Diwali 2019 - Diwali in India Rituals & Celebrations:

Diwali 2019 - Diwali in India Rituals & Celebrations:

Diwali is a four-five day-long festival of lights, which is celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhists every autumn in the northern hemisphere. One of the most popular festivals of Hinduism, Diwali symbolizes the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance." Light is a metaphor for knowledge and consciousness. During the celebration, temples, homes, shops, and office buildings are brightly illuminated. In the Gregorian calendar, the festival generally falls between mid-October and mid-November.

History of Diwali:

The Diwali festival is likely a fusion of harvest festivals in ancient India. It is mentioned in Sanskrit texts such as the Padma Purana, the Skanda Purana both of which were completed in the second half of the 1st millennium CE. The diyas (lamps) are mentioned in Skanda Kishore Purana as symbolizing parts of the sun, describing it as the cosmic giver of light and energy to all life and which seasonally transitions in the Hindu calendar month of Kartik.

Islamic historians of the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire era also mentioned Diwali and other Hindu festivals. A few, notably the Mughal emperor Akbar, welcomed and participated in the festivities, whereas others banned such festivals as Diwali and Holi, as Aurangzeb did in 1665.

Publications from the British colonial era also made mention of Diwali. One of them is the note on Hindu festivals published in 1799 by Sir William Jones, a philologist known for his early observations on Sanskrit and Indo-European languages. In his paper on The Lunar Year of the Hindus, Jones, then based in Bengal, noted four of the five days of Diwali in the autumn months of Aswina-Cartica.

Religious Importance of Diwali Festival:

Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and Newar Buddhists. The religious significance of Diwali varies regionally within India. The festival is associated with a diversity of deities, traditions, and symbolism. 

One tradition links the festival to legends in the Hindu epic Ramayana, where Diwali is the day Vishnu's avatar Rama, Lakshmi's avatar Sita, Shesha's avatar Lakshmana, and Shiva's avatar Hanuman reached Ayodhya after a 14 year period in exile and Rama's army of good defeated the demon king Ravana's army of evil in the Treta Yuga. 

Jeffrey Long, a scholar of Jain and Hindu studies, states that in Jain tradition, Diwali is celebrated in observance of "Mahavira Nirvana Divas", the physical death and final nirvana of Mahavira. The Jain Diwali celebrated in many parts of India has similar practices to the Hindu Diwali, such as the lighting of lamps and the offering of prayers to Lakshmi.

Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas in remembrance of the release of Guru Hargobind from the Gwalior Fort prison by the Mughal emperor, Jahangir, and the day he arrived at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Diwali in the Sikh tradition is older than the sixth Guru Hargobind legend. Diwali celebrations of Amritsar is most famous in India. Nearly Millions of Devotees visit Golden temple to celebrate Diwali every year.

Diwali is not a festival for most Buddhists, with the exception of the Newar people of Nepal who revere various deities in the Vajrayana Buddhism and celebrate Diwali by offering prayers to Lakshmi. According to some observers, this traditional celebration by Newar Buddhists in Nepal is a reflection of the freedom within Mahayana Buddhist tradition to worship any deity for their worldly betterment.

Description of Diwali:

The festival is an annual homecoming and bonding period not only for families but also for communities and associations, particularly those in urban areas, which will organize activities, events, and gatherings. Diwali is also marked with fireworks and the decoration of floors with rangoli designs. Food is a major focus with families partaking in feasts and sharing mithai.

Rituals and preparations for Diwali begin days or weeks in advance, typically after the festival of Dusshera that precedes Diwali by about 20 days. The festival formally begins two days before the night of Diwali and ends two days thereafter. Each day has the following rituals and significance:

Dhanteras (Day 1):

Dhanteras, derived from Dhan meaning wealth and teras meaning thirteenth, marks the thirteenth day of the dark fortnight of Kartik and the beginning of Diwali. On this day, many Hindus clean their homes and business premises. They install diyas, small earthen oil-filled lamps that they light up for the next five days, near Lakshmi and Ganesha iconography. The day also marks a major shopping day to purchase new utensils, home equipment, jewelry, firecrackers, and other items. On the evening of Dhanteras, families offer prayers (puja) to Lakshmi and Ganesha and lay offerings of puffed rice, candy toys, rice cakes, and batashas.

Naraka Chaturdashi, Chhoti Diwali (Day 2):

Naraka Chaturdashi is also known as Chhoti Diwali and this is the second day of festivities coinciding with the fourteenth day of the second fortnight of the lunar month. The term "chhoti" means little, while "Naraka" means hell and "Chaturdashi" means "fourteenth". The day and its rituals are interpreted as ways to liberate any souls from their suffering in "Naraka", or hell, as well as a reminder of spiritual auspiciousness. The day and its rituals are interpreted as ways to liberate any souls from their suffering in "Naraka", or hell, as well as a reminder of spiritual auspiciousness. A mythological interpretation of this festive day is the destruction of the asura Narakasura by Krishna, a victory that frees 16,000 imprisoned princesses kidnapped by Narakasura.

Lakshmi Pujan (Day 3): 

The third day is the last day of the dark fortnight of the lunar month. In this day, Hindu, Jain, and Sikh temples and homes are aglow with lights, thereby making it the "festival of lights". The word Deepawali comes from the word the Sanskrit word deep, which means an Indian lantern/lamp.

Annakut, Padwa, Govardhan puja (Day 4):

The day after Diwali is the first day of the bright fortnight of the lunisolar calendar. It is regionally called Annakut (heap of grain), Padwa, Goverdhan puja, Bali Pratipada, Bali Padyami, Kartik Shukla Pratipada, and other names. In some rural communities of the north, west and central regions, the fourth day is celebrated as Govardhan Puja, honoring the legend of the Hindu god Krishna saving the cowherd and farming communities from incessant rains and floods triggered by Lord Indra's anger, which he accomplished by lifting the Govardhan mountain. The agricultural symbolism is also observed on this day by many Hindus as Annakut, literally "mountain of food". Communities prepare over one hundred dishes from a variety of ingredients, which is then dedicated to Krishna before shared among the community.

Bhai Duj, Bhau-Beej (Day 5):

The last day of the festival is called Bhai Duj, Bhau Beej, Bhai Tilak, or Bhai Phonta. It celebrates the sister-brother bond. This festive day is interpreted by some to symbolize Yama's sister the Yamuna welcoming Yama with a tilaka, while others interpret it as the arrival of Krishna at his sister's, Subhadra, place after defeating Narakasura. Subhadra welcomes him with a tilaka on his forehead.

Diwali Dates in 2019:

In India, one of the most significant festivals is Diwali or the Festival of Lights. It depicts the victory of good over evil. In 2019, Diwali is on October 27. It is observed a day earlier in south India, on October 26.

• The first day (October 25, 2019) -- Dhanteras.

• The second day (October 26, 2019) -- Naraka Chaturdasi or Chhoti Diwali (Small Diwali).

• The third day (October 27, 2019) -- Amavasya or Lakshmi Pujan.

• The fourth day (October 28, 2019) -- Annakut, Padwa, Govardhan puja.

• The fifth day (October 29, 2019) -- Bhai Duj.