Significance of Deepawali and post Deepawali celebrations

Bali Pratipada/ Deepawali Padwa / Govardhan Puja-

Ritual- This day celebrates the bond and devotion between a husband and wife. Husbands bestow thoughtful or elaborate gifts on their wives. Newly-wed couples are accorded a feast by the family of the bride in some regions.

Some people worship Lord Krishna. In some parts, the cow is also worshipped on this day. Some people worship King Bali on this day.

This day also marks the beginning of a new year in business communities. The old books of accounts are closed and new books are opened marking the start of a new fiscal year.

Some people gamble on this day and it is a custom to play cards with family and friends.

Story behind the celebration-

This day marks the killing of the demon King Bali by Lord Vishnu in his Vamana (dwarf) Avatar, by crushing him under his feet. But since Bali was a benevolent king, marred only by his arrogance, Lord Vishnu blessed him when king Bali begged for forgiveness and granted a boon that people would remember him on this day.

There’s another story about Lord Shiva losing to Goddess Parvati in a game of dice. Gambling is thus symbolic in some households, signifying the playfulness between spouses. Husbands also shower their wives with gifts as an acceptance of defeat.

The victory of Lord Krishna over Lord Indra and the puja offered by the people to the mountain Govardhan is celebrated as Govardhan puja.

Significance- The pardoning of Bali signifies that it is never too late to make a new beginning and that the Lord always pardons those who ask to be forgiven.

The ritual also signifies that the bond between couples should also include playfulness, apart from love and devotion.

Bhai Dooj / Bhau-beej / Yamadwiteya-

Bhai Dooj is the last day of Diwali.

Ritual- Sisters give gifts to their brothers and pray for their health and happiness. They also invite their brothers to a sumptuous meal including their favorite dishes. Women who do not have brothers, worship the moon god instead.

Story behind the celebration-

A popular legend has it that the god of Death Yama met his sister Yamuna (the river) on dwiteya or the second day after Deepawali.  There is another story about Lord Krishna, where he visited his sister Subhadra after slaying Narakasura and his sister prayed for his well being by applying a tilak on his forehead and treated him to a special dinner.

Significance- The day celebrates the undying love between a brother and sister. The ceremony signifies the duty of a brother to protect his sister as well the sister’s blessings for her brother.

Significance of the Pre-Deepawali rituals

Deepawali is the “festival of lights”, and is one of the biggest Hindu festivals that is celebrated not just all over India, but all over the world and by many religions too. Deepawali is derived from the Sanskrit words- “Deep” meaning light or lamp and “awali” meaning a row or series. Deepawali thus means “a series of lights.”

The festivities are spread over five days, starting with Dhanteras and ending with Bhai Dooj.

Dhanteras –

Dhanteras is dedicated to the universal Lord of health and wealth- Dhanvantari.

Rituals- People pray to Dhanvantari for good health and wealth, thanking him for all that he has blessed them with. In some parts of the country, people also buy gold or silver articles, as it is considered to be an auspicious day for buying new things.

Story behind the celebration- Dhanteras celebrates the churning of the cosmic ocean of milk (Samudra Manthan), between the Gods and the Demons. The purchasing of gold and silver is associated with the treasures that were obtained as a result of the Samudra Manthan, including the birth of Goddess Lakshmi and Dhanvantari.

Significance- The day signifies a war between the good and evil forces. Both forces reside in our hearts. The Samudra Manthan signifies the turbulence created when the good and evil thoughts clash. The birth of Goddess Lakshmi and Dhanvantari signifies the prosperity we can achieve when we let good rule over evil.

Naraka Chaturdashi  / Roop Chaturdashi-

The second day is celebrated as Naraka Chaturdashi or Choti Deepawali. In some parts it is also celebrated as Roop Chaturdashi.

Rituals- Some people indulge in special ritualistic bath with fragrant oils followed by minor pujas. Some women also decorate their hands with hennas.  Roop Chaturdashi is a day to take care of oneself and beautify the self not just from outside but also from within in preparation of the festival.

The story behind the celebration- Lord Krishna’s wife Satyabhama killed the evil demon Narakasura on this day. Narakasura the tyrant demon had a boon that he could be killed only at the hands of his mother, Bhudevi. Satyabhama, who was an incarnation of Bhudevi or Goddess Earth, slayed the demon and restored happiness to the people of his kingdom. Lord Krishna and Satyabhama are said to have taken a ritualistic bath with fragrant oils to rid themselves of the travails of the battle.

