Diwali
Diwali, also known as Dipawali or Deepavali, is a five-day Hindu festival of lights.
Diwali, also known as Dipawali or Deepavali, is a five-day Hindu festival of lights.
Renee Harleston
Reviewer URLNames: Diwali, Divali, Deepavali
Pronunciation: duh-VA-lee
Diwali is a five-day Hindu festival of lights.
Origin
In North India, Diwali celebrates the day Lord Rama returned home from exile after defeating Ravana, a demon king. In South India, Diwali also honors when Lord Krishna defeated demon Narakasura and freed his people. In a third story, the Goddess Lakshmi chose Lord Vishnu, the supreme god who creates, protects, and transforms the universe, as her husband on Diwali. In other cultures, Diwali overlaps with longtime harvest and new year celebrations.
When it is observed
Diwali begins during the month of Kartik in the Hindu lunar calendar—usually falling in October or November—and lasts five days.
Who observes this festival
Diwali is typically celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs and is considered the most important holiday in India. It is also celebrated by some Buddhists.
Traditions
During Diwali, people celebrate with feasts and light candles and fireworks. Many Hindus hope to invite the presence of the goddess Lakshmi by lighting diyas (traditional clay lamps) on the night of the new moon. Another tradition involves creating intricate patterns using colored powder, sand or rice on the floor of their homes, called rangolis.
Historical figures
About Lord Rama: Rama is the seventh incarnation of the Hindu deity Vishnu, a supreme god who creates, protects, and transforms the universe and all elements within it, and represents chivalry and virtue. Rama slayed the multi-headed demon king, Ravana. As a young adult, he won the hand of his wife, Sita (also called Janaki) by bending the giant bow of the deity Shiva. He not only bent it, he broke it. Rama was denied his birthright to be king, and was banished from his homeland for 14 years. During this time, Sita was kidnapped by Ravana, and after a number of mighty battles against numerous enemies, Rama prevailed—killing the demon king and rescuing his wife. He returned home to claim his throne.
About Lakshmi: Lakshmi is the goddess of good fortune and prosperity, said to have been born from the “primeval milky oceans,” which was churned by both gods and demons. Symbolically, she is often connected to the lotus, a flower with roots in the mud that rises high above—representing divinity and enlightenment. As the wife of Vishnu, the protector of the universe, it’s believed that she took different forms in order to be with the god in all his many incarnations.
About Krishna: Krishna was born the eighth child to his mother, Devaki, and was the eighth incarnation of the god Vishnu. He was the subject of a prophecy that foretold he would kill his mother’s brother, King Kansa, and because of that, his life was in danger even before he was born. However, his family protected him and he grew up to fulfill the prophecy. He killed many demons at a young age.