This Diwali go for an unique celebration



"Diwali" or "Deepavali" is the most popular festival of India.Its the festival of lights which is celebrated in the month of autumn and spans for five days.Its an occasion to come together as a family and enjoy the festivities.

Why is Diwali celebrated?

There are more than one reason behind the celebration of this festival.But the most widely known one is related to the homecoming of Lord Ram after killing the evil king Ravan.When Lord Ram returned with his wife Sita and brother Lakhsman after completing his exile of fourteen years,people of Ayodhya celebrated the occasion by lightning diyas throughout the kingdom to welcome them.The series of diyas signifies the win of light over darkness,victory of good over evil and a ray of hope over despair.

Significance of different days of the festival 

Day one: Dhan Teras:
This day is dedicated to goddess Lakshmi.People often buy gold or silver jewelleries, utensils or metal items on this day to bring wealth and prosperity to their home.

Day two:  Chhoti Diwali or Narak Chaturdasi: 
It is the previous day of the main festival so named as chhoti diwali.People start lighting up diyas and candles around the house to welcome the festivities.As per Hindu mythology,Lord Krishna killed the demon Narkasur on this day.Hence the name Narak Chaturdashi. 

Day three: Diwali: 
Third day is the main festival.God Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi are worshiped on this auspicious day. People decorate their homes with lights and diyas,wear new cloths,enjoy various sweet and savory food items and exchange gifts with friends and relatives.

Day four: Goverdhan Puja, Padwa or Annkoot :  
The following day of diwali is celebarted in different manner in different parts of India. In northern parts of India,its celebrated as Goverdhan puja.Its belived that Lord krishna saved the villagers of Mathura from heavy rain by lifting the Govardhan hill and in this manner defeated Lord Indra.So people celebrate it by making a heap of food harvested in the season.It is also celebrated as Gujurati New year.

Day five: Bhai Dooj:
The final day of the celebration is dedicated to the bond between brother and sisters.Sisters put the 'tilak' or 'tikka' on brother's forehead and pray for their long lives.



How to Enlighten your inner self :

As the most popular festival,it surely provides all the joy and merriment.With the vibrant lights, glowing all around us lets try to bring in some of that glow into our inner self.

Cleanse your mind and soul along with the house:

Preparation of this festival starts with a deep cleaning of the house.Indian household goes on a full swing to give their home a fresh look and feel.People go for shopping decorative items, lights, candles and diyas to jazz up their home.If we are caring so much for the outside, why not do the same for our inner self.It is a time to cleanse our mind and soul from all the negativity.Time to get rid of all the things that put stress in our lives.There is no better feeling than having a mind free of clutters.So start the festival with an organized home and mind.

Accessorize new thoughts with new cloths:

Diwali signifies a new beginning.It gives a chance or hope to overcome the failures of past and the anxiety of future and start something new.As we all love to put on new attires on this day,let's work on new ideas no matter big or small that will improve our lives.Use this time to prioritize your thoughts and look ahead.

Limit the sweets, but extend the sweetness 

Diwali is known for its traditional sweets. People enjoy delicious feast with friends and family.With the modern era,the new mantra should be "control your sugar,but increase your sweetness".The world around us needs that.Be ready to help others with your utmost capacity in whatever way you can. Even a simple smile on your face can bring magic in somebody's life.So keep spreading the sweetness.

Burst your ego like the crackers

"Ego" as a thing does no good.We all know that.There are hundreds of quotes floating around on this.So I don't want to emphasize more on this.But we forget to apply the learning every time.We come up with our excuses to defend our thoughts.For once,try to keep your ego aside and give your relationships a next chance. Keep "We" before "I" and rethink the situation. Love definitely has more power than ego and it can heal any wound.So burst your ego with your Diwali crackers.

Share your joy with others

Last but not the least,Diwali is about exchanging gifts.Started as a gesture of love,now it has become a mandatory thing. People are feeling forced to keep up to this tradition.The bar keeps on rising every year with more and more expensive gifts.With this, the love and compassion which is the main purpose behind the idea of gifting is fading.So lets try to bring back the originality by sharing our joy. 

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