Regional Variations within India
The celebrations vary in different regions:
South India
In South India, the festival is called Deepavali- In Southern India, Narakasura vadha
is the main day, with celebrations involving bursting firecrackers at
dawn after Lakshmi puja.It is celebrated as Narakachaturdashi in
Karnataka,
- Deepavali is one of the seven most important festivals of Andhra Pradesh.
It is very popular with children who celebrate Deepavali because of the
excitement of bursting firecrackers. Special shops to sell firecrackers
are set up in all towns, cities and bigger villages. There are some
pseudo-traditional customs followed such as buying new clothes for this
festival. Buying new home or vehicles is considered auspicious. Special
sweets are made too. Some eateries in Hyderabad make some delicious sweets during Deepavali which will not be available
at any other time. Meat and alcohol are generally not consumed.
Tradition has it that Andhraites gift sweets during Deepavali. Some
areas host local stage story telling called Hari Katha. Some areas may
put a huge Narakasura dummy made with firecrackers. This will be burst
by a person dressed as Lord Krishna or, more accurately, a costume of Satyabhama, the consort of Lord Krishna, who actually killed the demon Narakasura; an event that is celebrated as Deepavali for generations. The evening sky of Deepavali is a colourful sight to watch.
- The main festival in Karnataka
is on the first day - Narakachaturdashi and third day - Balipadyami,
with no celebration on the second day of "Amavasye". The festivities
begin a day, during which water is stored (following the tradition,
since running water was not available with ease, and it had to be
carried from nearby ponds and lakes) for the next day's oil bath in the
early hours of the morning. Then the entire house is cleaned and new
clothes are purchased for the entire family (signifies becoming a
new/better person by giving up darkness within us) which is followed by
lighting of oil lamps around the house and bursting firecrackers. The
third day is Bali Padyami celebrating Vamana's victory over "Mahabli"
- In Tamil Nadu and Kerala it is celebrated as Deepavali. People
celebrate this by lighting deepams, bursting firecrackers, wearing new
clothes and sharing sweets. Even though not celebrated much, it comes as
one of the biggest festivals in Kerala too, like Onam, Vishu, Christmasn & Eid-ul-fitr.
A traditional visit to the Temple is a significant ritual of the day.
In Tamil Nadu, the "row of lamps" are lit a few days after deepavali for
a series of days called "Karthikay deepam".
Andhra Pradesh
In North India, Diwali is usually celebrated during the evenings with
fireworks and diyas. However, in Andhra Pradesh, the festivities start
out at the crack of dawn and carry on well into the night. Most people
make a trip to the local temple along with their families to seek the
blessings of their respective Gods. The night sky is lit up with a
scintillating array of noisy fireworks.
People decorate their homes much like the Hyderabadi royalty would
have done centuries ago. Homes are lit up with hundreds of diyas and
colorful Diwali Rangolis (link) adorn the doorways. For children, it is
similar to Christmas in western countries; they get new clothes to wear,
delicious food to gorge on, and for once, they are allowed to make much
noise. In Hyderabad, there is a unique tradition of bathing a buffalo
on Diwali day. Another custom involves decorating homes with paper
figures.
Festivities cut across boundaries to move on from the small villages
to the big towns, often beginning almost a month before Deepawali. Sales
of expensive silk saris, jewelry, ornaments, and household goods
increase. From the poor to the rich, everyone indulges in the largest
shopping spree of the year. Sweets, which are an integral part of any
festival in Andhra Pradesh, are prepared or purchased from shops. The
festival is full of messages depicting one or more aspects of human
life, relationships, and ancient traditions.
Maharashtra
In Mahrashtra, Diwali starts from Vasubaras which is the 12th day of the 2nd half of the marathi month Ashvin. This day is celebrated by performing an Aarti of the cow and its calf- which is a symbol of love between mother and her baby.
The next day is Dhanatrayodashi or Dhanteras. This day is of special importance for traders and business people.
