking forward to a bright future. Enthusiastically enjoyed by people of every religion, it’s magical and radiant touch creates an atmosphere of joy and festivity. In villages cattle are adorned and worshiped by farmers as they form the main source of their income. In the south, cows are offered special veneration as they are supposed to be the incarnation of goddess Lakshmi and therefore, they are adorned and worshiped on this day. In Punjab, winter crops are sown and the day following Diwali is celebrated as Tikka. On Tikka day, with saffron paste and rice, sisters place an auspicious mark on their brother’s forehead, gesturing to ward off all harms from her brother.
Diwali is also the anniversary of Guru Hargobind ji being released from the prison at Gwalior Fort. It was on this day in 1619 A D. Diwali of Amritsar was out-of-the-world. Today, the entire Golden Temple is illuminated with traditional lamps of different colours during Diwali. The reflection of the temple in the shimmering water of the holy pool binds the eye, to the many-a-splendored pageant. Fire works display by the traditional professionals recreates the glory of the times gone past.
In West Bengal, Lakshmi puja is celebrated five days after Dussehra, on the full moon day (Purnima). On the following new moon day (Amavasya), coinciding with Diwali, goddess Kali is worshiped. Kali, the more aggressive form or the destructive incarnation of Goddess Durga, has a terrifying look. She destroys all evils. Lamps are lit in her honour, and in return, she promises a renewal of life and justice on earth.
In West Bengal, it is not Lakshmi puja but Kali Puja which makes the festival unique. Kali is generally a goddess to be feared rather than venerated. But, Diwali is also celebrated with great enthusiasm and it is a time for gaiety and feasting. The houses are decorated and lit with diyas. Two or even four plantain leaves decorate the entry to the house or property, with a row of diyas at the doorstep. The entire family gathers around for Lakshmi puja in the evening.
Diwali Festival stretches over three days, but on Amavasya the final day, the celebrations and lights are less. The first two festival days are important, with feasting, drinking, gambling, family gatherings, lights and fire crackers occupying time from dusk to dawn. In West Bengal, the pious festive air and not the material goods, mainly marks the occasion. No new clothes, no new utensils, no new gold. In fact nothing new at all on Diwali day, as all the shops are shut tight except those selling sweets and fire crackers. Gifts are limited to sweets and dry fruits.
Uttar Pradesh - one of the most populous states of India is also one of the most ancient cradles - of Indian culture. Two great rivers along with one mythological river Saraswati flow through this state. The Hindu Festival of Diwali is celebrated with great vigour over here. The state wears a vibrant colour throughout the Diwali festival.
The beautiful Kartik Purnima festival or the Dev Deepawali celebrated in Varanasi or Benaras, is a visual delight. Varanasi is the land of festivals. The full moon night after Diwali falling in November - December is the sacred day for all the people. The ghats of Varanasi come alive with thousands of brightly lit earthen lamps. The lamps then are gently left on the River. Visitors throng in large numbers to watch this spectacular event.
The festival Diwali celebrates the homecoming of Ram with firecrackers and the lighting of earthen lamps. Ramlila performances during Dussehra commemorate this joyous event as well. Traditionally the characters of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Shatrughan and Bharat are played by Brahmin boys who are trained by the liladhari, the leader of the troupe. These are zestfully celebrated with song, dance, and merriment; others with solemnity, fervor, fast, or feast. These fairs and festivals help the people keep the culture vibrant and promote artistic activities.
In Himachal Pradesh, Diwali is celebrated with great enthusiasm. The mud walls of the houses are cleaned and painted over with white clay and cow-dung. In the courtyards a red or black square is painted with coloured clay. This is decorated with pictures of animals and birds. The walls are decorated with flower garlands. People believe that Lakshmi who is the goddess of wealth visits all the houses this day and settles down in the house which is clean and pretty.
After sunset, clay lamps are lit on a plank in the memory of the departed ancestors. Afterward they are placed within the houses. Sweets are distributed and the young seek the blessings of the elderly. Goats are sacrificed on this day. Women paint little vessels (Auloo) with clay and decorate it with drawings in red paint. They pray to these and exchange these with their best friends.
On the day of Diwali, soaked rice is powdered and designs are made out of that. At night time, young girls worship this design with grass and camphor. At some places, a figure of Lakshmi made with sandalwood is placed in a copper plate and a mandav of sugarcane is made over it. Goddess Lakshmi is specially worshiped on this day.
Diwali is one festival celebrated by all, adults and children, alike. The festival is celebrated all around India, signifying the fact of secularism and universal integrity.