Diwali Greeting to all our Hindu Customers & Friends

Diwali as we call it today comes from the Sanskrit word Deepavali meaning garland of lights. There are many legends and important events associated with this highly auspicious day. Hence it is said that any Pooja, mantra japa or stotra recital on this day gives 100 times more benifits. Actually it is a 5 day festival with each day having its own legend, customes and rituals.

Legends of Deepavali

The Goddess of wealth, Lakshmi took refuge in the ocean of milk when the gods were sent into exile. Lakshmi was reborn during the churning of the ocean known as *Ksheera Sagara Manthan by the Devas and Rakshasas. Lord Vishnu rescued Lakshmi from the prison of King Bali on this day.

On the day before Deepavali, Lord Krishna killed the demon king Narakaasura and rescued 16,000 women from his captivity. The celebration of this freedom is the Diwali – a victory festival.

The Pandavas returned from their 12 years of vanavas on this day and the people celebrated the day by lighting lamps.

Lord Rama killed Ravana on the Vijaya Dashami and returned to Ayodhya on this day and the people of Ayodhya celebrated the occasion by decorating the entire city with lamps.

On this day Lakshmi goes around visiting her devotees and sets up residence in the house she finds best spruced up and most hospitable. Diwali is an occasion for cleaning, painting the walls, decorating the floor with attractive rangoli designs.

The great king Vikramaditya was coronated on the this day which started the Vikrama era and the people of Ujjain celebrated it by lighting lamps.

This is also the nirvana or passing away day of the great Mahavira Jain. The lighting of the lamps is a symbolic substitute for the light knowledge that was extinguished with Mahavira’s passing.

Guru Har Gobind Ji (1595-1644), the sixth Guru of Sikhism, who was imprisoned along with 52 other Hindu kings at Fort Gwalior by Emperor Jahangir was released on this day. After freeing the other prisoners, he went to the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in the holy city of Amritsar, where he was welcomed happily by the people who lit candles and diyas to greet the Guru.

Diwali is also a harvest festival and marks the start of the Lunar year. A lot of people, especially the Gujaratis and the Marwaris, celebrate it as the starting of the New Year and close their old account books and start writing the new year account books.

One of the rituals traditionally associated with Diwali is gambling.

Buying new clothes, exchange gifts and sweets with friends and neighbors, lighting of lamps and candles and lots of fireworks and doing Lakshmi Pooja are the most common rituals associated with Diwali.

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