All that is good in mankind is concentrated in the deeds of the god-king Ram, the ruler of
Ayodhya. Lord Rama, the moral man with his moral way of life are the reasons for celebrating India's popular festival of Dussehra and Diwali. Diwali comes exactly
20 days after Dussehra on Amavas (new moon), during fortnight of kartik, some time in October or November.
On the day of
Dussehra, Ram, killed the great demon
Ravan, who had abducted Ram's wife
Sita to his kingdom of Lanka. Ram, along with his brother
Lakshman and devoted follower
Hanuman, and an army of monkeys fought a great battle to rescue his lovely wife Sita. The war against Ravan lasted for ten days. Sita had been returned to her husband Ram and they now make their way to Ayodhya in triumph and glory. Thus, it is on the Diwali day that Lord Ram, the incarnation of
Lord Vishnu in the
Treta Yug, returned to his capital Ayodhya after the exile of fourteen years.
Consequently, to commemorate the return of
Ram,
Sita and
Lakshman to Ayodhya, people celebrate Diwali with the bursting of crackers and by lighting up their houses with earthen diyas. This grand style of celebration have continued, year after year. To this day, the whole of Ramayana is enacted in dramas staged in huge pandals and maidans, in cities, towns and villages, on the occasion of Dussehra and Diwali.
The festival of Diwali reminds us of the festive season of joy, splendor, enthusiasm and happiness. It is the festival of lights and is celebrated with great excitement by all Indians all over the world. The uniqueness of the festival is that it is celebrated for five days and each of the days has a special significance and importance. Each of the five days is based of five varied philosophies, with each day to a special thought or ideal. The first day of Diwali is called the Dhanteras, Dhanwantari Triodasi or Dhantryaodashi, which falls on the thirteenth day of the month of Ashwin. On this day, Lord Dhanwantari came out of the ocean with Ayurveda for mankind. This day marks the beginning of Diwali celebrations. On this day at sunset offerings are made of sweets during worship time to Lord Yama (the Lord of Death) for the protection from untimely death. It is mainly done near a Tulsi tree (basil tree) or any other sacred tree.
The second day is called the Narak Chaturdasi. It is the Choti Diwali celebration. On this day Lord Krishna killed the demon Narakasur and made the world free from evil power. It falls on the fourteenth lunar day of the dark fortnight of the month of Kartik and the eve of Diwali. The third and the most important day of Diwali is marked with Lakshmi Puja. It is the main day of celebration. On this day Goddess Laxmi is worshipped. All the Hindu family clean their house and themselves and join with their families and relative the puja of divine Goddess Lakshmi to achieve the blessings of wealth and prosperity, the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. Diwali marks the last day of financial year in traditional Hindu business and businessmen perform Chopda Pujan on this day on the new books of accounts. Any new business or venture starts with Diwali puja. The fourth day of Diwali is called Padwa or VarshaPratipada and Govardhan Puja, that marks the coronation of King Vikramaditya and Vikaram-Samvat was started from this Padwa day. On this day, Govardhan Pooja is performed. Many thousands of years ago, Lord Krishna caused the people of Vraja to perform Govardhan Pooja. From that time onwards every year Hindus worship Govardhan. This day is also observed as Annakoot and prayers are offered in the temples. The fifth day of Diwali is celebrated as Bhai Duj or Bhratri Dooj. This is the day after Goverdhan Pooja is performed and normally two days after Diwali. It is a day dedicated to brothers and sisters. The rituals are more or less like Raksha Bandhan where the sisters pray for the well being of their brothers. The celebration of Bhai Dooj marks the end of the five days of Diwali celebrations. This is also known as Bhai fota among Bengalis. Bhai fota is an event especially among Bengalis when the sister prays for her brother's safety, success and well-being.
http://www.festivalsinindia.net/diwali/celebrations/index.htmlhttp://www.diwalifestival.org/importance-of-dussehra.html
