Diwali (Deepavali) is the largest celebrated festival in India but, it is celebrated across Indian geography, by the communities, for different reasons.
North India celebrates is as the day of arrival of Rama back at Ayodhya, after defeating Ravana.
Western India celebrates Diwali in deference to Lord Vishnu sending the demon King Bali to nether world.
South India is Celebrating it for Lord Krishna defeating the demon, Narakasura on this day.
To the Buddhists, it is a celebration as the day of return of Gautam Buddha to Kapilavastu after 18 years of leaving it.
The Sikhs celebrates Diwali in honour of the release of their sixth guru Hargobind-ji from imprisonment
The Jains mark Diwali as the nirvana day of Lord Mahavira
The diversity called India finds its unity in this festival, though celebrated for different reasons!
In the north, where festivities are the highest, it is a 5 day affair.
Day 1. Home is cleaned so that good fortune can come in without hesitation.
Day 2. Dhanteras, clay lamps are lit & rangoli is put on the floor, auspicious day for procuring gold and ornaments.
Day 3. Lakshmi Puja, feast and fireworks
Day 4. Visit friends and relatives and giving gifts
Day 5. Bhai Dooj, brothers visit their married sisters and are given lavish meal
Whatever be the myth behind, Diwali is looked forward to by the Indians every year, year after year. The getting together of families, of giving & receiving gifts, of celebrating colourfully with firecrackers, and happy times across communities and forgetting the difficulties of the time being, are the elements in this festival.
Diwali is indeed bad times for owls in India. Owl is Goddess Lakshmi’s vehicle (‘vaahan’) and if it is killed, people think that Lakshmi will not be able to move out of their homes and stay put, to their happiness. Due to this superstition, lot of owls are sacrificed during Diwali. Though banned by law, illegally it still happens in deep rural north India where thousands of owls are butchered on these days.
Notwithstanding this negativity, in this festival season, here is wishing everyone, all the happiness that you can get!
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