History and Origin of Diwali

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 India. It is most likely a festival of lights which began as an important harvest festival that stretches back more than 2,500 years. However, various legends are associated with the origin of Diwali. Many of these stories are about the triumph of good over evil.

Goddess Kali and her story:

In some parts of India, especially in Bengal, the festival is dedicated to the worship of Maa Kali, the dark goddess of strength and is celebrated with much fun 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.

The most popular tale associated with Diwali is the return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya following his 14 years of exile and after defeating the demon king Ravana. During this exile, the wicked king Ravana of Lanka abducted Sita. After a lot of hurdles and a lengthy quest, Lord Rama finally vanquished Lanka and saved Sita. In joyous celebration of this victory and the return of King Rama, the people of Ayodhya rejoiced by illuminating the kingdom with earthen diyas, distributing sweets and by setting off firecrackers, a tradition still followed by myriad people who celebrate the festival.

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.