O U R S E R V I C E S

DIWALI

Article authored by Angela Nilsson

"DIWALI (Deepavali) is the most important of all Indian festivals and is celebrated throughout India as well as in many countries around the world for five days.

The festival is mainly associated with lights and is a celebration of life and awareness of the "inner light". It symbolizes the victory of good over evil and light over darkness.

This year, Hindus, Sikhs and Jains will celebrate DIWALI, (traditionally known by its Sanskrit name "Deepavali") on October 17th. Diwali is also known as the "Festival of Lights" and is lasting five days, starting with the first Diwali day on October 15th.

The festival is also celebrated by Buddhists in Nepal, particularly the Newar Buddhists, where it is called "Tihar" and "Swanti".

Today, Diwali is by far the most important and glamorous festival for Hindus and very significant also in Sikhism and Jainism.

Diwali is celebrated in various parts of the world, in countries such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Suriname, Canada, Guyana, Mauritius, Fiji, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Australia, much of Africa, the United States and many other places.

Diwali takes place at the new moon, on the 15th day of the Hindu month of Kartik or Karthika ("Ashwin"). This is at the beginning of the winter season and is called the "darkest night of the year", so lamps are lit to brighten this moonless night. The date of Diwali comes about 20 days after the festival of Dussehra or Vijayadashmi.

The Hindu calendar is a lunar calendar, with most years consisting of 12 lunar cycles and an extra month inserted approximately every seven years to resynchronize the calendar with the seasons.

On the Hindu calendar, Diwali is celebrated for five days from the 13th day of the dark half of the lunar month "Ashwin" to the second day of the light half of "Karttika".

On the Gregorian (western) calendar, Diwali falls in the months of October or November, and always on a new moon day. Since the precise moment of the new moon falls on different Gregorian dates depending on geographical location, the date of Diwali can also depend on one’s location.

Diwali festival is the special Hindu festival that unites whole India. It is a time to exchange sweets and gifts with friends, relatives and neighbours and a time of cheerfulness and togetherness.

The business community celebrates the festival by exchanging gifts like corporate gift hampers, gift baskets, designer gift boxes, pen sets, diaries, watches, perfumes, mobiles, and the like.

THE FIVE DIWALI DAYS:

Traditionally Diwali is celebrated for five days in many parts of India, each day having its own significance, rituals and myths.

These days are:

Day 1: - DHANTERAS

Day 2: - NARAKA CHADURDASHI ("Choti Diwali" or "Amavasya")

Day 3: - DIWALI (Deepavali or "Lakshmi Puja")

Day 4: - GVARDHANA PUJA (or "Padwa")

Day 5: - BHAI DOOJ

On DHANTERAS, which actually means the thirteenth day of the lunar month, people purchase utensils and gold as it is considered an auspicious occasion.

On NARAKA CHADURDASH or "Amavasya" I, people commemorate the slaying of the demon Narakasura as it was the 14th day on which the demon was killed.

On LAXMI PUJA (Diwali), people worship Goddess Laxmi, which is considered the Goddess of wealth and
prosperity.

GOVARDHAN PUJA is the worship of Lord Krishna, which is celebrated as the day on which Lord Krishna obtained victory over Lord Indra.

ANNAKUT (or "Gujarat"), the day after Diwali, is New Year’s Day for North Indians.

On BHAI DOOJ, sisters meet brothers and vice versa and exchange presents and sweets to express their fondness and affection for each other.

In some Indian regions the rituals of Diwali start two days before "Dhanteras":

ORIGINS:

According to one theory, Diwali may have originated as a harvest festival, marking the last harvest of the year before winter. In an agrarian society this results in businessmen closing accounts, and beginning a new accounting year.

The deity of wealth in Hinduism, goddess LAKSHMI is therefore thanked on this day and everyone prays for a good year ahead. This is the common factor in Diwali celebrations all over the Indian subcontinent.

"Hindu Vikram New Year" is the first day of the financial New Year in NORTH INDIA and New Year Day in GUJARAT.

Diwali unites people from different religious backgrounds by being a festival of joy and fun.

It is celebrated with great enthusiasm not only in India, but in all above listed countries by Indian/Hindu communties, Seikhs, Jaims, some Buddhists and many people of other religions do join the festival celebrations.

It is this special beyond faith atmosphere and mind-set, that makes Diwali so unique.

I wish all our Indian group members, Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, there families and friends and everybody who celebrates it wherever it might be in the world