Diwali or Dipawali is the festival of light celebrated worldwide by the Indians irrespective of caste or creed. It is the celebration of the homecoming of Lord Rama after a 14-year exile in the forest and his victory over the Ravana.OUR CELEBRATION OF KALI PUJA....
Goddess Kali is worshipped on this day and in the Eastern Part of India, Diwali is also known as Kali Puja. The goddess is depicted as standing on Lord Shiva’s chest with her tongue stuck out. She holds a severed head in one hand and an edge tool on the other hand a garland of skulls hang around her neck. People worship her for the destruction of evil. She is the darker side of Maa Durga, the embodiment of Shakti.
According to the legends, it is said the demon Raktaveeja received a boon that he will remain immortal and with each drop of his blood several other demons like him will be produced. As his brutal power started engulfing the whole universe goddess Durga took Kali avatar. She then killed the demon and started drinking Raktaveeja’s blood before it fell on the ground. The killing spree of Kali was so intense that even after killing the demons she continued her thirst for blood killing everything that came on her way. To stop her, Shiva threw himself on her feet which made goddess Kali to regain her conscious.Since then, people celebrate Kali Puja with crackers, lamps, sacrifices and chanting hymns for her blessings.
FIVE DAYS OF DIWALI OR KALI PUJA... ..
The celebration of Diwali is not for one day but it lasts for five days and each day holds special significance.
• Dhanteras – the first day:
The 13th lunar day of Krishna pakshya is known as Dhanwantari Trayodashi also popularly known as Dhanteras. It is believed that on this day Dhanwantari came out of the ocean for the welfare of humankind with his magical ayurveda. On this day people also worship Yama – the god of Death and light a ‘Yama Diya’ for him.
• Choti Diwali – the second day:
This is also known as Narak Chaturdasi. It is the celebration of the death of Narakasur by Shri Krishna’s wife Satyabhama. People get an oil massage and take a bath and those who don’t it is believed that they to Hell.
• Bari Diwali or Laxmi Puja– the third day:This is the main day of the celebration when people perform the Diwali puja (worshipping Laxmi and Ganesha). People clean their homes and decorate them with beautiful lights and rangoli. Later, at night they get together with their friends and families and burn fire crackers.
• Govardhan Puja– the fourth day:
As per the legends, it is believed that to save the villagers of Gokula from rain and thunder storm Lord Krishna, worshipped Govardhana Mountain on this day. Hence, the tradition continues.
• Bhai Dhooj– the fifth day:
This is the day when the sisters, pray for their brothers’ longer lives. According to the legends, on this day Yama (god of Death) went to his sister Yamuna and gave boon to all the sisters that if their brothers visit them on this day then, they will be freed from all their sins. Since then, the tradition exists. In Bengal, this day is known as ‘Bhai fota’. It is the last day of the celebration.
