diwali - the festival of lights – mocomi kids

Diwali

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Diwali

The spiritual signi�cance behind Diwali is ‘inner awareness’, an idea that all three reli-gions follow. Lighting lamps is symbolic to shedding light on ignorance in an e�ort to illu-minate ones self to a greater consciousness.

Diwali or Deepawali, is also known as the ‘festival of light’. It is an Indian festival celebrated by Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs with great enthusiasm but for di�erent reasons. In each of the three beliefs the common attribute is a celebration of the triumph of good over evil. Lights illuminate all corners of India during the Diwali season and it is a time for a focus on community.


Diwali

The central event behind Hindus celebrating Diwali is to mark the day that Rama returned to Ayodhya after 14 years in exile with his wife Sita. To welcome their return, the people of Ayodhya lit diyas (ghee lamps) to guide them from the dark forest into the city. Another event that is associated with Diwali is a pas-sage from the Puranas that says it was during this time that Krishna’s wife Sathyabhama, an incarnation of the earth goddess Bhumi, killed the powerful daemon Narakasura that was terrorising his subjects.

Hinduism


Jainism

Diwali

Diwali is also signi�cant to the Jains because it marks the day after Lord Mahavira attained nir-vana in 527 BC. It is said that he was released from his worldly body on the night of the full moon. So the people of Pavapuri, where he attained nirvana, lit lamps in their doorways as a symbol of their guru’s enlightenment.


Sikhs

Diwali

For Sikhs, this festival is important because it cel-ebrates the release of Guru Hargobindji along with 52 Indian kings who were imprisoned along with him at the Gwalior fort by Emperor Shah Jahan in 1619. For this reason, the festival is known to the Sikhs as Bandi Chorr Diwas mean-ing the day of deliverance from prison.

As Dussehra marks the beginning of the harvest season, Diwali marks its end. It is a time of plenty and farmers give thanks for the bountiful harvest and pray for a year of plenty. They o�er their prayers to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, pros-perity, and wisdom, by doing the Lakshmi Puja.


Many religions and traditions use �re and light in their traditions.

Can you �nd 3 other examples of festivals where light plays a central role in the festivities?

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Diwali

Houses are cleaned thoroughly to prepare for the puja and rangolis are drawn at the en-trance of houses to welcome Lakshmi into their homes. On this day and during the entire Diwali season people light �re crackers.

diwali - the festival of lights – mocomi kids

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