The 14th day of Ashvin is Narakchaturdashi. On this day, people wake up before sunrise and bathe after rubbing scented oil on their body (they also bathe using Utna). After this the entire family visits a temple and offers prayers to their God. After this visit, everyone feasts on Faralkaranji", "ladoo", "shankarpale", 'anarase' and "mithai" as well as some spicy eatables like "chakli", "shev" 'kadboli' and "chivda". which is a special Diwali preparation consisting of delectable sweets such as "
Then comes Lakshmi- poojan. It occurs on Amavasya i.e. no moon day. The dark night is illuminated by lamps and at dusk crackers are burst. New account books are opened after a pooja. The Bombay Stocky Exchange performs a token bidding called Muhurta bidding. Generally the traders do not make any payments on that day (according to their belief Lakshmi
should not be given away but must come home). In every household, cash,
jewellery and an idol of the goddess Lakshmi is worshipped. Friends,
neighbours and relatives are invited over and celebrations are in full
swing. The broom used to clean one's house is also worshipped as a
symbol of Lakshmi in some places .
Padwa' is the 1st day of the new month ' Kartik in the
Hindu calendar. It marks the start of Hindu financial year. Its a
special day for Husband and wife. The wife puts tika on her husbands
forehead and gets an expensive gift.
Bhaubeej ' it is the time where in the bond of love between a
brother and sister is further strengthened as the sister asks God for
her brother/s long and successful life while she receives presents from
her beloved brother/s.
Tulsi vivah also known as Khopdi Ekadashi which is considered as an
important part of diwali comes on immediately next ekadashi. This day
marathi people do lighting and bath the statues of god. it is considered
a very auspicious day. This year both Bakri Id and Khopdi ekadashi are
falling on the same day - 17th November, 2010.
Homes are cleaned and decorated before Diwali. Offices perform puja.
Bonuses and holidays are granted to employees on these auspicious days.
People buy property and gold on these days too. Children build replica
forts in memory of the founder of Maratha Empire, Shivaji maharaj. For children, Fire works, new clothes and sweets make Dipavali the most eagerly awaited festival of the year.
Orissa
Deepavali is celebrated with great joy. Rows of oil lamps, candles
adorn the thresholds of all houses. Crackers are burst, sweetmeals are
relished and distributed. Some people also worship goddess Kali and some goddess Laxmi.
Tarpanam is done in the early morning of deepavali. All the members of the
household gather together just after dusk. A rangoli of a sailboat is
made on the ground. The boat has seven chambers. Over the drawing of
each different chamber several items are kept - cotton, mustard, salt,
asparagus root, turmeric and a wild creeper. Over the central chamber
are the offerings meant for prasad. Perched over the prasad is a jute
stem with a cloth wick tied around the edge. It is lit at the beginning
of the puja. All members of the family hold a bundle of jute stems in
their hands, Lighting their respective bundles from the flame on the
rangoli, they raise them skywards chanting:
"Bada badua ho, andhaara re aasa, aluwa re jaa. Baaisi pahaacha re
gada gadau tha." ("O forefathers, come to us in this dark evening, we
light your way to heaven. May you attain salvation on the 22 steps of
the Jagannath temple of Puri.)
Beside the rangoli, a mortar and pestle and a plough are also kept
and worshiped. After the puja and offerings, the family celebrates
Diwali festival by bursting crackers. As in other regions, most people
prefer to celebrate it in their own homes, though family gatherings are
also common. For Diwali houses are brightly lit, with the doors and
windows kept open as Lakshmi is supposed to visit every home, and you
can't afford to leave it dark and abandoned. Various kinds of Pithaa are prepared and given to the dieties and forefathers,and enjoyed with family and friends.The festival is a famous affair in Bhadrak, Cuttack & Jaipur area.
Kolkata
Kali Puja is light-up night for Kolkata, corresponding to the festival of Diwali (pronounced Dipabali in Bengali), where people light candles in memory of the souls of departed ancestors. The Goddess Kali is worshipped at night on one night during this festival. This is also a night of fireworks, with local youth burning sparklers and crackers throughout the night. Kolkata had to pass legislature a few years back to ban fireworks which break the 65 decibel sound limit, as ambient noise levels were going up to 90 decibels or more in parts of the city.
