October Festivals

Diwali

This is one of the oldest Hindu festivals occurring in the month of Kartik, which commemorates the return of Rama to Ayodhya after an exile of 14 years. It also marks the beginning of the New Year and is celebrated with the lighting of lamps.

Diwali an ‘array of lamps’ is the festival of lights and is celebrated on the darkest night of Kartik. It is also perhaps the oldest festival still celebrated today and is mentioned in the Ramayana.

The celebrations include the lighting of lamps and candles and the bursting of crackers. Friends and neighbours exchange special sweets. People buy new clothes and in fact, in certain communities, it is absolutely essential to wear new clothes on this day.

It marks the beginning of the New Year for a large majority of Hindus, especially the trader community. Preparations for the festival begin many days in advance. It is time for a thorough cleaning of the house, for the belief that Goddess Lakshmi will enter clean and nicely decorated houses. The scientific reason is that the monsoon is a time for insects and fungus to breed. With the end of monsoon, homes need to be cleaned and painted and belongings are aired and dried before the onset of winters.

In Bihar and northern India, two days before Diwali is celebrated as Dhanteras in honour of Dhanvantri, the physicians of Gods. He is believed to have emerged with a pot of amrita during the samudra manthan. People bathe early in the morning and observe a fast, which is broken only after sunset with sweetmeats, puri and other delicacies. On Dhanteras new kitchen utensils are bought and kept at the place of worship. The buying of utensils, according to one theory, relates to the myth of Dhanvantri emerging from the ocean with a pot in his hand. Since, he is also the physician of Gods cleanliness and hygiene are essential to this festival.

On this occasion, rangoli is made on the doorway and the courtyard. Tiny footprints made out of rice paste are a special feature of the rangolis on Diwali. They signify the footprints of Lakshmi, as she enters the house. In the evening, people offer puja to Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Rama. Song are sung in the honour of Gods and aarti is performed. The Gods are offered kheel, batashe and khilone and various sweetmeats. After the puja, the diyas are placed in and around the house, in the doorway, near the tulasi plant, the backyard, every room and the back and front gates. Oil, ghee diyas, electric lightings are used decorate homes. After this crackers are burst and people meet and exchange good wishes and sweets. Since Diwali falls on the new moon night, lamps are lit to brighten this moonless night.

Myth I

It is believed that Goddess Lakshmi will not enter a dark house. The lamps also welcome home the spirits of dead ancestors, who are believed to visit on this auspicious night. In addition, the light frightens away any evil spirit that might be wandering about near the house on this night. In Orissa, lamps are lit to light up the dark path that the spirits of ancestors take back to heaven.

Myth II

Origin of Diwali is traced back to ancient India, when it was probably an important harvesting season. It was thus extremely important to the largely pastoral Vaishya community. Their granaries were full and the weather god was favourable, at the end of the long monsoon and before an arduous winter. It was therefore a good time to celebrate. The Vaishya community thus began its new year with this festival after paying their debts and clearing their ledgers.

Myth III

According to the most popular one, Diwali is celebrated in honour of Rama, his consort Sita and brother Lakshmana returning to their kingdom Ayodhya after a 14-month exile. To celebrate this event, people in Ayodhya are believed to have lit up their houses with lamps. The illuminations also symbolise the removal of spiritual darkness and the onset of happiness and prosperity.

Myth IV

According to another myth, it is on this day Goddess Lakshmi emerged from the ocean during the samudra manthan. Lakshmi Puja commemorates her birth and therefore forms a major part of the Diwali celebrations.

This day, with its emphasis on money, is also considered lucky for gambling. Casinos and local gambling do brisk business during the Diwali week. In most homes, people invite their friends and relatives over to play cards.

Myth V

It is also believed that on this day evil Narakasur at the hands of Krishna. Naraka is believed to have abducted 16,000 women. Krishna killed him and rescued these women whom he later married. Naraka is the personification of hell and is believed to be monsoon during which all activities comes to a standstill.

Both in north and south India, Diwali is celebrated differently.

