Why Diwali is Celebrated for 5 days?

Aditi Mazumdar
3 min readOct 20, 2022

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The celebration of light which famously known as Diwali or Deepavali is observed worldwide. The festival is celebrated for five days long, where we honours various gods in various forms. The primary reason for celebrating Diwali is to commemorate Lord Rama’s return to Ayodhya after a 14-year exile with his brother Laxman and wife, Goddess Sita. People decorate their homes with rangolis, lights, and clay lamps to mark the occasion because it occurs on “Karthik Amavasya,” or the darkest night. Additionally, it represents how light triumphs over darkness.

The five days of this celebration are not just for one event or for one meaning, even if the festival is focused on the return of Lord Rama. Let’s discuss the meanings associated with the various Deepavali days.

Dhanteras

Hindus commemorate the first day of this five-day festival as the day of wealth and good health. The terms “Dhan” and “Teras” in this context refer to riches and the thirteenth day of a lunar fortnight, respectively. In accordance with Hindu mythology, this was the day that Goddess Laxmi emerged from the ocean’s Samudra-Manthan churns. The day is devoted to Dhanvantari, the Hindu god of medicines, in the southern part of the nation. He is thought to be Lord Vishnu in a human form. Many people believe that purchasing jewellery and ornaments on this day is lucky due to their abundance.

Narak-Chaturdashi

“Choti Diwali” is a popular name for the day before the big Diwali. The day is also known as “Narak-Chaturdashi,” however, because in Hindu legend, it is on this day that Lord Krishna and Goddess Kali destroy the demon Narkasur. The triumph of good over evil is another theme on this day. One day prior to the great pooja, a lot of people also observe this day as “Roop-Chaudas” and pay special attention to their health and beauty.

Laxmi Pooja

The festival’s major day, “Kartik Amavasya,” or “No-Moon Day,” occurs on this day. The celebration of Lord Rama’s return to Ayodhya takes place on this day. But the practise also includes adoring and worshipping Lord Ganesha, the god of both knowledge and prosperity, Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and luck, Goddess Saraswati, the goddess of art, and knowledge. People offer prayers for the prosperity of their families, jobs, and personal lives. To allow the goddess to enter their lives, the doors are always open throughout the day. People don’t offer prayers to Lord Vishnu and the goddess Lakshmi at this time because they think Vishnu is sleeping.

Govardhan Pooja

As a result of its connection to Lord Krishna, the day after the main event is widely observed as Govardhan pooja throughout India. God Indra is thought to have been defeated on this day by Lord Krishna. Though there are other explanations for the day among residents in the county.

This day is celebrated by the Maharashtrians as the day that Lord Vishnu defeated Bali, the demon king. The start of the new year is also celebrated on this day in Gujarat.

Bhai Dooj

The day is dedicated to the link between brothers and sisters and is celebrated in a similar manner to the Hindu festival as Raksha bandhan. On this day, lots of ladies and girls observe a fast and offer prayers for their brothers’ health and long lives. Numerous mythological tales based on this behaviour are alleged to be the source of the belief. As part of the “teeka” custom, people have a happy day visiting their relatives.

According to Hindu mythology, this is what Diwali means. Immediately following Navratri, when people begin cleaning their homes, the five-day mania begins. More than anything else, the festival infuses joy and positivity into life. It is also regarded as a celebration of bumper crops to come since it follows harvest season.

Diwali is a beautiful celebration that is now observed in many ways around the world. The entire country is decked out for these five days of joy.

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