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NATRAJA MEDIA
History and Origin of Diwali
DIWALI 2023
During the festivities, people clean their homes and decorate their houses with lights, lamps, diyas, flowers, rangoli, and candles. People perform Lakshmi Puja to appease Goddess Lakshmi, who is the Goddess of wealth, and seek her blessings.
History and Origin of Diwali:
Tale of the Ramayana
Historically, Diwali can be traced back to ancient In- The most popular tale associated with Diwali is the dia. It is most likely a festival of lights which began as return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya following his 14 years an important harvest festival that stretches back more of exile and after defeating the demon king Ravana. than 2,500 years. However, various legends are asso- During this exile, the wicked king Ravana of Lanka abciated with the origin of Diwali. Many of these stories ducted Sita. After a lot of hurdles and a lengthy quest, are about the triumph of good over evil. Lord Rama finally vanquished Lanka and saved Sita. In joyous celebration of this victory and the return of Goddess Kali and her story: King Rama, the people of Ayodhya rejoiced by illumiIn some parts of India, especially in Bengal, the festi- nating the kingdom with earthen diyas, distributing val is dedicated to the worship of Maa Kali, the dark sweets and by setting off firecrackers, a tradition still goddess of strength and is celebrated with much fun followed by myriad people who celebrate the festival. and fervour. It is said that Goddess Kali took birth to save the earth and heaven from the hands of the cruel demons. But surprisingly, after killing the demons, Goddess Kali lost control over her wrath and started slaughtering everyone who came her way. Lord Shiva, therefore, had to intervene to stop her from the killing spree. This is the very moment when she steps on Lord Shiva with her red tongue out and ultimately stops her violent activity in horror and remorse.
The Significance of Diwali: Every ritual of the Diwali festival has a significance and a story behind them. Diwali symbolises the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. The lights of Diwali signify a time to destroy all our dark desires and thoughts, eradicated dark shadows and evils and gives us the strength and the zeal to carry on with our goodwill for the rest of the year.
Tale of Goddess Lakshmi: Most of the Hindu people worship Goddess Lakshmi on Diwali, considering her as a goddess of prosperity and wealth. The day is marked as the birthday of this deity which was the New Moon day of the Karthik month. Utterly impressed by the serene beauty of Lakshmi, Lord Vishnu decided to marry her and, therefore, the diyas were illuminated in a row to mark this occasion. Since then Diwali is celebrated to worship Goddess Lakshmi and seek her blessings.
Diwali is a celebration that unites people from every nook and corner of the country irrespective of religion and caste. It is a time when people embrace one another with joy and laughter. The festival is celebrated with an air of friendliness and holds an aura of purity. Article from www.pragativadi.com
While the story varies from region to region, its essence of Diwali remains the same - Diwali is celebrated with worship.
