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SIGNIFICANCE OF DEEPAWALI
Deepawali festival is a 5 day Hindu festival which occurs on the fifteenth day of Kartika.
Deepawali when translated means “rows of lighted lamps” and the occasion is also referred
to as the Festival of Lights. During Deepawali, homes are cleaned and windows are opened
to welcome Shree Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth & Prosperity. Lamps, lights and candles
are lit as a greeting to Goddess Lakshmi. Gifts are exchanged and sweets, festive meals
are prepared during Deepawali. Because there are many beliefs and regions in India, there
are myriad manifestations of the Deepawali festival. In some places, the festival begins
with Dhanteras, a day set aside to worship Shree Lakshmi. In Hindu Dharma, wealth is not
viewed as a corruptive power. Instead, a wealthy person is considered to have been
rewarded for good deeds of a past life, i.e. karma. On the second day of the festival,
Shree Kali, the Goddess of Strength, is worshipped. On the third day (the last day of the
year in the lunar calendar), lamps are lit to brighten the homes. The lamp symbolises
knowledge. The fourth day of Deepawali falls on the first day of the lunar New Year. At
this time, old business accounts are settled and new books are opened. The books are
worshiped in a special ceremony by Hindu Purohit and participants are encouraged to
remove anger, hate, and jealousy from their lives. On the last day (Balipratipada) of the
festival, Bali, an ancient Hindu king, is recalled and remembered. He is remembered for
being a generous and kind person. Hence, the significance of this day is to see the good in
others, including enemies.
The Jains celebrate Deepawali as a New Year’s Day. Lord Mahavir, the founder of
Jainism, attained his Nirvana on the day of Deepawali.
Sikhs celebrate Deepawali to express joy at the return of the sixth Guru Hargobind Dev
Maharaj Ji to Amritsar in 1620; Emperor Jahangir had imprisoned him along with 52 Hindu
kings. The Guru was granted freedom but refused to leave until the kings were also
released.
Deepawali is the most dynamically celebrated festival by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and
Buddhists in India and the world. People of different nationalities, races, religions and
backgrounds come together to share their joys generating a feeling of universal
brotherhood and inter-religious harmony.
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Wish every one very happy Diwali.