Diwali, also known as Deepavali, is one of the most significant festivals in Hinduism and is celebrated by millions of people around the world. The festival usually lasts for five days and is marked by various activities, rituals, and festivities.
Diwali is known as the festival of lights all around the world. It is one of the festivals that is celebrated with great pomp and enthusiasm.
As per Hindu events, Ramayan, Diwali marks the return of Lord Ram, Devi Sita, Lakshman, and Lord Hanuman to Ayodhya after spending 14 years in exile, depicted in the the great epic – Ramayan. As Lord Ram returns after defeating evil Raavan, everyone in Ayodhya celebrates Diwali as good triumphs over evil.
Apart from this fact, it is believed that Diwali marks the birth of Goddess Lakshmi during Samundra-Manthan. That is why Goddess Lakshmi has been given a lot of significance during the festival of Diwali.
According to the Puranic narrative, the Devas (celestial beings) and the Asuras (demons) joined forces to churn the ocean of milk to obtain the elixir of immortality known as Amrita. During the churning process, various divine and valuable entities emerged from the ocean.
Why is Maa Laxmi Worshipped On Diwali?
Many people do not know the story behind worshipping Maa Laxmi and Ganesh Ji on Diwali and today we will be enlightening you with it. In the book Kartika-Mahatmya, there is a story of a poor Brahman who sought advice from a priest. The priest asked the Brahman to worship Maa Laxmi so that she can bestow wealth to him. As Vishnu Ji is sleeping right now, Laxmi Ji will shower mercy on the Brahman and will give him the wealth he needs. Vishnu Ji sleeps from the 11th lunar day of Asadh to the 11th lunar day of Kartikey, so Diwali is the most auspicious eve that comes in between. As we currently reside in Kaliyug, which is known as Rajo Guna, people want prosperity, wealth, and luxury in life. It was also said that instead of directly reaching out to Laxmi Ji, worship Vishnu Ji to please her. But as Vishnu Ji is asleep and Shastra recommends pleasing Maa Laxmi directly, people worship them during Diwali.
Why Is Ganesh Ji Worshipped Alongside Maa Laxmi On Diwali?
Maa Laxmi was talking to Vishnu Ji, elaborating on how she can make anyone wealthy and prosper with her powers. She was being proud of her accomplishments but, it sounded more like an egoistic person talking to Vishnu Ji. So, he decided to reduce her ego and therefore, he said that women without experiencing motherhood are incomplete, and that disheartened her. She went to Maa Parvati and asked her to give any of the sons (Kartikey and Ganesh) to her, grace her with motherhood and complete her. Parvati agreed for Ganesh, and therefore, Laxmi wanted to adopt him. Maa Parvati was not okay with this as Maa Laxmi does not have a fixed place, and she might not be able to take care of Ganesh but, as Maa Laxmi promised Maa Parvati that if someone will not worship Ganesh, she will not shower her mercy on them. Every time Ganesh would be prayed alongside her and she would take good care of Ganesh no matter what. This assured Maa Parvati, and she let Ganesh go with Maa Laxmi. Hence, every time we talk about Maa Laxmi, we take the name of Ganesh Ji as well. This is one reason why we place Laxmi Ji and Ganesh Ji murti on Diwali.
Another reason states that wealth without wisdom is just like chocolate without teeth. You would never know what to do with the wealth you receive, and to make the right decision, you need knowledge and that knowledge comes by worshipping Ganesh Ji. Before making any investment or proceeding with new work, we worship Lord Ganesh, because of the wisdom and intelligence he has. He is the God of success and prosperity and with wealth and luxury, we need his intelligence and wisdom. Hence, to remove obstacles, to create a balance, Lord Ganesh and Maa Laxmi are worshipped together.
At its core, Diwali is celebrated with lighting lamps (diyas) at home. There are also special food items (sweets and savories) that are associated with Diwali. As with any Hindu festival, food items are seasonal and made with ingredients that boost immunity, which is especially needed as the weather turns from warm summer/fall days to colder winter. A festival is incomplete with celebrating it with family and friends. And who can forget the traditional clothes that add the color and zest to the atmosphere!
Diwali begins from Ekadashi, and Bhai Dooj marks the end of it.
Diwali is a 7-day festival. Each day of Diwali festival is special and is celebrated in its own special way. Here it is – Diwali day-by-day:
Day 1:
- The beginning. Today marks the official start of Diwali festival!
- Ekadashi
- Agiyarash
Day 2:
- Vakbarash (often mistaken as Vagbarash or Vaghbarash)
- Govatsa Dwadashi
- Vasu Baras
Vak = Vaani = Speech. Saraswati is the goddess that we worship to make our speech pure, pleasant and true. Here are the prayers that we offer on this day –
Day 3:
- Dhantrayodashi
- Dhanteras
- Dhanvantari Trayodashi
- Trayodashi
- Lakshmi Puja
This is the day we worshi goddess Lakshmi for the wealth. Wealth is not limited to money or material wealth. It does include wealth of material happiness, but it also includes wealth of health and wealth of peace across all aspects. Here are the prayers we offer –
Day 4:
- Chaudash / Chaturdashi
- Yama Deepam
- Kali Chaudas
- Hanuman Pooja
- Narak Chaturdashi
- Kali Puja
Different parts of India celebrate this day differently. But one god that we all worship on this day is Lord Hanuman. Here are the prayers –
- Hanuman Chalisa (English, Hindi, Gujarati)
- Sankatmochan Hanumanashtak
Day 5:
This is the Diwali day. Often celebrated as the last day of the year. It is the day to “close the books” – physically and metaphorically. It is a day to reflect back on the year.
- Chopda Pujan (Closing the books)
- Govardhan Puja
- Diwali Snan
- Diwali Devpuja
- Sharda Puja
- Annakut
- Bali Pratipada
- Dyuta Krida
During closing the books, we often perform these prayers –
Day 6:
- Gujarati New Year
Day 7:
- Bhai Dooj
- Bhau Beej
- Yama Dwitiya
