Shreya Mishra Std 5th Deepāvali • Also known as Diwāli
• Literal meaning, a row of lamps
• One of the biggest festival of Hindus
• Celebrated all over India
– In Kenya, Thailand, Trinidad and in many more countries The festival of Lights • Celebrated for 5 days
• Customs vary but lighting
lamps is common
• Fireworks, Rangoli, Lamps
• Lights, Sparkles, Glitters!
Dhana-trayodashi • Dhanteras, Yama Deepdān
• 13th day of Kārtika month
• Houses, business premises decorated
• Auspicious to buy gold, silver, new
utensils
• Lamps lit and kept burning all night
• Cattles adorned and worshipped in
villages Dhana-trayodashi - Stories • Son of King Hima, as per horoscope, was doomed to die on this night
• His wife did not allow him to sleep
• She kept all ornaments, gold, silver at
the entrance of the room
• Yama, God of death, gets blinded by
the dazzle of brilliant lights and leaves
• Hence, the tradition of buying gold and
the name Yama Deepdān Narak-chaturdashi • Chhoti Diwāli, or little Diwāli
• Falls on 14th day of Kārtika
month
• Tradition is to get very early and
have an oil bath before the sunrise
• Earthen lamps are lit
Narak-chaturdashi - Stories • Narakāsur, the demon king of Prāgjyotishpur, was killed by Lord Krishna
• After defeating the demon, Krishna
returned early in the morning and had scented oil bath
• King Bali was pushed to
pātāl, or nether regions, by Vāmanāvatār Lakshmi Pujā • Diwāli, Kaumudi Mahotsam
• Amāvasyā, or no moon night
• Day of Lakshmi, the Goddess of
wealth
• Millions of lamps lit
• Amāvasyā becomes brighter than
Poornimā, or full moon night Lakshmi Pujā - Stories • Lot of stories associated with this day
• Lord Rāma return to Ayodhyā after
defeating Rāvana
• Lord Krishna delivers knowledge of Gitā
to Arjuna
• Lord Krishna also attains “nirvāna” this
day
• Nachiketa attains knowledge from Yama
and returns back to earth Bali Padya • Pādwa, Varsha Pratipadā, Govardhan Pujā, Annakoot
• In northern part of India, the
hill of Govardhan is worshipped
• Annakoot, meaning “mountain
of food”, is observed for all deities
• Variety of sweets are made and
shared among all Bali Padya - Stories • Vikramāditya the great, held his coronation and started a hindu calendar, vikram samvat
• Lord Krishna, uprooted Govardhan hill
and held it up to save residents of Gokul from rains
• Bali came back from pātāl and
given boon to return from nether regions once a year Bhāi Dooj • Bhāv Beej, Bhāi Tika, Yama Dwiteeyā
• Sisters put tilak on forehead of brothers
and wish for their success
• Originates from the legend that Yama
went to see his sister Yami on this day
• Yama announced that anyone who
receives tilak from his sister this day, will never suffer More on Diwāli • Sikh also celebrate Diwāli to commemorate return of 6th Guru, Guru Hargobind from captivity
• Lord Mahāvir, who
established Jainism, obtained nirvāna on this day Significance of Diwāli