General Category

Introduction

India, the land of various cultures and traditions is a land of festivals and celebrations. It is a land of festivity where Diwali festival is one of the most favorable & grand Occasions which is celebrated with great zeal & warmth among all races and religions. Diwali is also called as Deepavali that means a line of lamps. Being the festival of lights, Deepavali in India is a holy tradition and it symbolizes the victory of light over darkness; darkness refers to unawareness and light refers to knowledge. It is a chief Hindu festival honoring Maa Lakshmi “the goddess of wealth. Celebrated joyously all over India, it is a festival of wealth and prosperity.

Meaning of Diwali or Deepavali

‘Diwali’, also called Deepavali or festival of lights, is the concept of the Sanskrit word Deepavali – ‘Deep’ means diya (small pots made from clay) or light and ‘Avali’, means a row – denotation a row of diyas or array of lamps. Thus placing small diyas, candles & lamps inside and around the home marks the festival of lights.

Significance

Diwali also celebrates the return of Rama, King of Ayodhya, with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana to Ayodhya after a 14 year expel, and a war in which he killed Ravana. It is believed that the people of Ayodhya lit ghee lamps along the way to light their path in the darkness. Since Ram traveled from South India to his kingdom in North India, he approved through the south earlier. This is the reason why the festival is celebrated a day earlier in South India.

While Diwali is usually known as the “festival of lights”, the most important spiritual meaning is “the awareness of the inner light”.

Diwali has a very special importance in Jainism, just like Buddha Purnima, the date of Buddha’s Nirvana, is for Buddhists as Christmas is for Christians. Lord Mahavira, the last of the JainTirthankaras, attained Nirvana or Moksha on this day at Pavapuri on Oct. 15, 527 BC, on Chaturdashi of Kartika, as Tilyapannatti ofYativrashaba from the sixth century states:

Mahavira is answerable for establishing the Dharma followed by Jains even today. According to tradition, the leader disciple of Mahavira, Ganadhara Gautam Swami also attained complete knowledge (Kevalgyana) on this day, thus creating Diwali one of the most significant Jain festivals.

How Diwali Festival is Celebrated

The glorious five days long delight of Diwali celebrations is marked by multi-colored Rangoli designs, special pooja ceremonies, and lines of lamps, floral decorations fireworks, and exchange of sweets and gifts that lends grandeur to the occasions. Every home – lowly or mighty – the hut of the poor or the mansion of the rich – shines with the glow of twinkling diyas or candles to welcome Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth and prosperity.

Check our Creative logo & Diwali Greeting realistically designed by our designers with all feelings and esteem for the festival in heart and in our logo. Creative is celebrating Diwali by having a holiday from work.

Introduction:

Dussehra is a very famous Hindu festival, which marks the overcome of Ravana by Lord Rama. Dussehra also represents the triumph of warrior Goddess Durga over the buffalo demon, Mahishasura.

The festival of Dussehra is an important celebration in many parts of the country. It is celebrated with great fanfare in most parts of North India, Mysore and in the form of Durga Puja in West Bengal.

Importance of Dussehra:

All that is good in mankind is intense in the deeds of the god-king Ram, the ruler of Ayodhya. Lord Rama, the moral man with his moral way of life is the reasons for celebrating India’s famous festival of Dussehra and Diwali. Diwali comes exactly 20 days after Dussehra on Amavas (new moon), during fortnight of kartik, some time in October or November.

On the day of Dussehra, Ram, killed the great devil Ravan, who had abducted Ram’s wife Sita to his kingdom of Lanka. Ram, along with his brother Lakshman and dedicated follower Hanuman, and an army of monkeys fought a great battle to free his lovely wife Sita. The war against Ravan lasted for ten days. Sita had been returned to her husband Ram and they now create their way to Ayodhya in triumph and glory. Thus, it is on the Diwali day that Lord Ram, the personification of Lord Vishnu in the Treta Yug, returned to his capital Ayodhya after the exile of fourteen years.

Therefore, to commemorate the return of Ram, Sita and Lakshman to Ayodhya, people have fun Diwali with the bursting of crackers and by lighting up their houses with earthen diyas. This grand style of celebration has continued, year after year. To this day, the whole of Ramayana is enacted in dramas staged in huge pandals and maidans, in cities, towns and villages, on the occasion of Dussehra and Diwali.

Rituals:

Worship of the Goddess is the oldest tradition, telling the female deity’s superiority over the male Gods who are unable to tear down the demon.

The worship of Durga Mata has also social implications. As Goddess of war, she is a particularly favorite of the Kshatriyas, the warrior caste, once constituting the ruling leaders and aristocracy.

Celebration:

Dussehra is regarded one of the most significant and important Hindu festivals, celebrated across the nation with much dedication and cheerfulness. The festival marks the victory of Lord Ram over demon king Ravana, which means the victory of good over evil, light over darkness. Beautifully decorated tableaux and processions depicting a variety of episodes from Ram’s life are taken out on the streets. The tenth day or the Vijayadasami is measured to a very significant day. Effigies of Ravana, his brother Kumbhkarna and son Meghnad are burnt in open spaces. Actors dressed as Ram, his wife Sita and brother Lakshman arrive and shoot arrows of fire at these effigies, which are swollen with firecrackers. As a part of the celebration Ram Lila (drama depicting the episodes from the lives of Ram, Sita and Lakshman) are dramatic in unlike regions of the country. It is famous in different manner across the country. Besides Bengal and Central India, Dussehra Parva is celebrated in other Indian states with equal zeal and enthusiasm though with regional differences.