Diwali: An overview of the festival of lights

As I write this, Delhi is filled with people gearing up for the celebration
of Diwali. The festival of lights as we know it. Each year during the
months of October and November we are again met with this
hypnotising aroma of the Saptparni or the Shaitan Tree, filled in the air
along with the sign of the weather changing, indicating winters is right
around the corner.
The most significant celebration of the year in India is Diwali, which
commemorates the victory of light over darkness, wisdom over
ignorance, and goodness over evil. The five days of Diwali are
celebrated by more than a billion people of different faiths throughout
India, and they include prayers, feasts, fireworks, family get-togethers,
and philanthropic giving.
Diwali is celebrated differently across different regions and different
religions in the country, owing to the significance it holds for the
specific region or religion.
There are numerous variants of the Diwali myth in Hinduism alone,
and they differ among local communities. These, however, are all epic
stories of men who, according to Hindu belief, were manifestations of
the god Vishnu, who is regarded as the universe's sustainer and
whose job it is to restore the balance between good and evil in difficult
times.
For Sikhs, whose religion developed in the late 15th century as a
branch of Hinduism that is especially devoted to Vishnu, Diwali marks
Guru Hargobind's liberation from the Mughal ruler Jahangir's 12-year
imprisonment in the 17th century.
Jains, whose prehistoric religion originated in the first century B.C.
mark Diwali as the day that Lord Mahavira, the final of the great Jain
teachers, attained nirvana, and also shares many of the beliefs of
Hinduism.
And Buddhists, whose religion first appeared in the latter half of the
sixth century B.C. Celebrate it as the day that the Hindu Emperor
Ashoka, who ruled in the third century B.C., converted to Buddhism in
what some have described as a reaction to Hinduism.
Beyond these legends, Diwali is also a time to honour Lakshmi, the
Hindu goddess of riches and wealth.
Now how is Diwali exactly celebrated?
Well, as already stated above, the festival has different significance for
different religions which also implies slightly different types of ways of
celebrating the festival. That being said, the most common way of
celebrating the festival is through decorating homes with candles and
dias as well as different types of rangolis and lights. Burning crackers,
although not advisable due to the rising pollution levels and growing
concerns for environment protection, is another way through which
people celebrate the festival.
It is during this time of the year that people increase thier spending as
well as investment as the festival is believed to bring wealth and
fortune to households by praying to Goddesses Laxmi. People
specifically start investing in Gold and Silver and many consider it as a
perfect start to their investing journey.
As far as spending is concerned, most people spend their disposable
incomes on gifts, sweets, lightings and major decors to glamorize their
households. Diwali has grown to be the biggest celebration in India
over the years, rivalling Christmas or Thanksgiving in the US.
Shopkeepers particularly start selling products associated with Diwali
in order to increase sales by attracting consumers. E-commerece
behemoths such as Amazon and Flipkart particularly start providing
heavy discounts on products during the months of October and
November.
Occupied by celebrating the festival, people often forget their
contribution to society during the festive season. Philanthropy,
donating and helping people in need during this season becomes of
utmost importance, considering these people might not have the
resources to enjoy the fiesta.
The Diwali celebration serves as a gentle reminder to each of us that
life is much more than just a journey and that we are all engaged in an
ongoing search for knowledge and the truth.
Unity in Diversity: The myths surrounding Diwali also emphasise the
Vedic philosophy. People come together for the Diwali Festival, which
combines spirituality, religion, culture, and social ideals. It all comes
down to understanding our limitless potential and eliminating
ignorance.
To add a concluding statement, the festival of lights celebrates the
birth of knowledge brought about by the illumination of the soul, which
is the inner light.