Diwali - Festival of Lights

Diwali or Deepavali is the Festival of Lights and is celebrated with fervour and gaiety. The festival is celebrated by young and old, rich and poor, all alike throughout the country to ward off the darkness and welcome the lights into their lives. This festival symbolises the unity in diversity as every state celebrates in its own special ways.

Significance of Diwali

Deepavali day, or is it night? It is a festival where people from all age groups participate in the festivities to give expression to their happiness by lighting earthen diyas, decorating the houses, bursting firecrackers and inviting the near and dear ones to their households for partaking in the sumptuous feast. The lighting of lamps is a way of paying obeisance to god for attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace, valour and fame.

It is one time in the whole year that children volunteer to leave their beds long before the day begins, having delayed their retiring there, in the first place as long as they possibly can, without incurring parental wrath. In Fact, the traditional oil bath at 3 a.m, is the only chore that stands between them and the predawn adventures, as they emerge, scrubbed clean to get into their festive attire, and light up little oil lamps, candles and agarbathis the wherewithal for setting alight crackers and sparklers.

Who shall set off the first chain of crackers that go boom, bang and vroom? and who is the owner of the 10-minute banger that steals the thunder from your little chain of needle-sized crackers?Does the boy next door have more crackers than me?

Competition is stiff,and even the little girl in silk pavadais, frocks and their finery are watching out for the best sparklers and flowerpots, the rockets and Vishnuchakras which light-up the night sky like a thousand stars.Grown-ups are all the souls of generosity, and its nary a harsh word of reproach except a warning to steer clear of the crackers.Crackers, clothes, good wishes and festive bonhomie abound,as if there is more coming from the bottomless source of all this happiness.