Diwali – Bring on the lights!!

It is that time of the year again where children look forward to a nice week of holidays filled with lights, lamps and crackers, not to forget the sweets and the food. Diwali, also called Deepavali in other places in India, is a much awaited festival in all parts of the country. It symbolises the arrival of good luck and success and money into everyone's lives. It ushers in new ventures and a year ahead filled with hopes of a good and prosperous life ahead.

Diwali is celebrated with prayers and offerings to the Goddess Lakshmi who is the Goddess of money and wealth. That apart it is famously known as the festival of lights. On the days this festival is celebrated people clean their houses, decorate it with flowers and lamps. Diwali is never complete however without the crackers. This time of the year the manufacturers of crackers are the busiest as people flock to buy these crackers to celebrate with family and friends. The profits gained during this festival are enormous.

Diwali is celebrated for various reasons. Each religion in this country has a different reason to celebrate this festival. One famous story is that Diwali is celebrated to mark the last harvest of the year just before winter sets in. Keeping in mind this reason Goddess Lakshmi is thanked for all the success and people pray for a wonderful year ahead with lot more success.

Another theory that holds good here is that Diwali was first celebrated to welcome King Ram when he came back to his kingdom Ayodhya after 14 long years in the forest. To celebrate his arrival people lit rows of lamps and thus Diwali came into existence. In the southern part of the country people believe that Diwali is celebrated to mark the death of Demon Narakasura at the hands of Lord Krishna.

In some other religions like Jainism the story is a different one.
In the Jain culture it is believed that diwali is celebrated to remember the Nirvana of Lord Mahavira. In Sikhism Diwali symbolises the release of the 6th Guru, Guru Hargobind Ji.

What ever the reason Diwali is a festival celebrated by everyone in this country irrespective of their religion. It actually brings together people from different parts of the country and different religions. Children have the maximum fun with days filled with good food, great sweets, new clothes and evenings filled with bursting crackers. It is a common sight in India to see people light lamps and decorate their houses on Diwali, greeting neighbours, friends and family alike, children running around the house screaming, bursting crackers outside. The louder you can celebrate this festival, the more fun it is!!