History and meaning of Diwali, the festival of lights

Deepawali, Deepavali or Diwali is the largest and brightest of all Hindu festivals. It is the festival of lights: deep means "light" and you use "a row" to become "a row of lights". Diwali is marked by four days of celebration, which literally illuminate the country with its splendor and amaze people with its joy.

Diwali lights in Singapore
The Diwali festival is held in late October or early November. It falls on the 15th day of the Hindu month of Kartik, so it changes every year. Each of the four days of the Diwali festival is marked with a different tradition. What remains constant is the celebration of life, its enjoyment and a sense of goodness.

The origins of Diwali
Historically, Diwali can be traced back to ancient India. It most likely started as an important harvest festival. However, there are various legends indicating the origin of Diwali.

Some believe it is the celebration of the wedding of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, with Lord Vishnu. Others use it as a celebration of his birthday, as Lakshmi is said to have been born on the day of Kartik's new moon.

In Bengal, the festival is dedicated to the worship of Mother Kali, the dark goddess of strength. Lord Ganesha - the elephant-headed god and symbol of auspiciousness and wisdom - is also worshiped in most Hindu homes on this day. In Jainism, Deepawali has the additional significance of marking the great event of Lord Mahavira which has reached the eternal bliss of nirvana.

Diwali also commemorates the return of Lord Rama (along with Ma Sita and Lakshman) from his 14-year exile and defeating the demon king Ravana. In the joyful celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, the capital of Rama, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas (oil lamps) and detonated firecrackers.

The four days of Diwali
Every Diwali day has its own story to tell. On the first day of the festival, Naraka Chaturdasi marks the defeat of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama.

Amavasya, the second day of Deepawali, marks the worship of Lakshmi when he is in his most benevolent mood, satisfying the wishes of his devotees. Amavasya also tells the story of Lord Vishnu, who in his dwarf incarnation defeated the tyrant Bali and banished him to hell. Bali is authorized to return to earth once a year to light millions of lamps and dispel darkness and ignorance while spreading the splendor of love and wisdom.

It is the third day of Deepawali, Kartika Shudda Padyami, that Bali comes out of hell and rules the earth according to the gift given by Lord Vishnu. The fourth day is referred to as Yama Dvitiya (also called Bhai Dooj), and on this day the sisters invite their brothers to their homes.

Dhanteras: the tradition of gambling
Some people refer to Diwali as a five day festival because they include the Dhanteras festival (dhan which means "wealth" and teras which means "13th"). This celebration of wealth and prosperity occurs two days before the festival of lights.

The gambling tradition on Diwali also has a legend. On this day, the goddess Parvati is believed to have played dice with her husband Lord Shiva. He decreed that anyone who gambled on Diwali night would thrive the following year.

The meaning of lights and firecrackers

All of Diwali's simple rituals have a meaning and a story behind them. The houses are illuminated by lights and firecrackers fill the skies as an expression of respect for the heavens for the achievement of health, wealth, knowledge, peace and prosperity.

According to one belief, the sound of firecrackers indicates the joy of people living on earth, making the gods aware of their abundant state. Yet another possible reason has a more scientific basis: the fumes produced by firecrackers kill or repel many insects, including mosquitoes, which are abundant after the rains.

The spiritual meaning of Diwali
In addition to the lights, gambling and fun, Diwali is also the time to reflect on life and make changes for the coming year. With that, there are a number of customs that revelers hold every year.

Come on and forgive. It is common practice for people to forget and forgive the wrongs committed by others during Diwali. There is an air of freedom, celebration and cordiality everywhere.

Get up and shine. Waking up during Brahmamuhurta (at 4 in the morning or 1 hour and a half before sunrise) is a great blessing from the point of view of health, ethical discipline, efficiency in work and spiritual advancement. The sages who instituted this custom of Deepawali may have hoped that their descendants would have realized its benefits and would have made it a regular habit in life.

Merge and unify. Diwali is a unifying event and can soften even the hardest of hearts. It is a time when people mingle in joy and embrace each other.

Those who have acute inner spiritual ears will clearly hear the voice of the wise men: "O children of God unite and love everyone." The vibrations produced by the greetings of love, which fill the atmosphere, are powerful. When the heart has noticeably hardened, only a continuous celebration of Deepavali can rekindle the urgent need to move away from the ruinous path of hatred.

Thrive and progress. On this day, Hindu traders in Northern India open their new books and pray for success and prosperity over the next year. People buy new clothes for the family. Employers also buy new clothes for their employees.

The houses are cleaned and decorated during the day and illuminated at night with earth oil lamps. The best and most beautiful illuminations can be seen in Bombay and Amritsar. The famous Golden Temple of Amritsar is illuminated in the evening with thousands of lamps.

This festival instills charity in the hearts of people who do good deeds. This includes Govardhan Puja, a celebration of Vaishnavites on the fourth day of Diwali. On this day, they feed the poor on an incredible scale.

Light up your inner self. Diwali lights also indicate a time of inner illumination. Hindus believe that the light of the lights is the one that constantly shines in the chamber of the heart. Sitting in silence and fixing the mind on this supreme light illuminates the soul. It is an opportunity to cultivate and enjoy eternal happiness.

From darkness to light ...
In every legend, myth and story of Deepawali lies the meaning of the victory of good over evil. It is with each Deepawali and the lights that illuminate our homes and hearts that this simple truth finds new reason and hope.

From darkness to light: light empowers us to engage in good deeds and brings us closer to divinity. During Diwali, lights illuminate every corner of India and the scent of incense sticks is suspended in the air, mixed with the sounds of firecrackers, joy, solidarity and hope.

Diwali is celebrated all over the world. Outside of India, it is more than a Hindu festival; it is a celebration of South Asian identities. If you are far from Diwali's places and sounds, illuminate a diya, sit in silence, close your eyes, withdraw your senses, concentrate on this supreme light and illuminate the soul.