Come October, Hindus in India get ready to celebrate the Festival of Lights, Diwali, or Deepavali. Colorful lights come up everywhere, and busy shopping streets begin to resemble fairylands. People also illuminate their homes by lighting lanterns or diyas (earthen lamps) and fairy lights. Since India is home to many people who follow different faiths and speak different languages, each region celebrates Diwali in its own way with its unique rituals.
In north India, Diwali is the day
Lord Rama, his wife Sita, his brother Lakshman, and his loyal companion, Hanuman, returned to Ayodhya after killing the demon Ravana. On the night they returned, it was Amavasya or no moon, so people lit diyas to light up their way home. People enact this ritual on Diwali night even now.
But in South India, Hindus commemorate the Diwali festival as the day Lord Krishna slew the demon Narakasura. It is also believed to be the wedding day of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi.
Diwali traditions are very diverse in India. But the common thread is that it is a time to be joyous and have a great time.
How is
Diwali celebrated in India, which has diverse customs and traditions? Come, let us explore the Diwali rituals of different communities in India.
1. Worship of Goddess Kali (East India)
In most places, people worship Goddess Lakshmi on Diwali’s Amavasya Tithi. But in eastern India, especially states like West Bengal, Assam, and Odisha, people worship Goddess Kali on the new moon day in Kartik month by performing Kali Pooja. This Pooja is also called Shyama Pooja and is the second most popular festival after Durga Pooja in these parts.
Devotees perform the Pooja to seek the Goddess’ blessings for protection from evil forces, health, wealth, peace, and happiness. Devotees perform the rituals at night. Devotees offer the Goddess red hibiscus flowers during the Pooja, as she likes them the most. Other offerings include fish, sweets, rice, and lentils.
In West Bengal, the Agambagish, Kali’s most respected priests or tantriks, perform Pooja. They meditate in mortuaries as part of the Pooja. They sit in a circle and are surrounded by human skulls, which they themselves gather. They also smear them with their blood. Such rituals are common in rural areas of West Bengal, especially in places like Hoogly, Howrah, and Midnapore.
2. Celebrating Guru Nanak’s return (Punjab)
Sikhs relate Diwali to their fight for freedom. Emperor Jahangir imprisoned the 6th Sikh Guru or Nanak, Guru Hargobind, as he was afraid of the former’s growing popularity and influence. Bandi Chhor Diwas is the Sikh festival that commemorates Nanak’s release from the Gwalior fort. The day coincides with Diwali. Similar to Diwali, Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Diwas by lighting diyas in their homes as well as gurudwaras. They also burst crackers, exchange gifts, and indulge in feasting.
3. Hurling firecrackers at each other (Gujarat)
In Gujarat’s Panchmahal, people hurl blazing firecrackers at each other during Diwali. This unique Diwali ritual takes place in Vejalpur village in Panchmahal, and it is an age-old custom.
In some Gujarati households, the people leave a ghee lamp burning throughout the night. The soot that remains in the diyas is used the next morning to make kajal which the women apply to their eyes. They think that this is very auspicious and can bring prosperity.
For the tribal inhabitants who live in the two provinces in Gujarat’s Baruch and Narmada districts, Diwali has an association with good health. Here, it is a 15-day festival, and they burn herbal wood as part of the rituals. They believe that the smoke produced by this herbal wood can keep them healthy.
4. Govardhan Pooja (Madhya Pradesh)
On the day after Diwali, the Govardhan festival takes place in the village of Bidawad in Ujjain district. It also happens to be the day of Enadakshi. The villagers deck up their calves with flowers. Then they lie down on the ground so that the cows can stomp on them.
All the people in the village come together to witness this sight. They believe that this ritual will make the Gods answer their prayers.
5. Pathar Ka Mela (Himachal Pradesh)
This involves a stone-pelting ceremony, but it is devotional in nature. It takes place in Dhami, Himachal Pradesh. Those who get hit by the stones (Pathar) during the festivities are considered lucky. The ritual takes place after Diwali. Two groups meet and begin throwing stones at one another. The blood from the injured people is used to apply tilak to Goddess Kali’s idol in a nearby temple.
