The Diwali Period

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The Diwali Period.

 

The story goes that Hanuman was sent by Rama to Ayodhya the day

before

Rama's arrival as prearranged with Bharat to let the residents of

Ayodhya

know how Sita and Rama and all Their retinue were returning.

 

This was five days before Diwali, and after the Vijaya dasami

(victory of

Rama ) celebration.

 

THE STORY BEHIND OF "DIWALI"

King Dashrath ruled the rich and prosperous city of Ayodhya. He had

three

wives and Kaikayi was his favourite. She saved his life in a war at

a very

crucial time. Dashrath granted her two favours for saving his life.

 

Dashrath had four sons. Rama, the oldest, was everybody's

favourite. He

was married to the beautiful and devoted Sita. Just before Ram's

coromation, Kaikayi reminded Dashrath of her two favors. She told

him to

crown Bharat as king and to banish Ram to the jungle for fourteen

years.

Her wishes were granted.

 

The old king Dashrath later died of a broken heart. After a few

years in the

forest, Sita was lured by the demon king Ravana. Rama, with the

help of a

monkey general, Hanuman, rescued Sita and defeated Ravana. After

fourteen

years in exile Ram and Sita and returned to Ayodhya.

 

It is in Their honor that "Diwali" is celebrated. "Diwali"

signifies the

victory of good over evil.

 

Today in India for Diwali all the shops are decorated brightly.

Many people

make "rangoli" in their house or outside. They are filled to

capacity in

this festive season. Everybody buys new things and decorates their

homes.

People visit their friends and relatives and give them sweets. On

Diwali

friends come over for the whole day and relatives come and go.

Everyone has

a wonderful time celebrating the return of Sita and Rama. Thus

Diwali has

become a day when all the sad things of the past are forgotten and

happy

times are remembered.

 

The famous slOkam on DhIpAvaLi is:

 

thailE LAKSHMEE: JalE GANGAA dhIpAvaLi dhinE vasEth

alakshmI parihArArTam abhyangasnAnam aacharEth

Tatha Aabharanam vasthram dharEyEth sarvasampadhE

 

(meaning): On the early morning of DhIpAvaLi (before Sunrise of

KrishNa

Paksha Chathurthi of Iypaasi Month ), MahA LakshmI resides in oil

and GangA

Devi stays in the waters. For the sake of chasing away poverty /

inauspiciousness, One should take an oil bath and wash oneself with

hot

water and thereafter wear new clothes. This is refered to in more

detail

below.

The First Day of Diwali

The first day of Diwali is called Dhanvantari Trayodasi, also Dhan

Theras.

It is the thirteenth lunar day of Krishna Paksh (the dark

fortnight) of

the

month of Kartika. On this day, Lord Dhanvantari appeared, delivering

Ayurvedic medicine for mankind.

 

This day marks the beginning of Diwali celebrations. On this day at

sunset,

Hindus bathe and offer oil lamps with prasada (sanctified food) to

Yamaraja

(the Lord of Death) and pray for protection from untimely death.

 

The Second Day of Diwali

The second day of Diwali is called Naraka Chaturdasi. It is the

fourteenth

lunar day of the dark fortnight of the month of Kartika and the eve

of

Diwali. On this day, Lord Krishna destroyed the demon Narakasura and

liberated the 16,000 princesses which the demon held captive.

 

The Third Day of Diwali (actual Diwali)

This is the actual day of Diwali, the Hindu New Year, when worship

unto

Mother Lakshmi is performed. Hindus cleanse themselves and join with

their

families and their Pandit (priest) and worship the divine Goddess

Lakshmi,

the consort of Lord Vishnu, to achieve the blessings of wealth and

prosperity, and triumph of good over evil and light over darkness.

Historically, Bali Maharaja, who had captured Laksmi, was defeated

on

this

day by Lord Krishna's dwarf brahmana incarnation, Vamanadeva. This

is

also

the day on which Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya, having successfully

rescued

Sita and defeated the demon, Ravana. (See: "Origins of Diwali,"

below.)

 

The Fourth Day of Diwali

On this day, Govardhana Puja is performed. Many thousands of years

ago,

Lord Krishna caused the people of Vraja to perform Govardhana Puja.

From

 

then on, every year, Hindus worship Govardhana to honour that first

Puja

 

done by the people of Vraja.

 

It is written in the Ramayana that when the bridge to Lanka was being

built

by the Vanara army, Hanuman (a divine loyal servant of Lord Rama

possessing

enormous strength) was bringing a mountain as material to help with

the

construction of the bridge. When a call was given that enough

materials

had

already been obtained, Hanuman placed the mountain down before He

reached

the construction site. Due to lack of time, he did not return the

mountain

to its original place.

 

The deity presiding over this mountain spoke to Hanuman asking of his

reason

for leaving the mountain there. Hanuman replied that the mountain

should

remain there until the age of Dvapara when Lord Rama incarnates as

Lord

Krishna, who will shower His grace on the mountain, and will

instruct

that

the mountain be worshiped not only in that age but but in ages to

come.

 

This deity whom Hanuman spoke to was none other than Govardhana (an

incarnation of Lord Krishna), who manifested Himself in the form of

the

mountain.

 

To fulfill this decree, Govardhan Puja was performed and this

celebration is

continued to this day.

 

The Fifth Day of Diwali the fifth day of the Diwali is called Bhratri

Dooj.

This is the day after Govardhana Puja is performed and normally two

days

 

after Diwali day. It is a day dedicated to sisters. We have heard

about

Raksha Bandhan (brothers day).

 

Well this is sisters day.

 

Many moons ago, in the Vedic era, Yama (Yamaraja, the Lord of Death)

visited

His sister, Yamuna, on this day. He gave his sister a Vardhan (boon)

that

whoever visits her on this day shall be liberated from all sins.

They

will

achieve moksha, or liberation.

 

>From then on, brothers visit their sisters on this day to enquire of

their

welfare, and many faithful bathe in the holy waters of the Yamuna

river.

 

This day marks the end of the five days of Diwali celebrations.

 

This day is also known as Bhai Fota among Bengalis. Bhai Fota is an

event

especially among Bengalis when the sister prays for her brother's

safety,

success and well being.

 

The Origin of Diwali

According to the epic Ramayana, Diwali commemorates the return of

Lord

Rama, an incarnation of Krishna and the eldest son of King Dasharath

of

Ayodhya, from his 14-year exile with Sita and Lakshman after killing

Ravana, a demon king. The people of Ayodhya illuminated the kingdom

with

 

earthen diyas (oil lamps) and fireworks to celebrate the return of

their

 

king.

 

In rural areas of India, Diwali, which occurs at the end of a growing

season, signifies Harvest Festival. Harvests normally spelt

prosperity.

After reaping their harvest, farmers celebrated with joy and offered

praises to God for granting them a good crop.

 

At the time of the reign of Emperor Prithu, for example, there was a

worldwide famine. He ordered that all available cultivatable lands

be

ploughed. When the rains came, the land became very fertile and

grains

were

planted. The harvest provided food not only to feed all of India,

but

for

all civilisation at the time. This harvest was close to Diwali time

and

was

a good reason to celebrate Diwali with great joy and merriment by a

wider

community.

 

When Lord Krishna destroyed Narakasura on the day before Diwali, the

news of

it travelled very rapidly throught the land. It gave people who were

already in a joyful mood another reason for celebrating Diwali with

greater

pride and elaboration.

 

In the Adi Parva of the Mahabarata, the Pandavas returned from the

forest

during Diwali time. Once more, the celebrations extended beyond the

boundaries of India to wherever Hindus lived.