Hands down, Diwali is the biggest Hindu festival in India! It is celebrated with incredible fervour annually across India. The Diwali festivities start from Dhanteras. Undoubtedly, the festival of lights is India’s most awaited and notable festival, and it comes around late October to mid-November every year.
Diwali 2021 Date And Time
This year Diwali will fall on 4th November 2021 (Thursday). The auspicious date and time for Diwali 2021 are given below.
Amavasya Tithi (Begins) - 06:03 AM (4th November 2021)
Amavasya Tithi (Ends) - 02:44 AM (5th November 2021)
Diwali or Deepavali is celebrated during the Hindu Lunisolar month of Kartika. It falls sometime around mid-October and mid-November. This festival falls on Amavasya or ‘New Moon Day’. Regarded as one of the most beloved festivals in the country, Diwali symbolises the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness, hope over despair, and knowledge over ignorance.
Diwali or Deepavali means – lines or rows of lighted lamps. Diyas and lights are used to light up the entire nation, which is why this festival is called the ‘festival of lights’. The most widely-known legend associated with the celebration of Diwali is mentioned in the great Hindu epic, Ramayana. On this festival, many people celebrate Lord Rama, the seventh avatar or incarnation of Lord Vishnu. On this day, people celebrated the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana, the demon king. After 14 years of exile, Lord Rama finally returned to Ayodhya, and the people celebrated his return by lighting lamps filled with ghee. It is commonly believed that, despite it being Amavasya or New Moon night, everything was illuminated entirely because of the thousands of lamps lit for Lord Rama’s welcome. The entire city was decorated splendidly for Lord Rama’s return. This is why, every year, Diwali is celebrated with lights and high spirits to remember the homecoming of Lord Rama.
On Diwali, the removal of darkness and illumination is symbolic. It symbolises the elimination of darkness and the victory of light over darkness. Most importantly, Diwali symbolises the triumph of good over evil. The festival of Diwali is also celebrated to usher in happiness, wealth, and prosperity in our lives, which is why Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped on this festival.
Diwali, the festival of lights, brings with it other pious festivals, such as Dhanteras, Naraka Chaturdashi, Govardhan Puja, as well as Bhai Dooj. Diwali is a five-day festivity period that begins with Dhanteras and ends with Bhai Dooj. This festival illuminates our hearts and teaches the message of togetherness.
Legends Associated with Diwali
As Diwali is celebrated in various parts of the country, there are multiple legends and beliefs associated with the origin of Diwali. Here are a few of them.
In Eastern India, like West Bengal, Goddess Kali is worshipped on Diwali. This is called Kali Puja. Devotees believe that she killed the demon, ‘Raktabija’.
The festival of Diwali is also a momentous occasion for the Sikh community. On this day, they celebrate the freedom of the Sixth Sikh Guru, Guru Hargobind Ji, from the prison. This day is called ‘Bandi Chhor Divas’ or ‘Day of Liberation’.
Diwali has a special significance in Jainism. In Jainism, this day marks the nirvana of Lord Mahavira’s soul.
This year, a rare yoga is going to be made on Diwali. The occasion is going to be very auspicious because a rare combination of planets will be created. This Diwali, the combination of four planets is being formed, meaning that there will be four planets in the same zodiac sign. Mercury, Sun, Moon, and Mars will be present in Libra on Diwali.
Venus is the lord of the Libra zodiac sign, and the auspicious effect increases by worshipping Goddess Lakshmi. In astrology, Venus represents opulence, luck, wealth, love, comfort, etc. On the other hand, in Vedic astrology, the Sun is called the king of the nine planets, Mercury is known as the prince of the planets, the Moon represents the mind, and Mars is the commander of the planets. Furthermore, the Sun is considered as the father, and the Moon is regarded as the mother. On this day, all these astrological factors will ensure promising results for people.
Diwali 2021 And Lakshmi Puja
During the five days of festivity, various Gods and Goddesses are worshipped, and many rituals are performed. However, Goddess Lakshmi, who is known as the Goddess of wealth and prosperity, is considered the most significant deity during Diwali. Amavasya, or the new moon day, is the day when Lakshmi Puja and Lakshmi-Ganesha Puja are done.
It is commonly believed that if you worship Goddess Lakshmi with full devotion and reverence, you can obtain her blessings and grace. For wealth, prosperity, happiness, and the Goddess’s blessings, you should fast the entire day. To ward off all the negative energies and welcome the Goddess, you should clean and decorate your home with flowers and light up beautiful diyas. According to the scripture, on the dark night of Kartik Amavasya, Goddess Lakshmi herself comes to the earth and roams around. On this occasion, Goddess Lakshmi resides in a clean home. This is why after cleaning, Lakshmi Puja is done with all its rituals. After the Sunsets, devotees should pray to Goddess Lakshmi in the ‘Sthir Lagna’ of ‘Pradosh Kaal’. Kuber Puja is also performed along with Lakshmi Puja.
Below is the Lakshmi Puja vidhi that you should know about.
Before the Lakshmi Puja, sprinkle Gangajal (water from the holy Ganges) to purify the atmosphere in the whole house. To welcome the Goddess into your home, put diyas and make a rangoli at the door of your house.
Place a chowki or pedestal at the place of worship and set the idols of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha on a red cloth. The idols placed must face the East direction.
Place a Kalash or urn filled with water near the chowki.
Put Tilak on the idols of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesh. After that, light the deepak (lamps) and offer water, moli, rice, fruits, jaggery, turmeric, gulal, etc. After this, worship and pray to Goddess Lakshmi.
Also, worship Goddess Saraswati, Goddess Kali, Lord Vishnu and Lord Kuber or Kuber Dev.
The whole family should gather together to worship Goddess Lakshmi.
After worshipping Goddess Lakshmi, you should also worship the money vault, bookkeeping material, and business-related materials.
After Lakshmi Puja, prasad, sweets and Dakshina (donations) should be offered to needy people.
The festival of lights, Diwali, is observed with great pomp and zeal, especially in Northern, Western, and Eastern India. The celebration of this festival lasts for up to five days. The celebrations might differ from region to region, but the festival is hugely revered in India. For example, in West Bengal and other parts of Eastern India, Goddess Kali is worshipped on Diwali, which is known as Shyama Puja or Kali Puja.
People clean their homes and shops for this festival. Many people also whitewash or paint their homes. On Diwali, people decorate their houses and shops with diyas (clay or earthen lamps) and electrical lights. People make rangolis outside their houses and exchange sweets, dry fruits, and gifts with friends and relatives. In many towns and villages, fairs are also organised.
In these recent times, Diwali has become a festival that is celebrated across the country. The festival of lights has been able to transcend religious and cultural boundaries and bring people closer. Nowadays, people from different walks of life have started celebrating Diwali. Thus, the festival of Diwali can bring people together from different beliefs, regions, and experiences.
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