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Diwali: A Festival Of Homecoming And Togetherness
October 10, 2022
Diwali is a major festival in India that the whole nation comes together to celebrate with gusto. It is an experience that is magical and unforgettable. Diwali brings with it an energy that is highly infectious.
It is a happy occasion that brings together families and friends in celebration and creates beautiful moments of togetherness. It can be called the Christmas of Hindus. But to call it a Hindu festival would be doing it a disservice. The truth is that even non-Hindus love to celebrate this beautiful ‘Festival of Lights’! The Diwali festival is spread over 5 days, beginning with Dhanteras and ending with Bhai Dooj. On the 3rd day, people perform Pooja for Goddess Lakshmi, and this is the actual day of Diwali.
The Season of Togetherness
Just like Christmas brings together family and friends living in different parts of the world, Diwali, too, is a time to reunite with loved ones. It is the season of togetherness, joy, and a grand celebration of life. The festival weaves a magical spell of happiness around us, drawing us into its folds.
Diwali rituals bring the entire family together, whether it’s cleaning the house, decorating it, making sweets, shopping for clothes and gifts, etc. It is a family enterprise in all aspects.
As each Diwali comes and goes, it brings new experiences and leaves us with new memories of joy and togetherness. This is what Diwali is all about. Beautiful and unforgettable moments spent with family, friends, and the community.
The Story of Diwali
As per mythology, Diwali was celebrated on a new moon day. It was a dark night, and it was on this dark night that Lord Rama, his wife, Sita, and brother, Lakshman returned to Ayodhya after a 14-year-long exile during which they suffered many vicissitudes and even fought a bloody battle to rescue Sita from the demon, Ravana. Rama defeated Ravana on the final day of Navratri (Dusshera), and they traveled for 20 days to reach Ayodhya after the victory. Due to the new moon, Ayodhya was blanketed in darkness.
Having got news of Ram’s arrival, people had lit lamps all along the trio’s route so that they could find their way easily in the darkness. All of Ayodhya city was also illuminated with earthen lamps in a warm gesture of welcome to Rama, who had been gone for 14 long years. It was as if the darkness that had enveloped the kingdom after Rama’s departure had finally been banished, and light had made its triumphant re-entry into the kingdom.
Thus, Diwali is the occasion for Rama’s reunion with his extended family, friends, and beloved subjects.
It is also the time when Indians who are studying and working in different parts of the country or the world are reunited with their families. Diwali is meant to be celebrated with your loved ones.
There is so much to enjoy – feasting on homemade laddoos and kaju barfis, playing teen patti in the evenings, and lighting firecrackers well past midnight.
While it is true that Diwali is a time for bonding, celebrating, and enjoyment, it is also a time for introspection. There is a spiritual significance to this festival that reminds us of awakening to the light within us. It is this inner light that lights up our path to God by revealing the dangers and pitfalls on the way.
By going inward and lighting the lamps of knowledge and truth within our hearts and minds, we can banish the powers that represent darkness and ignorance within us. This will enable our virtues to shine forth. Goddess Lakshmi represents not just material wealth but also spiritual treasures. During Diwali, we worship her to gain spiritual wealth, which includes compassion, forgiveness, and loving-kindness.
Diwali is, therefore, a time to reflect on our thoughts, words, and actions and acknowledge our negative qualities and bad habits so that we can destroy them and transform ourselves. All wealth, material or spiritual, is meant to be shared with others who lack them. So, Diwali is also a time to shine our light on others.
Diwali 2022 begins on October 22 (Dhanteras) and ends on Oct 27 (Bhai Dooj). On Oct 24, people perform Lakshmi Pooja, which is the most auspicious day of the festival. This day is Diwali.
In Chennai, Diwali Pooja 2022 muhurat is from 7.05 pm to 8.12 pm on Oct 24, Monday.
