Diwali festival 2021, is going to be better than all recent religious occasions after the first strick of COVID. Sure, It is the world’s largest light festival, honoring Lord Ram’s epic arrival in the kingdom of Ayodhya with his wife (Sita) and brother (Lakshmana) after 14 years of home abandonment promises. The people of Ayodhya were supposed to be so pleased with the time that they lit millions of Dias with ghee and welcomed Lord Ram into the kingdom. However, this event was celebrated millions of years ago, and people from all backgrounds of life, including other faiths, continue to show their respect, love, and joy in the celebration to this day.
Here are some fascinating facts regarding Diwali celebrations that will surprise you. The following are some noteworthy Diwali customs:
Embrace the sky lantern instead of fireworks during Diwali festival 2021. People all around the country have been supporting this movement to reduce air pollution, especially in large cities, for many years. This tradition, which uses a lightning sky lantern instead of a blazing firecracker, is popular among young people in Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Pune, and Bangalore.
The bursting of firecrackers on Diwali festival 2021 would be more fascinating. The most well-known Diwali custom is the explosion of firecrackers, however, it was not always a Diwali tradition. Fireworks were considered a part of a royal and wealthy family legacy to celebrate Diwali, which is today widely celebrated in India. It first appeared around 1400 AD.
A day that is designated as a family day. While Diwali is meant to be a festival of devotion and purity, this Diwali festival 2021 would also be the day most associated with ‘fun’ for Indian families, as all rites would be performed together. On Diwali, the family’s elders and children gather to participate in all of the traditional and exciting activities, such as lighting candles, bursting fireworks, eating home-cooked meals, visiting friends and relatives, and sending sweets to everyone.
A light-hearted holiday season for the entire world. Diwali is widely celebrated in several countries, including Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, London, France, Germany, Russia, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Fiji, Mauritius, Australia, Canada, South Africa, and the United States of America, thanks to a large Indian community who would introduced their new rejoice of Diwali festival 2021 in almost every corner of the globe.
Rangoli is an essential part of Diwali. Rangoli is a traditional Diwali ritual in where beautiful patterns are created with multicolored powders and flowers, which are usually placed at the entrance of the house to welcome the gods and bring good luck, and Diwali festival 2021 everyone is ready again.
A day allotted for New Year’s celebrations. Dias and candles are lighted and hung on the walls and doorways of houses to celebrate Diwali, which comes in the Hindu calendar month of Karthik and happens on an Amavasya (moonless night). It is considered that the new year starts after the great festival of Diwali.
A farmer’s festival. In India, the month of Karthik marks the conclusion of the harvest season, when farmers offer their harvest to goddess Lakshmi, who is worshipped as the goddess of wealth, goodness, and success.
Diwali is a day when certain other customs are observed. Let’s learn once more about the Diwali festival 2021!
Celebrating goddess, Kali: Because goddess Kali represents the power of time, bringing both destruction and creation of life and the world, the word ‘Kali’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Kala,’ which signifies both darkness and time. On the occasion of Diwali, devotees worshipped goddess Kali in order to follow the tradition of her visiting every home and offering hope and kindness to all.
Celebrating Lakshmi: Diwali is a festival celebrated with brilliant lights and colorful rangoli decorations. People, on this Diwali festival 2021, not gonna miss an opportunity to greet goddess Lakshmi because she roams the entire earth. People paint their homes in a variety of colors, change everything in their possessions, and give their family members extraordinary gifts. And who doesn’t want to offer genuine devotion to both goddess Lakshmi and Ganesh?
Day of Diwali in Jainism: Diwali is also a significant event for Jains, as it commemorates Lord Mahavira’s nirvana or new life. Diwali is known in Jain texts as Dipalikaya, which means “light leaving the body,” and it honors Lord Mahavira’s awakening when the earth and sky were lighted with lamps.
