Legends of Diwali

Diwali, the festival of lights, celebrates the abundance of autumn harvest and is dedicated to various gods and goddesses. The festival also marks an important date in the Indian calendar, as the North Indian kingdom of Ayodhya has celebrated this as the last day of Lord Rama's long exile of fourteen years. As the citizens of Ayodhya eagerly awaited their beloved prince's return, they lit thousands of lamps to guide his flying vimana to their city. The darkest night of the year gave way to a glorious morning as Rama returned with his wife and brothers to his ancestral kingdom of Avadha.

Diwali also celebrates the gracious nature of the three goddesses, Lakshmi, Kali and Saraswati. Dhanteras (two days before Diwali) is dedicated to Lakshmi, whose blessings are essential for a prosperous, fruitful and peaceful life. Kali-Chudash (the day before Diwali) is dedicated to Maha Kali whose strength we seek to maintain the wealth we have. Strength, physical, mental and spiritual, is essential for all of us to lead a happy life. Diwali itself is dedicated to goddess Saraswati. Knowledge is the ultimate wealth, for it cannot be stolen from you; it is also the ultimate strength, for it often defeats brute force.

The Legends
The word "Diwali" is derived from the Sanskrit word "Deepavali" meaning a "row of lights". There are various stories regarding the origin of Diwali. For this reason people celebrate Diwali in different ways the in different regions of the country.

Emergence of Lakshmi
Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, was incarnated on the new moon day (amaavasyaa) of the Kartik month during the churning of the ocean (samudra-manthan),

Goddess Kali
In Bengal, Diwali festival is dedicated to the worship of Goddess Kali. Kali is the fearful and ferocious form of the goddess Durga.

The Victory of Rama
Diwali also commemorates the return of Lord Rama along with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman from his fourteen year long exile after defeating the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, the Capital of Rama, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas (oil lamps) and burst crackers.

The Return of the Pandavas
Diwali has its origin in Mahabharata too. In 'Kartik Amavashya' the Pandavas appeared from their 12 years of banishment as a result of their defeat in the hands of the Kauravas at the game of dice (gambling). The subjects who loved the Pandavas celebrated the day by lighting the earthen lamps.

Krishna Killed Narakasur
Another Diwali legend talks about the Demon named Narakasur who had managed to acquire such awesome powers. He was killed and defeated by Lord Krishna. As a symbol of that victory Lord Krishna smeared his forehead with the demon king's blood. Krishna returned home early morning on the day of Narakachaturdashi.

The Legend of King Bali
There is another legend regarding Diwali. To curb King Bali's powers Lord Vishnu visited him in the guise of a diminutive brahman - "Vamana and pushed him down to the underworld. At the same time, for his generosity, Lord Vishnu gave him the lamp of knowledge and allowed him to return to earth once a year to light millions of lamps in order to dispel darkness and ignorance and spread the radiance of love and wisdom.

Lord Ganesha
Lord Ganesha the elephant-headed God, the symbol of auspiciousness and wisdom, is also worshipped in most Hindu homes on this day.