what does diwali mean 2 hindus??

Question

hey
im doin an re project on festivals. for hinduism i chose diwali. i want to ask hindus want sort of feelings they have, do they enjoy diwali, what important things happen and stuff like that. thanks its a big help!xxx

Answer 1

Diwali is an important festival of hindus. There are many reasons to celebrate diwali but a few are

- Lord Rama, the god incarnated came back to his kingdom (Ayodhya) after killing demon Ravana. So to welcome him all the public celebrated Diwali

- Demon Narkasur was killed on this day

- The dark energies prevailing during 4 months (july-oct) exhaust and good energies start pouring in from Diwali day.

- Sikh Guru Nanak Dev ji got enlightenment this day.

Hindus celebrate diwali with great zeal... prior to diwali people paint their houses and purchase new ornaments and gifts.

On Diwali day Goddess Laxmi (goddess of wealth) is worshipped... whole houses are decorated with lights and children enjoy fireworks. Sweets and gifts are exchanged, as christians do on x-mas.

It is said that goddess laxmi comes to our house so we keep the lights lit all night and keep door of temple opened.

if anything else u wish to know pls ask

Answer 2

Deepavali, also called Diwali or Divali, is a major Hindu festival that is very significant in Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism. Known as the "Festival of Lights," it symbolises the victory of good over evil, and lamps are lit as a sign of celebration and hope for humankind. Celebrations focus on lights and lamps, particularly traditional dīpa or deeya. Fireworks are associated with the festival. Diwali is a colloquial name used in North India, while the festival is formally called Deepavali in South India.

Diwali is celebrated for five consecutive days at the end of Hindu month of Ashwayuja. It usually occurs in October/November, and is one of the most popular and eagerly awaited festivals in India. Diwali comes exactly twenty days after Dussehra. Hindus and Sikhs alike regard it as a celebration of life and use the occasion to strengthen family and social relationships. For Hindus it is one of the most important festivals, and beginning of the year in some Hindu calendars. There are several beliefs regarding the origin of the holiday. The most repeated version is that Hindus celebrate Diwali to mark the time when Lord Rama achieved victory over Ravana. Some also view it as the day Krishna defeated the demon Narakasura or in honor of the day Bali went to rule the nether-world, obeying the order of Vishnu. It is also a significant festival for the Sikh faith. In India, Diwali is now considered to be more of a national festival, and the aesthetic aspect of the festival is enjoyed by most Indians regardless of faith.

Dates in various calendars
The festival is worshipped on exactly the same set of days across India. It falls in different months depending on the version of the Hindu calendar being used in the given region.

The Amantnm ("ending on the no-moon") version of the Hindu Calendar has been adopted as the Indian national calendar. According to this calendar, which is prevalent in southern India and Maharashtra, Deepavali falls in the middle of the month of Ashwayuja. According to the Purnimanta ("ending on the full-moon") version prevalent in northern India, the 5-day celebration is spread over the last three days of the month of Ashwayuja and the first two days of the new month of Kartika. In the Gregorian calendar, it falls generally in the months of October or November.

The festival marks the victory of good over evil. The Sanskrit word Deepavali means an array of lights that stands for victory of brightness over darkness. As the knowledge of Sanskrit diminished, the name was popularly modified to Diwali, especially in northern India. In South India, Diwali does not coincide with the beginning of a new year as South Indians follow a different calendar, the Shalivahana calendar.

On the day of Diwali, many wear new clothes, share sweets and snacks, and light firecrackers. Some North Indian business communities start their financial year on Diwali and new account books are opened on this day. Ome clothes are called the sari, shalwar, garara, dhoti and khurta. Bhindis are worn on the forehead for women.

Hindus find cause to celebrate this festival for different reasons:

-It commemorates the killing of Narakasura, an evil demon who created havoc, by Lord Krishna's wife Sathyabhama. This happened in the Dwapara Yuga during this time of Lord Krishna's avatar. In another version, the demon was killed by Lord Krishna himself. Before Narakasura's death, he requested a boon from his mother, Sathyabhama, that everyone should celebrate his death with colorful light.

- According to the Skanda Purana, the goddess Shakti observed 21 days of austerity starting from ashtami of shukla paksha (eighth day of the waxing period of moon) to get half of the body of Lord Shiva. This vrata (austerity) is known as kedhara vrata. Deepavali is the completion day of this austerity. This is the day Lord Shiva accepted Shakti into the left half of the form and appeared as Ardhanarishvara. The ardent devotees observe this 21 days vrata by making a kalasha with 21 threads on it and 21 types of offerings for 35 days. The final day is celebrated as kedhara gauri vrata.

- Diwali also celebrates the return of Lord Rama, King of Ayodhya, with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana to Ayodhya from a war in which he killed the demon king Ravana. It is believed that the people lit oil lamps along the way to light their path in the darkness. This is the reason, why the festival is celebrated a day earlier in South India since Lord Rama travelled from the south to his kingdom in the north. In North India, the festival is held on the final day of the Vikram calendar. The following day marks the beginning of the North Indian new year, and is called Annakut.

- In Bhavishyottara and Bramhavaivarta Purana, Diwali is associated with the Daitya king Bali, who is allowed to return to earth once a year. Some believe that the "festival of lights" came from the theory that light would keep Bali away from your house.