What is The Importance of Diwali Festival? Sikhism and Diwali Celebrationĭiwali holds a peculiar importance for the Sikhs as it was on this day that the third Sikh Guru Amar Das proposed the festival of lights to be an auspicious occasion when all Sikhs would gather to receive the blessing of the Gurus. The festival stands for the festivity of the emancipation spirit from other Earthly desires. It is said that on this day, the last of 24 Tirthankaras, Lord Mahavira attained ‘Nirvana’. This day also signifies a vital occasion for Jainism.
This custom is believed to have been kept alive through Diwali, as believed by many and is remembered as the homecoming of Pandavas. To celebrate this joyous occasion of their return to Hastinapur, the state was illuminated by lighting diyas all over the place by the people. After completing thirteen years in exile, they turned back to their birthplace ‘Hastinapur’ on Kartik Amavasya (it is known as the new moon day of the Kartik month). This Hindu Epic reveals to us that how the five royal brothers, the Pandavas faced a defeat against their brothers, the Kauravas in a game of gambling.Īs per the rules, the Pandavas was asked to serve 13 years in exile. Mahabharata and Diwali CelebrationĪ well-known story related to the festival of Diwali is narrated in the Hindu Epic, the Mahabharata.
Every year, the homecoming of Lord Rama is celebrated on Diwali with lights, crackers, fireworks and high spirits. It is believed that this day marks the beginning of Diwali tradition. To celebrate Rama’s return to Ayodhya, houses were lit up with diyas (small earthen lamps), crackers, fireworks and the entire city of Ayodhya was decorated splendidly. People of Ayodhya were extremely delighted to welcome Rama, Sita and Lakshmana back to their kingdom. It is said that Rama rescued Sita and returned to Ayodhya after fourteen years. When the demon king Ravana abducted Sita, Rama fought against him and killed Ravana. So, Rama went into exile with his wife and faithful brother, ‘Sita’ and ‘Laxman’ for 14 years. The most well-known reason behind celebrating Diwali is mentioned in the great Hindu epic, Ramayana.Īs per the Ramayana, the prince of Ayodhya, Rama was ordained to go away from his country for fourteen years and to live in the forests by his father, King Dasaratha. There are multiple reasons which are observed and believed for the origin of Diwali. This is the prime reason why new clothes, colorful decorations and beautiful display of lights is done to welcome her on this auspicious occasion. It is widely believed that Diwali is the day when the Hindu Goddess of prosperity, Maa Lakshmi travels to the Earth and bless the people with happiness and wealth. Each of the five days of this vibrant festival teaches us something and has a significant purpose. It is revered as the day to light the lamp of power, knowledge and virtues within us. The history of Diwali is associated with many legends which are narrated in the Hindu religious scriptures, commonly the Puranas.ĭiwali is considered to be the festival of lights. The beginning of Diwali can be traced back to the ancient India. Why is Diwali celebrated?Īlthough, all the stories and history points towards the same classic truth of the victory of the right over wrong, but every story is associated with a unique essence and message of its own. on the new moon night in the month of Kartik.
This festival falls on Kartik Amavasya, i.e. The main festival of Diwali is celebrated on the darkest night of the year in the Hindu month of Kartik. A festival of Deepavali is marked by the five days of celebrations which fills the air with exuberance, festivity, brilliance, joy, abundance and happiness. Deepavali is a combination of two words ‘Deep’ which means light and ‘avali’ which means a row, i.e, a row of lights. Deepawali is certainly the largest Hindu festival observed in India.