PRESENTATION

OF
FOUNDATION OF INDIAN CULTURE
ON
FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS - DIWALI

SUBMITTED BY: SUBMITTED TO :

ADITI JHUNJHUNWALA DR. NARENDRA JOSHI

ANCHAL GUPTA
MUSKAN SONI
RAJVI VIRANI
YASHVI BANSAL
TWINKLE PATEL
What is Diwali and from where did the name
came?
Diwali is the five-day festival
of lights, celebrated by
millions of Hindus, Sikhs and
Jains across the world.

Diwali, which for some also coincides with

harvest and new year celebrations, is a
festival of new beginnings and the triumph
of good over evil, and light over darkness.

The word Diwali comes from the

Sanskrit word Deepavali, meaning
"rows of lighted lamps".
Common rituals or activities performed by
people all over the country.

House Diwali
shopping
cleaning sweets

Diyas and Exchanging

Rangolis gifts
 DIFFERENT RELIGIONS HAVE DIFFERENT
REASONS FOR CELEBRATING THIS FESTIVAL

HINDUS SIKHS JAINS

• Return of deities lord • Celebrates the release • It marks the
Ram and Sita. from prison of the sixth anniversary of Nirvana
• Demon Mahisha guru, Guru Hargobind, (final release) or
destroyed by mother and 52 other princes liberation of Mahavira's
goddess Durga. with him, in 1619. soul, the twenty fourth
and
last Jain Tirthankara of
present cosmic age.
 How do different people
celebrate Diwali in
different parts of
the country?
This is really unusual that how same festivals are celebrated so differently in various parts of India with
similar kind of enthusiasm.
 NORTHERN INDIA
•The celebrations of Diwali start with Dussehra, where Ramlila, a
dramatic rendition of the story of the Ramayana is depicted
•In Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Punjab people are also engaged in
gambling on Diwali night, which is considered to be auspicious.
•Laxmi puja is performed at night. In some houses, there is a tradition of
putting a silver coin in a tumbler of milk, which is then sprinkled in all
the rooms.

SOUTHERN INDIA

• Diwali is celebrated in the Tamil month of aipasi (thula month) 'Naraka

Chaturdashi' thithi, preceding Amavasya.
•The preparations begin the day before, when the oven is cleaned, smeared
with lime, religious symbols drawn on it and then filled with water for the
next day's oil bath.
•Another unique ritual in South India observed on Diwali is Thalai Deepavali.
On this day, newlyweds spend their first Diwali in the bride’s parental home.
 WESTERN INDIA
• Few days before Diwali, the markets of Western India are crowded with Diwali
shoppers. For Guajarati's, Diwali is New Year.
• On this day, any new venture, buying of properties, the opening of offices, shops, and
special occasions like marriages are considered auspicious.
• In some houses in Gujarat, a Diya lit with ghee is left burning the whole night. The
next morning, the flame collected from this Diya is used to make kajal, which is
applied by women on their eyes. This is considered to be a very auspicious custom
and is believed to bring prosperity to for the whole year. Like North India, Diwali is
celebrated for five days in Western India too.
Maharashtra
• In Maharashtra, Diwali is celebrated for four days. Vasubaras is the first day and is
celebrated by performing an Aarti of the cows and calves. This signifies the love
between a mother and her baby.
• The next day is Dhanteras or Dhanatrayodashi, which is celebrated in the same way
as in other regions.
• On the third day, Narak Chaturdashi, people take scented oil bath early morning and
visit a temple. After this, the Maharashtrians feasts on a special Diwali preparation
known as Faral.
• The fourth day, which is the main Diwali day, Lakshmi Puja is performed. In every
house, Goddess Lakshmi and items of wealth like money and jewellery are
worshipped.
• In Mumbai, majority of people invite their close ones to their DIWALI PARTY and
everyone plays cards together
 EASTERN INDIA

West Bengal and Assam

• In West Bengal, Laxmi Puja is celebrated six days after Durga Puja.
• Diwali is celebrated as Kali Puja. Late-night worshipping of
Goddess Kali is done on Diwali night. There are Kali Puja pandals in
various areas.
• Diwali night is also believed to be the night of the ancestors or
Pitripurush and diyas are lit on long poles to guide their souls on the
way to heaven. This practice is followed even today in rural Bengal.
Odisha
• Like West Bengal, in Odisha too, Diwali festival is marked with
paying tributes to ancestors. “Badabadua ho andhaara e asa Aluaa e
Jaao Baaisi pahacha e Gadagadau thaao”, which means “oh our
ancestors, seers and gods, you came on the dark night of Mahalaya,
and now it is time for you to depart for heaven, so we are showing
light, may you attain peace in abode of Jagannatha!”
HOW CELEBRATING
DIWALI HELPS US IN
UNDERSTANDING
GROUP DYNAMICS?
• Achieving positive group dynamics is all about having effective communication, understanding
each other, having strong leadership and sharing responsibilities.

• Festival of Diwali helps in achieving the above:

1. As during Diwali everyone decorate and clean their houses together, light up lots of diyas
together which bring positive energy in house. This all helps in achieving good communication
and time to understand one other.
2. Diwali parties and cracking firecrackers together helps in sharing so much time together which
helps in building strong relationships with others.
3. During Diwali, there is also so much gifting system which helps to connect people with the old
ones and the extended family as well.
4. We saw how different people celebrate Diwali differently, it shows us how people come together
and understands and respects each other’s way. Whether it is a Hindu or a Muslim. It teaches
us that no matter how different the group members are, they can always work together.
     
 • Celebrating is so important is because it reflects an overall
HOW CELEBRATING DIWALI OR attitude of gratitude and enjoying what we have, instead of
ANY OTHER INDIAN FESTIVALS focusing on what we don't have or only on what we want in
the future. hence it helps us recover any kind of stress that we
HELPS US IN MANAGING THE are mentally feeling. 
STRESS? • They are meant to rejoice special moments and emotions in
our lives with our loved ones. They play an important role to
add structure to our mental health and also connect us with
our families which helps us in not feeling lonely.
• It can improve our physical as well as mental health.
According to a research, music helps to fresh one's mind and
reduces tension. And our Indian festivals are full of music and
dance and togetherness.
• Diwali certainly brings spiritual calmness to people. Sharing
joy and happiness is another spiritual benefit of Diwali.
People visit each other's houses during this festival of lights.
They do happy communication, eat good meals, and enjoy
fireworks.
 AGRICULTURAL ORIGIN OF INSECTS CONTROL.

• Rice culture of ODISHA , has a rich source

of folklore regarding indigenous practice.
Most practices that offer potential fall in the
categories of chemical, cultural, mechanical
and physical control of insects control.
• Agricultural myth, fertility myths and fertility
rituals are mentioned by Kalidas in his
literature. Modern scientists may not believe
in these rituals. But agriculturalist had some
relation with crop production in the fields.
• The timing of religious ceremonies in the
night(bhajan, kirtan, reading of old scripts,
pothi), to coincide with possible peak of
insect population(in the month of shravan),
has some effect.
• The people come from various direction to
the temple and go back; carry fire torches
(Mashal). These flames destroy large
numbers of insects.
• Impressed with the many insects pests
attracted to light, farmers long ago used
fire and established grids of light traps as a
community wise measure.
• Bonfires were lit to attract rice bugs and
moths which then died then in the flames.
THANK YOU