Myth VI

Another folktale mentions that Hiranyaksipu was an evil demon king. He was an unjust and cruel. However, he was invincible after extracting a boon from Brahma that he will neither be killed by a beast or a man, neither inside nor outside, neither during day nor at night. When his atrocities became unbearable, the God’s sought Vishnu’s help. Assuming his fifth incarnation of Narasimha, a man-lion an incarnation Vishnu killed Hiranyaksipu with his claws in the courtyard just before day break, hence steering clear of the boundaries of the boon.

For this reason, people in South lite diyas in their houses on the day preceding Diwali. The next day begins very early. First is the ritual bath which begins an oil massage of the hair and body. This is absolutely essential on this day. Its importance probably refers to cleaning oneself thoroughly after the monsoons. After bath, people receive new clothes and gifts from their elders. The family then prays to Vishnu for its well-being and prosperity. After the prayers, bursting of crackers and lighting of candles and diyas.

Govardhan Puja

The fourth day of Diwali celebrations, Padwa or Varshapratipada which marks the coronation of King Vikramaditya and Vikaram Samvat was started from this Padwa day.

Govardhan Puja is performed in the North on this day. As per Vishnu Puram the people of Gokul used to celebrate a festival in honour of Lord Indira and worshipped him after the end of every monsoon season but one particular year the young Krishna stopped them from offering prayers to Lord Indra who in terrific anger sent a deluge to submerge Gokul. But Krishna saved his Gokul by lifting up the Govardhan mountain and holding it over the people as an umbrella. The offering of food to God on this day of Diwali is a reminder to Hindus of the importance of food and it is a time for being thankful to God for the bounty of nature.

Govardhan is a small hillock in Braj, near Mathura and on this day of Diwali people of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar build cowdung hillocks and decorate them with flowers and worship them.

This day is also observed as Anakoot meaning mountain of food. In temples specially in Mathura and Nathadwara, the deities are given milkbath, dressed in shining attires with ornaments of dazzling diamonds, pearls, rubies and other precious stones. After the prayers and traditional worship innumerable varieties of delicious sweets are ceremoniously raised in the form of a mountain before the deities as “Bhog” and then the devotees approach the Mountain of Food and take Prasad from it.

Dhan Teras

Dhan Teras or Dhantrayodashi falls on the thirteenth day of the dark fortnight in the month of Kartik (October-November), i.e. two days before Diwali. The word "Dhan" means wealth. God Yama is worshipped on this day to provide prosperity and well being.

Dhanteras is regarded as an auspicious occasion to buy some gold or silver articles. Many people shop for new utensils for their household.

Dhanteras festival is ideal time for setting up businesses, commencing new projects, housewarming, deciding wedding dates, buying cars and jewellery.

Today, exchange of Dhanteras gifts is extremely popular. Special gifts for Dhanteras flood the markets.

Legends:

According to legend, when the gods and demons churned the ocean for Amrut or nectar, Dhanavantri(the physician of the gods and an incarnation of Vishnu) emerged carrying a jar of the elixir. Both the Asuras and the Devas wanted the ambrosia, but finally Vishnu with a slight of hand managed to give the immortal nectar to the Gods and the Asuras where defeated. Thus the churning of the ocean resulted in the immortality of the Devas and was the reason for Lakshmi's emergence.

Another Legend :

A very interesting story about this day is of the sixteen year old son of King Hima. As per his horoscope he was doomed to die by a snake-bite on the fourth day of his marriage.

On that particular fourth day of his marriage his young wife did not allow him to sleep. She laid all the ornaments and lots of gold and silver coins in a big heap at the entrance of her husband's boudoir and lighted innumerable lamps all over the place. And she went on telling stories and singing songs.

When Yam, the god of Death arrived there in the guise of a Serpent his eyes got blinded by that dazzle of those brilliant lights and he could not enter the Prince's chamber. So he climbed on top of the heap of the ornaments and coins and sat there whole night listening to the melodious songs. In the morning he quietly went away.

Thus the young wife saved her husband from the clutches of death. Since then this day of Dhanteras came to be known as the day of "Yamadeepaan" and lamps are kept burning throughout the night in reverential adoration to Yam, the God of Death.