In the ancient days, human sacrifice was supposedly offered to Kali at Dhami. But a queen of the local princely state did not like the ritual and banned it. Instead of human sacrifice, people then began the stone pelting ritual as an alternative, and it still continues.
6. Marriage of crops (Chhattisgarh)
In Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region, tribal communities celebrate ‘Diwali’ as “Diyari.” The rituals are quite unique. The festival commences with a ceremonial marriage of crops. It takes place in the fields before an idol of Lord Narayana. After this, people stockpile the food grains. On the first day, those who own livestock in Bastar are offered alcohol. During the 3-day Diwali festival, the tribals decorate their cattle with flowers and bang drums. They also worship the crop as a symbol of Goddess Lakshmi.
The Sindhis, too, celebrate Diwali as “Diyari,” but in a different manner from the tribals of Bastar. They worship Lakshmi, and during the ceremony, they use raw milk to cleanse gold and silver coins. After the Pooja, they take the coins and tap them on their teeth softly, and sing, “Lakshmi aayi, danat vaai” (When Lakshmi comes, poverty leaves).
7. Summoning the forefathers (Odisha)
During Diwali, people in Odisha celebrate the festival of Kauriya Kathi. This is a ritual to honor the ancestors. As part of the ceremony, they burn jute stems to produce fire. This is a signal to summon the ancestors. Then they pray for the blessings of their ancestors, who dwell in heaven after their death on earth.
8. Lighting lamps for Lord Yama (Maharashtra)
Dhanteras is the first day of Diwali. Another name for it is Dhanatrayodashi. Usually, on this highly auspicious day, people worship Goddess Lakshmi and Ganesha and buy gold and silver. But in Maharashtra, women light lamps or diyas in the name of each male member of the family and wish them a long and prosperous life. Yamandeepdaan is the name of this ceremony. Specially kneaded flour diyas are burnt in honor of Yama, the Hindu god of death.
Folklore says that a young prince was destined to die 4 days after his marriage. But his wife kept him awake on that day by lighting lamps at their door. Yama, in the form of a snake, tried to enter the prince’s room. But he felt sorry for the young wife who had lit the diyas to seek his mercy. So the day came to be known as Yamandeepdaan. People keep a diya burning all through the night to honor Yama even now.
One of the scheduled tribes in Maharashtra’s forest areas is Thakar. For their Diwali celebration, they make lamps from the dried pieces of chibra, a fruit. They use cow dung to set the lamps and worship grain which is kept in a cane basket as Goddess Lakshmi. They also perform a folk dance to the rhythm of dhol beats.
9. Burning Narkasur’s effigy (Goa)
In Goa, people celebrate Narakasur Chaturdashi during Diwali. Narakasur was the ruler of Goa, says mythology. He was evil, pompous, and had supernatural abilities. Lord Krishna supposedly killed him just before dawn.
The locals make effigies of Narakasur using discarded paper, grass, etc., and load them with firecrackers. After parading the effigies in the streets of Goa, they burn them on the eve of Diwali. This signifies the end of an era of darkness and evil. 10. Offering food around paddy fields (Karnataka)
On the 1st day of Diwali, Kannadigas take an oil bath. It is said that Krishna took an oil bath after killing Narakasura to cleanse his body of bloodstains. Devotees also rub coconut oil on their bodies to remove their sins.
10. Offering food around paddy fields (Karnataka)
In coastal Karnataka, Diwali is an occasion to honor King Bali. The ceremony is Balipadyami. It is an important day for farmers who offer food around their paddy fields during the ritual.
Some people gamble on Balipadyami, as Shiva and Parvati supposedly played dice on this day. Parvati defeated Shiva, while Muruga won a dice game against Parvati. Then Ganesha defeated Muruga in a game. So, the entire family gambles with gusto on this day.
Diwali 2022 begins with Dhanteras on October 22 and ends with Bhai Dooj on Oct 27. Lakshmi Pooja, the most auspicious day of the 5-day festival, is celebrated as Diwali on Oct 24.
Diwali Pooja muhurat on Oct 24 (Monday) will be from 7.05 pm to 8.12 pm in Chennai.
On October 11, 2022