Significance- The significance of the story is that, parents must not hesitate to punish their children if they happen to stray on the path of wrong doing. The ritualistic bath signifies the purging the self of evil and the beautification signifies not just beutifying one self from outside but also from within.

A liitle bit of royalty and a lot to rejoice!

Called Nadahabba or the festival of the state, Dasara is truly a festival that is celebrated with pomp and gaiety throughout Karnataka and also the southern part of the country. Among the various places where Dasara is celebrated in South India, the Mysore Dasara stands out as much as for its royal connections as for the abundance it brings to the common man.

Visiting the Royal palace in the city of Mysore, one is literally transported back to the era of kings and queens! Where else would you expect to see elaborately decorated elephants, horses and camels march in harmony with the dressed up senapatis, even as the whole city and visitors from the country and abroad cheer the royal processions! Added to that is the grand Durbar that the King of the palace from the Wodeyar dynasty, holds each year, chairing the gem studded throne and worshipping the royal sword. Even if it is just for ten days, the whole atmosphere metamorphoses into one of grandeur and splendor!

Goddess Chamundeshwari, the incarnation of Durga, the slayer of the buffalo demon Mahishasura and the demons Chanda and Munda, is brought down from her abode in the hills and taken in a huge procession around the city. As the Goddess majestically sits in a mantapa made of a whooping 750 kilos gold, carried atop a bejeweled elephant – the Jumbo Savari – as it is called, the audience cannot help but be dazzled by the exuberance of piety mixed with pizzazz! The colourful tableaux, dances, and music bands add color to the festivities.

Elsewhere in Karnataka and also in her sister states of TamilNadu, AndhraPradesh and Kerala, decorating the house with dolls, called Gombe, Golu, Kolu, or Gullu respectively, is a part of the ten day celebration. Articulately arranged dolls sit smug on steps made with wooden planks and covered with white cloth, giving vent to individual creativity and the art of story-telling, passed over to them as a part of their traditions. Gods and goddesses vie for place on the pedestal with toys depicting everyday scenes, court life, puranas, royal processions, rath yatras, and weddings.

An interesting and must have pair of dolls made of teak or sandal wood are the Marapachi Bommai or Pattada Gombe, which are an elegantly dressed couple, the bride and the groom, probably signifying Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi. What makes the festival fun are the contests, where households participate in a friendly competition for best decorated Golu and most delicious prasadams!

Saraswati puja marks the seventh day of the festival where books and musical instruments are worshipped and Ayudha puja on the ninth day when the tools used in individual professions are worshipped. The most important day is Vijayadashami, which is celebrated on the tenth day. Little children who are ready to begin schooling are inducted into writing their first alphabets on a plate of rice using a root of turmeric.

As much fun as this festival of dolls is, it also has its spiritual significance. It is a means of invoking the divine into our houses. It is a message that everything from the animate to the inanimate is connected to the Supreme. It also evinces your strengths and urges you to get rid of your inner demons.

May this festival shower you with abundance in every aspect of your life!

When the Mother Goddess comes visiting!

A Bengali neighborhood beset with colorful pandals.

Imposing idols that leave you awestruck. Rows upon rows of colorful lighting that is a feast to the eyes.

The fervent beating of the Dhaks and the Dhols amidst the blowing of conches and ululations reaching a crescendo with the simultaneous thumping of your heart.

The smells wafting in the air, leading you to the sumptuous bhog and the mouth-watering delicacies.

Beautifully dressed ladies in traditional crisp, white sarees with red borders and sporting huge vermillion bindis on their foreheads.

That pretty much sums up the biggest festival of the eastern part of India- DurgaPujo!

As behind all Indian festivals, there is an interesting story behind the installation of these huge idols. The festival is said to mark the annual visit of Sati to her parents’ house.

King Daksha’s beautiful daughter Sati nursed a desire to marry Lord Shiva. She undertook a difficult penance, worshiping the Lord. Pleased with her devotion and worship, Lord Shiva married her. This invoked the wrath of her egoistic father, who abhorred the marriage of his daughter to the ascetic Shiva. To register his displeasure, Daksha conducted a yagna but purposefully did not invite Lord Shiva. Humiliated and angered Sati jumped into the sacrificial fire giving up her life.

