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|  THE FIVE DAYS OF DIWALI: CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS
Dhanteras:
The first day of the festival of Diwali or Deepavali begins with
Dhanteras
or Dhanatrayodashi, a day set aside to worship Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of
wealth and prosperity. It falls on the 13th lunar day in the Hindu calendar
month of Kartik (October/ November). People of the Hindu faith wake up very early
in the morning on this Diwali day to start preparations for the worship and
bathing rituals. They clean their homes and shops, decorate the entrances with
garlands of mango leaves and marigold flowers, draw
Rangolis or multi-colored motifs on doorways to welcome the Goddess and arrange diyas
in and around the houses which are to be lit in the evening. Since this day of
Diwali or Deepavali is associated with �dhan� or wealth, people buy gold and
silver jewelry, new utensils, new clothes and other such items. Coins,
representing wealth, are also worshipped in the evening of Dhanteras.
In the villages of India,
worshipping of cattle by farmers on this day of Diwali is very common. And in
South India, cows are offered special prayers on this first day of Deepavali
celebrations, as they are considered to be the incarnations of the Goddess. This
day of Diwali is also very important to the mercantile community of western
India. They renovate and decorate their business premises on
Dhanteras,
the first of the Deepavali days.
Naraka Chaturdasi:
The second day of Diwali or Deepavali is known as Naraka Chaturdasi or Kali
Chaudas. It is the 14th lunar day of the dark fortnight and the eve of Diwali.
Kali, the Goddess of strength is worshipped on this day of Deepavali. People
light lamps or diyas and burn crackers to drive away evil forces and indulge
head-on into the Deepavali celebrations. They also visit their relatives and
friends with Diwali
gifts,
cards and
sweets to wish them "A
Happy Diwali".
Oil-baths are taken on
Naraka Chaturdasi or Kali Chaudas to symbolize the cleaning and purification of
one�s body, mind and soul. People wake up before sunrise to take this holy bath
with oil and �Uptan� (a special paste prepared for the day). After this, the
cooking for Diwali usually starts amidst much joy and laughter.
This day of Diwali also
focuses on casting away laziness and evil from the face of the world. And
another name for this day is Chhoti Diwali (small Diwali), it being just the day
before the actual BIG day of Diwali or Deepavali celebrations !
Diwali:
The third day of Diwali or Deepavali is the big day and central to the festival
of lights. It is known as Badi Diwali (big Diwali), or more commonly just Diwali.
This falls on the last day of the lunar calendar year and is the most important
day of the five-day long Diwali celebrations. Falling on a no-moon day, this day
is the darkest day of the year.
This day of Diwali
witnesses the prime of Deepavali celebrations when the festive fervor reaches
its peak with firecrackers bursting everywhere, people rejoicing with
friends
and family,
every Hindu family performing the Lakshmi-puja (worship of Goddess Lakshmi) with
the traditional �aarti� (a Hindu ritual of waving lamps in front of the deities) and
diyas glowing in and around every house. Hindu businessmen perform the
Chopda Pujan (worship of the ledger) on this day on new books of accounts. In a
nutshell, this day of Diwali is a day of mega celebration everywhere.
Annakoot:
The fourth day of Diwali or Deepavali is known as Annakoot meaning �mountain of
food�. It is also sometimes known as Padwa or Varshapratipada, and marks the
coronation of King Vikramaditya. This day of Diwali is the beginning of the
Vikram-Samvat or the New Year.
On this Deepavali day, old
business accounts are settled and new accounts are opened. The North Indians
perform the Govardhan Puja on this fourth day of Diwali. They build little hills
made of cow dung (symbolizing Govardhan, an incarnation of Lord Krishna) and
worship these. In temples, the deities are given milkbath, dressed in gorgeous
attires with adornments of dazzling stones. After the prayers and worship
different kinds of traditional Diwali
sweets
are ceremoniously raised in the shape of a mountain. This is known as �Bhog� and
is then shared by all the devotees on this holy occasion of Diwali or Deepavali.
Bhai Dooj:
The fifth day of Diwali celebrations is Bhai Dooj or Bhaiyya Dooj, which marks
the end of the five days of Deepavali celebrations. This is a day dedicated to
the sisters, who are visited on this day by their loving brothers with special
gifts. The sisters put a �tilak� (sacred mark) on their brothers� foreheads and
bless them with a long life full of happiness. They even cook for their dear
brothers on Bhai Dooj and enjoy each other�s company to their heart�s content.
This last day of Diwali observes the love between brothers and sisters and is a
day of great warmth and joy.�
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