Diwali is the time to enjoy the delicious
sweets, light the bright lamps and have a sparkling celebration. The festival
has been celebrated for ages in India. But do you have any idea how and when
did it first originate? The history of Diwali celebrations is nearly as old as
the history of India. Here we bring you ten different reasons each of which is
popularly believed by different sections of Indian people as the cause behind
the origin of the Diwali tradition. Some of these have their roots in the different
kinds of legends and mythical tales that can be found in the ancient Hindu
scriptures called Puranas. So check out our fascinating article below and get
to know the history of Diwali
The five day of Diwali
The
first day of Diwali is called Dhanvantari Triodasi or Dhanwantari Triodasi also
called Dhan Theras. The second day of Diwali is called Narak Chaturdasi. It is
the fourteenth lunar day (thithi) of the dark forthnight of the month of Kartik
and the eve of Diwali. On this day Lord Krishna destroyed the demon Narakasur
and made the world free from fear. The third day of Diwali is the actual
Diwali. This is the day when worship for Mother Lakshmi is performed. On the
fourth day of Diwali, Goverdhan Pooja is performed. The fifth day of the diwali
is called Bhratri Dooj. It is a day dedicated to sisters
The Day of Diwali
It
is since ancient times that Diwali has been celebrated. It is not easy to say
now what really was the reason behind its origin. Different people believe
different events to be the cause behind this festival. Here are ten mythical
and historical reasons that are possibly behind the Diwali (Deepavali)
celebrations.
Rama,
Lakshmana, Sita and HanumanThe most well known story behind Diwali is in the
Ramayana, the great Hindu epic. According to Ramayana, Rama, the prince of
Ayodhya was ordered by his father, King Dasharatha, to go away from his country
and come back after living in the forest for fourteen years. So Rama went on
exile with his devoted wife Sita and faithful brother, Lakshmana. When Ravana,
the demon king of Lanka abducted Sita and took her away to his island kingdom
of Lanka, Rama fought against and killed Ravana. He rescued Sita and returned
to Ayodhya after fourteen years. The people of Ayodhya were very happy to hear
of their beloved prince's homecoming. To celebrate Rama's return to Ayodhya,
they lit up their houses with earthen lamps (diyas), burst crackers and
decorated the entire city in the grandest manner.
This
is believed to have started the tradition of Diwali. Year after year this
homecoming of Lord Rama is commemorated on Diwali with lights, fireworks,
bursting of crackers and merriment. The festival gets its name Deepawali, or
Diwali, from the rows (avali) of lamps (deepa) that the people of Ayodhya lit
to welcome their King.
The
other story concerns King Bali, who was a generous ruler. But he was also very
ambitious. Some of the Gods pleaded Vishnu to check King Bali's power. Vishnu
came to earth in the form of a Vamana(dwarf) dressed as priest. The dwarf
approached King Bali and said "You are the ruler of the three worlds: the
Earth, the world above the skies and the underworld. Would you give me the
space that I could cover with three strides?" King Bali laughed. Surely a
dwarf could not cover much ground, thought the King, who agreed to dwarf's
request. At this point, the dwarf changed into Vishnu and his three strides
covered the Earth, the Skies and the whole Universe! King Bali was send to the
underworld. As part of Diwali celebrations, some Hindus remember King Bali.
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