What Are The Five Days Of Diwali?
Learn about the timeline on the five most festive days of the year
Diwali or Deepavali is the most popular Hindu festival. The Festival of Lights transcends cultures and religions. There isn’t a single country in the world where Diwali isn’t celebrated.
But Diwali is very much an Indian festival, which is why the traditions of Diwali are closely linked to the Indian way of living. For instance, the days when Diwali is held co-incide with the start of the harvesting season for farmers in India.
Diwali is an elaborate affair and stretches for 5 days. The 5 days of Diwali are fun for everyone, especially for children, as they get to burst firecrackers, fire rockets, experiment with different types of patakas and other fun stuff.
Diwali begins with the Dhanvantari Trayodasi or Dhanteras. This is the day when Lord Dhanvantari is said to have appeared, offering the gift of Ayurveda to mankind. Dhanteras is always held on the thirteenth day of the Krishna Paksha during the month of Kartika – according to the Hindu calendar. It marks the start of Diwali celebrations.
Dhanteras is a pretty low key affair. Nothing really happens during Dhanteras, except during sunset, when the whole family goes to temples and offers prasad (religious offerings) to the Lord of Death, Yamaraja. Offering prayers to Lord Yama on this auspicious occasion is said to protect the devotee and their loved ones from untimely death. Dhanteras is celebrated differently in different parts of India. It is a major event in western India, in the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan – which have a large business community – and in Maharashtra. It’s not that important in South India.
The second day of Diwali is when the festival officially begins in South India. It is called as Naraka Chaturdasi there and as Choti Diwali in the rest of the country. Choti Diwali is usually held on the fourteenth lunar day of the month of Kartika as per the Hindu calendar.
The second day of Diwali is called as Naraka Chaturdasi because on this very day, Lord Krishna is said to have killed the evil asura (or demon) Narakasura and freed more than 16,000 young women under his captivity.
Naraka Chaturdasi marks the start of Deepavali in many states in India, such as in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in the south. People wake up at 5 am in the morning and apply aromatic oils on their body before bathing.
Then they wear fresh new clothes and offer prayers to the various Hindu deities such as Lord Ganesh, Lord Krishna, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. This is followed by a visit to temples, a family get-together and a good, hearty meal. That is when the kids are given the license to do something they have been waiting for all year – play with firecrackers!
Then in the evening, the ladies of the house light up special oil lamps called diya just before it gets dark. The entire house or apartment complex is decorated with bright and colorful lights and that’s when the real party begins, and the sky is lit with amazing firework displays.
Naraka Chaturdasi is a big event in South India, but not so much in the North and the West. Actual Diwali begins in North India only on the third day with the Laxmi Puja.
The day starts with ritualistic cleansing and prayers to Mother Lakshmi, the divine Goddess of Wealth and the consort of Lord Vishnu. Mother Lakshmi is said to bring wealth, good health, happiness and prosperity to those who seek Her blessings on this auspicious day.
Lakshmi Puja marks the victory of good over evil, the journey from darkness to light. That is why, on this day, all homes are brightly lit with colorful lights and diyas.
This is also the day Lord Rama and Sita returned to Ayodhya after defeating the demon king Ravana. The people of Ayodhya celebrated the arrival of Rama, Sita and Lakshman with a grand firework display. That tradition is followed even today across India on Lakshmi Puja.
The fourth day of Diwali is the day of the Govardhana Puja. The first Govardhana Puja was done by Lord Krishna thousands of years ago. Since that day, the puja is performed every year during the fourth day of Diwali. This is also the day when the evil rakshasa Bali Maharaja was defeated by a dwarf-sized avatar of Lord Krishna, Vamanadeva.
More of the same – special prayers, fireworks and lighting of diyas. Everyone is in a good mood.
The fourth day of Diwali – or the third day in South India – is the last day of the festival in many parts of the country. Elsewhere, such as in the northern states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the festivities continue into the fifth day – with the Bhai Dhuj.
Bhai Dhuj is dedicated to the bond between brothers and sisters. It is similar to Raksha Bandhan – with one difference. Raksha Bandhan can be said to be the brother’s day, while Bhai Dhuj is the sister’s day. Brothers visit their sisters on this day and ask about their well-being. Sisters pray for the success and happiness of their brothers. With that, the 5-day long festivities of Diwali come to a fitting conclusion.