Deepavali or Diwali – The Festival of Light
Deepavali is a festival which is celebrated by every one in India. Deepavali means “A string of lights”. In Sanskrit the word “Deepavali” is (also transliterated as “dipavali”) Deep/dip means “light of the dharma”, and avail means “a continuous line”. The more literal translation is “rows of clay lamps”. Diwali is the Hindu way of celebrating the New Year.
Deepavali is major festival in Indian & Nepalese and a significant in Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism. Many legends are associated with Diwali. Today it is celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs across the globe as the “Festival of Light,” where the lights or lamps signify victory of good over the evil within every human being.
It is a festival which falls on the October or November month. Deepavali is a festival of six days. The first day Vasu Baras: the first day worshipping the symbol of god that is the cow & calf. It is beginning of deepavali. The second day Dhantrayodashi or Dhan teras: It is an auspicious day for shopping of utensils and gold.This day is also regarded as the Jayanti of God Dhanvantri who came out during the churning of the great ocean by the gods and the demons.
The third day Naraka Chaturdashi: The lord Sri Krishna killed the demon Narakasura. It signifies the victory of good over evil light over darkness. Hindus wake up way before dawn as early as in the morning, have a fragrant oil bath and wear new clothes. They light small lamps all around the house and draw elaborate kolams /rangolis outside their homes. They perform a special Puja worshipping the lord Sri Krishna. They share sweetmeats with relatives and friends. Every one forgets and forgives the wrong done by others. There is an air of freedom, festivity & friendliness everywhere. This festival brings about unity and instills charity in the heart of people. People embrace one another with love. Deepavali it is a festival which makes the whole world lighting as well as the heart of the people with a string light. It is a festival which people love to celebrate with happy & in a rejoicing way.
The fourth day Lakshmi Puja: Lakshmi Puja is most important celebration in deepavali. Hindu home worship lakshmi the goddesses of wealth and also Ganesh for the beginning of the Puja and then light the lamps across the home to welcome prosperity and wellbeing. The fifth day Bhaiduj: on this day the sister & brother meet to express their affection and love with each other. This festival brings together married sisters and brothers, and is a significant festive day for them.
This festival is attributed from the various alleged origins. Deepavali is also celebrated as the marriage of lord Vishnu with lakshmi. The Deepavali festival is dedicated to the worship of kali in Bengal. In some hold tells us the Deepavali festival is celebrated as a day that the lord Rama returned to Ayodhaya after defeating Ravana.
Deepavali celebrates this through festive fireworks, lights, flowers, sharing of sweets, and worship. While the story behind Deepavali varies from region to region, the essence is the same – to rejoice in the Inner Light (Atman) or the underlying reality of all things (Brahman).
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The Bhagavad Gita (”Song of God”) is a Sanskrit text from the chapter Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata epic, comprising of about 700 verses. While technically it is a Smrti text, as it is a part of the Mahabharata, it has singularly achieved a status comparable to that of Sruti, or revealed knowledge. The Bhagavad Gita is also called Gitopanishad as well as Yogopanishad, implying its status as an Upanishad, or a Vedantic scripture.