DIWALI OR DEEPAWALI is “the festival of lights”
It is one of the most widely celebrated festivals of hindus. It is celebrated with great enthusiasm throughout India and in some other parts of the world.
It marks the victory of lord Rama over Ravana and the homecoming of lord Rama after an exile of 14 years. This festival is the symbol of victory of the forces of virtue over evil.
Significance of diwali: hindus worship Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth , on this day. They offer prayers so that goddess lakshmi may visit their houses and bestow prosperity. As it is celebrated in every corner of the country, it becomes the symbol of unity.
The most important and big part of the festival of lights is lighting diyas. Each and every home tiny diyas are lit. Do you know what it signify? Diyas symbolize goodness and purity , and lighting them denotes dispelling darkness and going into light. It also denotes dispelling greed and other vices. The lamps stand for good luck.
Apart from lights, colors also play a big role in this festival. Houses are freshly painted and adorned with multitude of decorations. Colors are noticeable through in the traditional rangoli patterns that grace the entrance of every home. It is created at the entrance ,not only to welcome the guest that visit , but also the goddess herself. RANGOLI is also known as alpana , aripoma , or kolam. The word rangoli is derived from the words ‘rang’ and ‘aavalli’ which refers to a row of colors.
Every festival is incomplete without sweets. So is diwali. Sweets are integral part of diwali celebration. It is an old tradition of considering sweets to be pure and an offering to the gods. There are hundred types of varieties of sweets ranging from laddoo , barfi , gulab jamun etc
DIWALI means start of a new year. We welcome new year by firing crackers , wearing new clothes, visiting temples and exchanging sweets. The sweets we give at time of diwali are for wishing our friends and family a prosperous and happy new year.
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Mirza Rida Fathima,11-B, Indian Community School,Khaitan Branch |