Goa & Konkan
Diwali begins in Konkan and Goa on the day of Naraka Chaturdashi.The
houses are cleaned and decorated with Kandil, lamps, mango leaves, and
marigold flowers. The utensils are made to shine, filled with water, and
decorated for the holy bath the following morning. On this day,
paper-made effigies of Narakasura, filled with grass and crackers symbolising evil, are made.
These effigies are burnt at around four o'clock in the morning the
following day/ Crackers are burst, and people return home to take a
scented oil bath. Lamps are lit in a line. Aarti of the men,gifts are exchanged,a bitter berry called as kareet is crushed under the feet in token of killing Narkasur, symbolising evil and removal of ignorance. Different varieties of Poha
and sweets are made and eaten with family and friends. Festivities
continue til Tulsi vivah and lamps are lit every evening. Celebrations
include Lakshmi puja on the Diwali day,Krishna puja or Govardhan puja
and cattle worship on Balipatipada day, Bhaubeej, and Tulsi vivah. In Konkan diwali is called "Chavdis". The women of the house perform
Mehndi is applied on women's hands at a Diwali Mela.
To add to the festival of Diwali, fairs (or melas) are held throughout India.
Melas are to be found in many towns and villages. A mela generally
becomes a market day in the countryside when farmers buy and sell
produce. Girls and women dress attractively during the festival. They
wear colourful clothing and new jewelry, and their hands are decorated with henna designs.
Diwali is celebrated in various parts of the world, particularly
those with large populations of Indian and Hindu origin. These include
countries such as Australia,Canada, Fiji, Guyana, Surinam, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal[15], New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
With more and more Indians now migrating to various parts of the world,
the number of countries where Diwali / Deepavali is celebrated has been
gradually increasing. While in some countries it is celebrated mainly
by Indian expatriates, in others it has become part of the general local
culture. In most of these countries Diwali is celebrated on the same
lines as described in this article with some minor variations. Some
important variations are worth mentioning.
In Nepal,
Diwali is known as "Tihar" or "Swanti". It is celebrated during the
October/November period. Here the festival is celebrated for five days
and the traditions vary from those followed in India. On the first day
(Kaag tihar), crows are given offerings, considering them to be divine
messengers. On the second day (Kukur tihar), dogs are worshipped for
their honesty. On the third day, Laxmi puja and worship of cow is
performed. This is the last day according to Nepal Sambat,
so many of the businessmen clear their accounts on this day and on
finishing it, worship goddess Laxmi, the goddess of wealth. The fourth
day is celebrated as new year. Cultural processions and other
celebrations are observed in this day. The Newars celebrate it as "Mha
Puja", a special ritual in which the body is worshipped to keep it fit
and healthy for the year ahead on this day. On the fifth and final day
called "Bhai Tika", brothers and sisters meet and exchange gifts.
In Nepal, family gathering is more significant during Diwali. People
in the community play "Deusi and Bhailo" which is a kind of singing and
dancing forming a group. People go to all the houses in the community
and play songs and dance, and give blessing to the visited house,
whereas the home owner gives some food like rice grains, Roti,fruits and
money. After the festival, people donate some part of collected money
and food to the charity or welfare groups and rest of the money and
food, they go for picnic. People also play swing called Dore Ping made
out of thick ropes and Pirke Ping or Rangate Ping made out of woods.
In Trinidad and Tobago, communities all over the islands
get together and celebrate the festival. One major celebration that
stands out is the Diwali Nagar, or Village of the Festival of Lights. It
features stage performances by the east Indian cultural practitioners, a
folk theatre featuring skits and plays, an exhibition on some aspect of
Hinduism, displays by various Hindu religious sects and social
organizations, nightly worship of Goddess Lakshmi, lighting of deeyas,
performances by various schools related to Indian culture, and a food
court with Indian and non-Indian vegetarian delicacies. The festival
culminates with magnificent fireworks displays ushering in Diwali.