The saddened and enraged LordShiva took on a fierce avatar and slew Daksha though the Lord later forgave him and brought him back to life giving him the head of a goat. Daksha's pride was shattered. 

Sati was reborn as Parvati and reunited with her Lord. Since peace had been restored between her husband and her father, she is believed to visit her parents annually in the month of Ashvin along with her entourage.

This is brought alive in form of beautiful clay idols depicting scenes from the stories of Goddess Durga.

What greets you at the pandal is the captivating idol of the Goddess with thick, long flowing hair, alluring almond shaped eyes, bedecked in all her finery, strikingly beautiful in her rage, riding a lion. With ten outstretched arms, she holds war weapons; slaying a demon with a glistening trident.Accompanying her, are her sons- Lord Ganesha and Lord Karthik, along with Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Saraswati and her two Sakhis- friends Jaya and Bijaya.

The whiff of flowers and incense is surreal and the rhythmic beats of the dhaks and dhols transport you a different world. It is amazing how your physical self seamlessly transcends into a spiritual realm, even as you stand before her with folded hands and closed eyes.

As you soak in the abundance of art, colorful lights and music, coupled with the delicious aroma of food and the sound of laughter, you can feel your senses bloom in delight!

The festivities that begin with Mahalaya, reach a crescendo by day six, called as Soshti. The seventh-day isMahaSaptami. Navapatrikapujan is an important ritual on this day, marked by offering a bunch leaves from nine different plants representing the nine forms of the Goddess Durga.

Durgashtami is celebrated on the eighth day.Pushpanjali or worshipping with flowers amidst chanting of mantras is done. Bedecked, pre-pubescent girls are worshipped as an embodiment of Goddess Durga during the Kumarika Pujan.

The ninth day is MahaNabami. Ayudha Puja is also celebrated on this day, where people worship tools, implements of their livelihood and place it before the goddess and pray before her.

The tenth day is Bijayadashami which brings the festivities to an end. Devi Boron marks the final sendoff of the Mother to her abode amidst throwing of the vermilion on each other in a ritual called te Sindoor Khela. 

After this elaborate ritual, all those beautifully sculpted pandals are brought down and it is time for the Visarjan and the idols are immersed in the river. 

Whether it is the unbelievable pageant of lights or the elaborate Maha-aartis at pandals, the aroma of the food or the perfume of incense and flowers, the beating of the dhaks or the ululations and conch blowing, the glitter of the deity or the glamour of womenfolk, the Durga Pujo has it all!

The boisterous spirit of the festival never fails to cast a spell or leave you charmed, the spirituality behind the revelry striking a chord deep within.

Durga - the Divine Goddess

A manifestation of the Supreme Power Adishakti herself, Devi Durga is the embodiment of the three flowing channels of primordial energy (and the subsequent kundalini powers) – 

Maha Lakshmi (Central Energy Channel), 

Maha Saraswati (Right Energy Channel) and 

Maha Kali (Left Energy Channel). 

These energies mold together to generate the ultimate source of energy as Ma Durga.The Supreme power and the mother of all Gods and Goddesses, Maa Durga is the ultimate primordial being and  establishes the supremacy of goodness over evil. The Durga-stuti evokes the divine mother in all the forms in which she is manifested in all existence.

Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu Maatru rupena samasthita  

To the Divine Goddess who resides in all existence in the form of universal mother

Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu Shakti rupena samasthita 

To the Divine Goddess who resides in all existence in the form of energy

Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu Buddhi rupena samasthita  

To the Divine Goddess who resides in all existence in the form of intellegence

Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu Laxmi rupena samasthita 

To the Divine Goddess who resides in all existence in the form of true wealth

Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu Trishna rupena samsthita 

To the Divine Goddess who resides in all existence in the form of desire

Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu Chaya rupena samsthita  

To the Divine Goddess who resides in all existence in the form of comfort 

Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu Vishnu mayeti  samsthita  

To the Divine Goddess who resides in all existence in the form of vishnu maya

Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu Nidra rupena samsthita  

To the Divine Goddess who resides in all existence in the form of sleep

Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu Shraddha rupena samsthita  

To the Divine Goddess who resides in all existence in the form of faith

Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu Shanti rupena samsthita 

To the Divine Goddess who resides in all existence in the form of peace

Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu Tushti rupena samsthita  

To the Divine Goddess who resides in all existence in the form of contentment

Namestasyai II Namestasyai II Namestasyai 

                        Namo Namah II 

  We bow to her, we bow to her, continually we bow to her.