Rajasthan Diwali festival

Rajasthan Diwali festival, also known as 'Deepawali' is celebrated with whole enthusiasm and devotion in Rajasthan like every part of India. Known as 'The Festival of Lights', Diwali is almost celebrated by all religions in Rajasthan. Diwali is celebrated for many reasons. Some celebrate Diwali as it is believed that it marks the starting of the Hindu New Year according to the Lunar calendar. But most people celebrated it as the victory of Goodness over Evil.

What is Diwali? How is Diwali celebrated?
Diwali celebrates the return of Hindu deities Lord Rama and Goddess Sita to Ayodhya after their 14-year exile. It is said that the people of India lit hundreds and thousands of diya (clay lamps) to light the way back for Lord Rama after he defeated the evil spirit Ravana in Lanka.

On the night of Diwali, those celebrating usually offer special prayers to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, and Ganesha, the elephant god who represents fortune and wisdom. Fruits and sweets are offered to the deities, and diya lamps are arranged in and around the home to attract Lakshmi’s attention and blessings for the year ahead. It’s important to wear new clothing.

When the prayers come to a close, it’s time for fireworks. In recent years these have been scaled back due to concerns over air pollution, but certainly, you can still expect a grand display. A lavish dinner then follows.

The festival coincides with the Hindu New Year and as such, is considered an auspicious time by the business community to start new ventures. Often, business owners will also perform a prayer ceremony at their place of work.

This all happens on the third of the five days, but what about the other four days you ask? Well, on the first day its considered good look to purchase something new, usually a kitchen utensil or appliance. The second day, known as Choti Diwali (‘Little Diwali’) is traditionally the day you prepare for the next day’s celebrations, giving the house a good clean and decorating the floor with intricate designs made of coloured powder, petals and candles (these are called rangoli).

Activities on the fourth day differ across the country. In Rajasthan and much of the north, the day is spent offering gratitude to the tools of work. Chefs will pay homage to their kitchen implements, writers to their pen and paper, and artists to their paints and palette.
The fifth day of Diwali in Rajasthan is known as Bhai Dooj and is celebrated by siblings. Sisters pray for the well-being of their brothers and receive sweets and gifts in return.

The Five Days of Diwali
Diwali is a five-day festival that straddles the new moon. Though widely celebrated across all of India, the days may have different names and have additional meanings in some parts of India, there is enough commonality to briefly describe each of the days:

Dhanteras
Dhanteras marks the beginning of the five-day festivities of Diwali. On this day, it is customary for people to clean their houses, so they are ready to welcome in Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity, whose Puja is performed in the evening. This is an auspicious day and a lucky day for buying expensive goods, though it is also a day to consider charity for those less well off. Small clay lamps, called diyas are lit to drive away the shadows of evil spirits.

Naraka Chaturdashi
According to Hindu tradition, the demon Narakasura was killed by Lord Krishna on the second day. Marking the coming end of the year in some regions of India, customs on this day are about cleaning the slate before the start of a new year and getting rid of anything bad. People get up early and wash and put on clean or new clothes. In parts of Southern India, this day is celebrated as the main day of Deepavali.

Diwali
The third day is celebrated on the new moon in Kartik. In most parts of India, this is the most important day of the festival and is the last day of the year in many regions of India. On this day, Lord Rama rescued his wife, Sita, from the demon Ravana and returned home after a long exile. Candles are lit to celebrate his victory and to light his way home after the battle. In the evening, it may seem like the whole of India is lit by explosions as people set off many fireworks.

Balipadyami
The fourth day of Diwali is also the first day of the new year in the Vikram Samvat calendar and may also be known as Pratipada, Govardhan Puja or Annakut. Annakut means 'mountain of food', which is a giveaway that today is all about feasting. Tradition has it that on this day, Lord Krishna lifted Govardhan Hill to give shelter from torrential rains to local villagers. Today, Hindus prepare a great deal of food and take it to the temples to celebrate the beginning of the new year and give thanks to Krishna for his benevolence.

Bhai Buj
This is the fifth and last day of Diwali festival. This day celebrates the relationship between brother and sister. Read more about Bhai Bij.