Diwali, or Dipawali, is the festival of lights and India’s biggest and most important holiday of the year. The word Diwali is derived from the word Dipawali which means – a row of lights. It is one of the most awaited and the most celebrated festivals of India. This festival is symbol of the victory of light over darkness. This festival lasts for around five days and starts from the thirteenth day of the dark half of the lunar month to the second day of the light half of the lunar month Karthika.
During the festivals, it is found that the houses are well decorated with flowers, lights, candles, and diyas(traditional earthware diyas filed with oil). Colorful rangolis(designs made on floor with sand or rice or flower petals) are found in front of every house on the floors which create a festive environment. Also, all the doors and windows are kept open during the festival which resemble the belief of Goddess Lakshmi entering the houses.
People from different places in India celebrate Diwali in a different way. In North-India, it is celebrated in the joy of the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya city after defeating the 10-headed demon king Ravana. In South-India, the victory of Lord Krishna over the demon king Narakasura is celebrated by lighting up candles or diyas in a row. In some other places, Diwali is considered as a celebration of the marriage of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Laksmi.
Now let’s know more about the festivals and its five day celebration in detail.
First Day - Dhanteras
On the first day of Diwali, everyone stays busy with the cleaning of house and decorating it. On this day, people buy gold as it is believed that buying items of gold on Dhanteras brings fortune to the house.
Second Day - Naraka Chaturdashi or Choti Diwali
On this day, everyone celebrates the victory if light over dark, like Krishna’s destruction of Narakasura. People also offer their prayers for the souls of their ancestors.
Third Day - Lakshmi Puja
On the day of Lakshmi Puja, everyone from the family seek blessings from Goddess Lakshmi to ensure their prosperity. This is the main day of Diwali and it is on this day, when people light diyas, candles, and visit temples. In the modern era, Diwali is celebrated with fireworks, however considering the phenomenon of global warming, all of us must go towards a eco-friendly way od celebrating the festival.
Fourth Day - Goverdhan Puja
On the fourth day of Diwali, known as Balipratipada, or Annakut, we celebrate the Lord Krishna’s defeat of Indra, the king of the gods. This is also the start of the new year in the Vikrama or Hindu calendar and the first day of Karthika.
Fifth Day - Bhai Dooj
On this day of Bhai Dooj, we celebrate the most beautiful and powerful bond between brothers and sisters. On that day sisters pray for the victory and well-being of their brothers.
On a whole, Diwali is a time for celebrating, visiting, exchanging gifts, wearing new clothes, feasting, feeding the poor, and setting off diyas or lights.
We at Mulam aim at connecting everyone back to their roots by providing organic products and bringing out the essence of our festivals.
We also host a weekly farmers market, follow us on Instagram to know the details and the locations of our markets.