Bandi Chorh Diwas in Sikhism: Diwali is a day associated with Sikhism, and Sikhs celebrate it as the day their guru, Guru Hargobind Ji, was liberated. He was held captive at Gwalior by Mughal monarch Jahangir, along with many other Mughal kings and troops. Until then, the Sikh community celebrates the day as the arrival of their religious guru from the Mughal’s enslavement. They’ll also light candles and set off fireworks to express their joy at this Diwali festival 2021.
Not only one day but Diwali is observed for five rituals day, Let’s see how!
Diwali is a five-day festival that begins on Dhanteras and ends on Bhai Duj and is celebrated on various joyous occasions once a year. A celebration that gave birth to a slew of other legends as well as one significant life ( return of Lord Ram, with his wife and brother in Ayodhaya). Many additional tales and legends surround it, motivating all followers to perform all worships with their families and friends. All children are focused on gifts and sweets, as well as their favorite pastime: bursting firecrackers.
Day 1
Dhanteras is the first day of the five-day Diwali celebrations, which prompts all believers to prepare themselves once a year to purchase crucial and necessary items for their own homes or as gifts for others. People on the first day of this Diwali festival 2021, will worship goddess Lakshmi after finishing their personal housecleaning chores. But in some rituals both Lakshmi and Kuber are considered gods of riches and good fortune. The essential belief is that on this day, people should purchase gold jewelry and new utensils, as this will be a sign of good fortune in their future life path.
Day 2
The second day is known as Naraka Chaturdashi in the southern portions of the country, such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa, and Karnataka. Millions of believers believe that it is the day when Lord Krishna, according to mythology, slew the tyrant demon Narkasura. Millions of people in South India spend a lot of money to buy or order high-quality sweets and holiday dinners. In northern India, this day is known as Chhoti Diwali (Small Diwali). People always make a point of welcoming their family, relatives, and friends into their homes and purchasing wonderful gifts for everyone.
Day 3
Diwali is the day when feasts are cooked, houses are decorated with colorful rangolis at the entrance, cheerful torans on the doorway, and the dark night is lit a glow with lamps (diyas), making it a occasion of lights. A unique tradition on Diwali will celebrate also on Diwali festival 2021 night would be spent for the game of luck by playing cards. Believed to please Lakshmi, it symbolizes the fluid nature of wealth in our lives and our acceptance of this truth.
Many essential and delectable accomplishments are cooked on the third day, and people finish all the decorations with modern lights instead of oily homemade candles and multicolored rangolis at the front door.
The game of cards is a unique Diwali night tradition, in which people are encouraged to use their own luck to win a game of wealth and money. This is said to please Lakshmi, as it represents the ups and downs of wealth in our life, as well as our acceptance of this reality.
You Can also Read Navratri 2021: Know more about 9 Beautiful Avatars of the goddess Durga
Day 4
Some communities in the north, west, and central regions celebrate Goverdhan Puja on the day after Diwali, honoring the story of the Hindu god Krishna lifting the Goverdhan mountain to save the cowherd and farming communities from persistent rains and floods caused by Lord Indra’s anger.
On this day, Annakut, a special meal cooked with all of the available veggies and spices, is offered to friends and family. Krishna is said to have requested everyone to contribute whatever food they had under the Govardhan. The people were able to avoid starvation and survive the disaster by joining together as a community.
Day 5
The last day, the fifth day is dedicated to the ceremonies, which represent Yama’s sister the Yamuna welcoming Yama with a Tilak, which has become an important component of the Bhai Dhuj tradition for all followers. In other parts of the country (Diwali festival 2021 too) would be known as Bhau Beej, Bhai Tilak, or Bhai Phonta, according to local dialects.
Bhai Dhuj is the day when a brother and sister demonstrate their great love by exchanging presents, sweets, and a promising sign, and it is a sacred link between them. Sisters apply a tilak to her brother’s forehead, and the brother presents her with a gift to express his love, recalling another sacred memory of Subhadra welcoming her brother Lord Krishna after his great and unforgettable victory over Narakasura.