Thousands of people participate in an atmosphere devoid of alcohol and
in a true family environment.
In Malaysia,
Diwali is known as "Hari Deepavali," and is celebrated during the
seventh month of the Hindu solar calendar. It is a federal public
holiday throughout Malaysia. In many respects it resembles the
traditions followed in the Indian subcontinent. 'Open houses' are held
where Hindu Malaysians (Malaysian Tamils)
welcome fellow Malaysians of different races and religions to their
house for a scrumptious meal. This is a practice unique to Malaysia and
shows the goodwill and friendly ties practised by all Malaysians during
any festive occasion.
In Singapore, the festival is called "Deepavali", and is a gazetted public holiday. Observed primarily by the minority Indian community (Tamils) , it is typically marked by a light-up in the Little India
district, the heart of the Indian community. Apart from the light-up,
other activities such as bazaars, exhibitions, parades and concerts will
also take place in Little India. The Hindu Endowment Board of Singapore
along with Singapores' government organizes many of these cultural
events during the Deepavali period.
In Sri Lanka, this festival is also called "Deepavali" and is celebrated by the Tamil community. On this day, it is traditional for people to wear new clothes and exchange gifts.
In Britain, Hindus and Sikhs
celebrate Diwali with great enthusiasm and in most ways very similarly
to as in India. People clean and decorate their homes with lamps and
candles. A popular type of candle used to represent this holiday is a diya. People also give each other sweets such as laddoo and barfi,
and the different communities may gather from around the country for a
religious ceremony and get-together. It is also an important time to
contact family in India and perhaps exchange gifts through the post. It
is a greatly celebrated holiday and is a great way to connect with the
culture and heritage of India. Diwali is becoming a well known festival
in Britain and non-Indians also join in the festivities. Leicester plays hosts to some of the biggest celebrations outside of India itself. Diwali also coincides closely enough with the British Guy Fawkes, Bon Fire Nights
traditions on November the 5th that in many areas, such as the East End
of London, a kind of joint festival has evolved where everyone
celebrates and enjoys the same fire and fireworks for their own diverse
reasons.
In New Zealand
Diwali is celebrated publicly among many of the South Asian diaspora
cultural groups. There are main public festivals in Auckland and
Wellington, with other events around the country becoming more popular
and visible. An official reception has been held at the New Zealand
Parliament since 2003.
In Australia,
Diwali is celebrated publicly among the people of Indian origin and the
local Australians in Melbourne. On 21 July 2002 an organisation "The
Australian Indian Innovations Incorporated"(AIII) comprising of a
conglomerate of independent organisations and individuals was formed to
celebrate Indian Festivals In Melbourne. AIII facilitated opportunities
to depict the cultural kaleidoscope of India and assist Indians in
Melbourne to showcase Indian art, culture, style, traditions and food
via various activities, seminars, festivals, fairs and events. The first
Inaugural Diwali Festival-2002", was held at Sandown Race Course on
Sunday 13 October 2002. Since then until October 2008, about 140000
people visited this Australian Indian Cultural Extravaganza filled with
culture, fun and cuisine. This 10 Hour Festival is depicting India
through 50 Stalls, 10 Food stalls and an 8 hour cultural programme with
Dj, Children's rides and spectacular fire works over the last 7 years.
In the United States,
with increasing Indian population, Diwali is assuming significant
importance year after year. Diwali was first celebrated in the White House in 2003 and was given official status by the United States Congress in 2007. Barack Obamabecame the first president to personally attend Diwali at the White House in 2009. Indians in the US celebrate Diwali in different parts of the US, just as in India. The Diwali Mela in Cowboys Stadium boasted an attendance of 100,000 people in 2009. In 2009, San Antonio
became the first U.S. city to sponsor an official Diwali celebration
including a fireworks display and 5000 people in attendance.
Resource Credit : Wikipedia & meme4u
Edited by starry.phoenix - 13 years ago
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