0 Diwali | Deepavali | Lakshmi Puja

Diwali, or Dipawali, is India's biggest and most popular and important holiday of the year.

Diwali is celebrated by young and old, rich and poor, throughout the country to dispel darkness and light up their lives. The festival symbolizes unity in diversity as every state celebrates it in its own special way. 

The celebration involves cooking, meeting friends and relatives, taking blessings, performing pujas, buying mettalic objects, gifting, lighting up houses with diyas or decorative lights, decoration of homes, and, definitely, bursting of fire crackers.

Hence the Diwali is also called the "Festival of Lights". Diwali is the name for the festival in North-India. In South-India the festival is called "Deepavali".

About Diwali

The date of Diwali falls in either in October or November each year, depending on the cycle of the moon.

Over the centuries, Diwali has become a national festival that is enjoyed by most Indians regardless of faith: Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs.

The festival actually runs for five days, beginning with Dhanteras, although the main celebrations happen on the third day.

There have been so many important legends associated with the occasion of Diwali that five days have been accredited for the celebration of Diwali in India with each day holding importance of its own.

The following the festival actually runs for five days, beginning with Dhanteras, although the main celebrations happen on the third day.

• Dhanteras
• Choti Diwali
• Diwali
• Padwa
• Bhaiya-Dooj

Dhanteras / Dhantrayodashi / Dhanwantari Triodasi / Dhan Teyras

The first day of Diwali is known by the name of Dhanteras or Dhantryaodashi, which falls on the thirteenth day of the month of Ashwin. The word 'Dhan' signifies wealth and hence this day holds utmost importance for the business houses and for the rich people's community.

On these days Dhanteras people pray to Goddess Laxmi for prosperity and wealth.

Choti Diwali / Kali Chaudas / Narak Chaturdashi

The second day of celebration of Diwali in India is also known as of 'Choti Diwali' or 'Naraka Chaturdashi' or 'Kali Chaudas' and is celebrated with the same fervor and enthusiasm as the main day of Diwali.

According to the legend, Lord Kirshna killed the evil daemon Narakasura on this day. People worship Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Rama.

people decorate their homes with clay lamps or diyas and create design patterns called rangoli on the floor using colored powders or sand.

Diwali / Deepavali / Baddi Diwali / Diwali Mela / Lakshmi Puja

The third day is the actual day of Diwali. Many devotees visit their Temples for worshipping Lakshmi, Goddess of beauty, wealth and wisdom with Laxmi Poojas and also pray to Ganesh, the 'Lord of Beginnings' and 'Remover of Obstacles'. 

When Aarti is performed, oil lamps with a cotton wick are placed on a Puja Thali and offered to the deities, praising the deity by singing wonderful Aarti songs. At night people light up little oil lamps called Diyas, Dipa Lights or Ghee Lamps and place them around their houses. They hang colorful lanterns and fairy lights, enjoying firework displays or blasting firecrackers.

This is the main day of the festival when families gather together for Lakshmi puja, a prayer to Goddess Lakshmi followed by mouth-watering feasts and firework festivities.

Padwa  / Gudi Padwa / Govardhan Puja / Annakoot / Pratipat

The Fourth day is also called Padwa or Varsha Pratipada that marks the coronation of King Vikramaditya and the starting of the Vikaram-Samvat. Govardhan-Puja is also performed in the North on this day. As per Vishnu-Puran, the people of Gokul used to celebrate a festival in honor of Lord Indra and worshipped him after the end of every monsoon season.

This is the first day of the New Year when friends and relatives visit with gifts and best wishes for the season.

Bhaiya-Dooj / Yama Dwitiya / Bhai Duj // Bhai Beej

Finally the fifths and last day of Diwali is called 'Bhaiduj' ('Bhai Dooj') also known as 'Yama Dwitiya'.

This day is observed as a symbol of love between sisters and brothers. It is believed that on this day Yamraj -the god of death visited his sister Yami and she put the auspicious tilak on his forehead, they ate, talked and enjoyed together and exchanged special gifts as a token of their love for each other and Yamraj announced that anyone who receives tilak from his sister on this day will be blessed.

On the last day of Diwali, brothers go to his sister’s house who welcomes them with love and a lavish meal.