Overview of Diwali Festival

There are a ton of festivals that are celebrated in Hinduism and Diwali happens to be a major one. Moreover, sometimes it is also called as the biggest Hindu holiday. It is celebrated not just in India but in other parts of the world as well. Some people often refer to Diwali as Deepavali which sometimes can also be considered the full form of Diwali festival. The term Diwali is derived from a Sanskrit word Deepavali which means Row of light, thus, Diwali meaning in english is Festival of Light.

Diwali or the light festival is celebrated every year between the months of September-end to November. The Diwali story is that this festival is celebrated to express the joys and happiness people have when Lord Rama returned back to Ayodhya. During this period of exile he also defeated the demon king, Ravana. The people of Ayodhya lit oil lamps to welcome Lord Rama and his wife, Sita, along with his brother Laxman back to the kingdom. Thus, this festival is celebrated to express the joy and happiness among people after Rama returning to Ayodhya Diwali. The tradition of lighting diyas and lamps still continues as the festival is celebrated with great zeal and excitement every year.

The festival, which is also known as the 'Festival of Lights', is celebrated in the Kartik month according to the Hindu Calendar. Diwali tends to occur every year between the months of September to November. Why is Diwali called the festival of lights? Well, this is because people light their houses with diyas and lamps and in modern times people also use a lot of electric lights in order to light their houses. On the night of Diwali there is no darkness and everyone one sees, there is always light. It is one of the major festivals celebrated in India. The entire nation comes together to celebrate Diwali. Homes are cleaned, the roads are lit and even the houses are lit as well. Moreover, Diwali is celebrated for over a week and the entire nation stays in festive mood for the entire week. The offices are closed and so are the schools and colleges. People who have migrated to other states or cities return back to their hometowns to celebrate this festival with their families and near and dear ones.

Diwali - The Backstory Of the Festival Of Lights

The history of Diwali festival is that Lord Rama was given a 14 year exile by his father Dashrath. He did so on the command of his wife and Rama’s step-mother Kaikeyi. She feared Rama becoming the king and her son not, thus she asked her husband to do so as he owed her a favour. Lord Rama along with his wife Sita mata and his younger brother Laxman went for exile. Lord Ram and Sita Mata’s stay in the forest during the period of exile was filled with ups and downs. However, the major turmoil was with the arrival of Ravana in their lives. Ravana kidnapped Sita mata in order to take revenge for his sister Shurpanakha. The later story follows with Lord Rama with the help of his brother, Laxman, and also Hanuman rescues Sita Mata.

After Lord Rama rescues Sita Mata he is welcomed back into Ayodhya with the people lighting diyas and lamps in their house and also by bursting crackers. This ritual continues even today, where Diwali is celebrated every year and people clean their houses and light it up with diyas and lamps. Moreover, people till date burst crackers as an expression of their joy and happiness.

Diwali - Significance and Importance

Diwali is a five-day festival that is celebrated with great joy and excitement. The importance of Diwali festival’s 5 days are as follows:

  1. The first day of Diwali is dedicated to the worship of Lord Kubera, the god of wealth. On this day, people perform puja to ask for blessings of wealth and prosperity.
  2. On the second day of the festival, houses are cleaned and decorated with rangoli designs and oil lamps. People also buy new clothes, jewellery, and gifts for their loved ones to celebrate the occasion.
  3. The third day is the main festival of Diwali and is celebrated by lighting oil lamps and candles, setting off firecrackers, and exchanging gifts. People also decorate their houses and make rangoli for Diwali celebrations.
  4. The fourth day of Diwali is dedicated to the worship of Lord Vishnu and his wife, Lakshmi. Why Laxmi Puja on Diwali? Well, the Laxmi Puja on Diwali significance is that people perform Puja to ask for blessings of peace, prosperity, and happiness.
  5. The final day of Diwali is celebrated as Bhai Dooj, a day when sisters perform Puja for the long life and well-being of their brothers.

In conclusion, Diwali is a festival that brings people together and celebrates the victory of good over evil. The festival is a time for joy, celebration, and the renewal of relationships between friends and family. Whether it is through lighting oil lamps, exchanging gifts, or simply enjoying delicious food, Diwali is a time to celebrate life and spread happiness. It is the time of the year when families come together and celebrate happiness and auspiciousness together. Thus, the Diwali family gathering is one of the greatest time of the year. Moreover, it is a festival that embarks a sense of joy and happiness within people.

Diwali Festival Dates

As we all know, Diwali is called the festival of lights. It is celebrated every year between the months of September to November. However, if you want to know the exact date of Diwali for the year 2023, read below and find the answer:

Diwali Indian festival is a five day festival thus, it is celebrated not on a single day but for a week. If you are also wondering about when is Diwali in 2023? Then the answer is right here. The timeline of Diwali festival for the year 2023 is from Friday, November 10, 2023 to Tuesday, November 14, 2023. The days of the festival and the five days of Diwali are as follows:

  1. - Friday, November 10, 2023 - Dhanteras
  2. - Saturday, November 11, 2023 - Choti Diwali
  3. - Sunday, November 12, 2023 - Diwali
  4. - Monday, November 13, 2023 - Padwa
  5. - Tuesday, November 14, 2023 - Bhai Dooj

Diwali Celebration In Different Parts Of India

  1. - North India

In the Northern part of India, Diwali is the greatest celebration of the entire year. People follow the entire 5 day festival with the first day beginning with Dhanteras and the last day ending at Bhai Dooj pooja.

  1. - South India

Diwali in South India is celebrated with the same zeal and enthusiasm as north India. However, the only difference is that in South India is that they do not celebrate it as the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana but of the victory of Lord Krishna over demon Narakasura.

What are the 5 days of Diwali in 2023 or how many days we celebrate Diwali?

The five days of Diwali and their respective dates for the year 2023 are as follows:

  1. - Dhanteras - 10 November, 2023, Friday
  2. - Choti Diwali - 11 November, 2023, Saturday
  3. - Diwali - 12 November, 2023, Sunday
  4. - Padwa - 13 November, 2023, Monday
  5. - Bhai Dooj - 14 November, 2023, Tuesday

What are the 5 days of Diwali?

The five days of Diwali are as follows:

  1. - Dhanteras
  2. - Choti Diwali
  3. - Diwali
  4. - Padwa
  5. - Bhai Dooj
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Frequently Asked Questions

Diwali is actually celebrated as a festival that remarks the victory of good over evil. Is it represented by the winning of Lord Rama over Ravana and his arrival back at Ayodhya. When Lord Rama returned after defeating Ravana, people welcomed him back by lighting diyas and lamps in their house and also bursting crackers in order to express their joy and happiness. Since then, Diwali is celebrated every year as the festival of lights and also to make people remember that no matter how great evil is, victory will always be of good.
Diwali celebration in India is one of the greates t year throughout the year. The Diwali theme Is ethnic for all the people celebrating it and also it is a Hindu festival, thus, generally Muslims do not celebrate this festival. However, in recent times, it is seen that a lot of muslim people take part in Diwali festivities by either visiting the annual Diwali melas or by bursting crackers.
Diwali as a festival marked its beginning after the arrival of Lord Rama in Ayodhya after defeating Ravana. He was welcomed by the natives of Ayodhya by lighting diyas and lamps and also by bursting crackers in order to express their joy and excitement. Since then the festival of Diwali is celebrated every year.
Though every festival has its importance and its significance. However, ideally there are two major Hindu festivals. These are Holi, which marks the beginning of the year and occurs in March, and the second is Diwali which is celebrated between the months of September and November.
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