How to celebrate Deepawali

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From www.siddhashram.org ***

 

Deepawali is not just a festival for worshipping Goddess Lakshmi,

eating sweets, wearing new clothes or lighting ghee lamps. There is

a great secret significance of this festival and understanding it

can enable one to celebrate the festival in the best possible

manner.

 

Every Indian eagerly waits for the festival of Deepawali as it is

the best of all festivals. Homes are cleaned, new clothes are

stitched, sweets and other savoury dishes are prepared for the

festival and in the night of Diwali Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped.

 

Diwali was the day when thousands of years ago Lord Ram returned to

Ayodhya having defeated and killed Ravan. The people of Ayodhya

celebrated his homecoming by lighting ghee lamps all over the city

and by decorating their streets and houses.

 

It is to remember those moments that every year Diwali is celebrated

as a favoured festival. More importance is given to this day than

even the birthday of the Lord, Ramnavmi, or Maargshirh Shukla

Panchami when Lord Ram and Sita were married.

 

Even the ancient texts contain reference to this very auspicious

day. What is the reason for this day being so important?

 

It is one of the greatest and most enthusiastically celebrated

festivals of all times. Preparations for this start from Navratri

itself. But there is a very deep significance behind this festival

and if we celebrate it without understanding the same then we would

be merely performing a formality.

 

Diwali is no ordinary festival and one should surely keep the

following points in mind while celebrating this festival.

 

1. The Indian season of Sharad can be divided into three parts -

Hemant, Shishir and Vasant. Hemant is a very pleasant season which

fills one with joy. It is a time when pleasant thoughts rise in

one's mind. One is filled with feelings of love, pleasure and joy.

According to the ancient texts a child born or conceived in this

season is very intelligent and talented.

 

2. With Navratri the crop of rice is reaped and trees are laden with

flowers in gardens and forests. Grains are harvested in this season,

and grains as we well know are the very basis of life.

 

3. On the day of Dhantrayodashi a special ritual is accomplished

which is called Deepdaan. In it lamps are lit for every individual

in the family and ancestors and they are floated in a river or pond.

It is a day for gaining the blessings and good wises of one's

ancestors. One seeks the help of the ancestors for safeguarding

one's interests and one's assets.

 

4. Dhantryodashi is the birthday of Dhanvantri, the great master of

Ayurved. If a person is ailing ten pleasures and worship prove

useless. Dhanvantri appeared from the ocean at the time of its

churning and he had a pot of elixir in his hands.

 

With this elixir the Gods could gain eternal youth, handsomeness and

divinity. One who succeeds in gaining the blessings of Dhanvantri

remains ever youthful and disease free.

 

5. Roop Chaturdashi is a Soundarya Siddhi Diwas i.e. on this day one

can perform some Sadhana for gain of beauty and magnetism. Just as

flowers and leaves cannot appear on a dry tree similarly a person

who is deprived of handsomeness, joy and vigour cannot rise in life.

 

He remains angry, tense and troubled throughout life. In life beauty

and good looks are just as important as good health.

 

6. It is the duty of every human to take care of one's body and

maintain its good looks. Keeping the physique fit and healthy and

also improving one's appearance through external means are equally

important.

 

Roop Chaturdashi and Dhanvantri Jayanti are the days when one can

pray for both these boons i.e. a healthy and beautiful body.

 

Over the ages people forgot the significance of these days and

businessmen used the occasion to perform worships for the expansion

of their business. This is not the real purpose of these two

wonderful days.

 

Very few people give a thought as to how to celebrate the festival

of Diwali. on the day of Diwali a new year begins. Early in the

morning on this day one should have a bath and perform at least

three types of worships.

 

Firstly one should offer prayers to the Guru. Then one should pay

one's respect to one's parents. And lastly one should worship one's

family deity.

 

It is when a person obtains the good wishes of these three that his

life can become totally successful. It is one's chief duty to

propitiate them and offer one's heart felt regards in their feet.

 

Diwali is a holiday all over India. Generally all family members get

together to perform the worship of Goddess Lakshmi, eat together the

choicest dishes and light lamps.

 

One should try to prepare sweets at home and avoid buying from the

market. Only home made and the best sweets should be offered to the

gods and the deities.

 

It is also an important ritual to light candles and ghee lamps in

and around the house. This is not a mere tradition. Fire represents

energy. And the night of Diwali is moonless.

 

Lighting lamps in this night signifies dispelling of darkness. It

also signifies that no matter how difficult any problem that one

faces in life, through the light of the soul one could find way

through the darkest of times.

 

All try to accomplish the worship and Sadhana of Goddess Mahalakshmi

in this night in the hope that the Goddess would bless one with

property and affluence. But before one tries Sadhana of Lakshmi one

should understand how Lakshmi was born.

 

She did not appear in an ordinary manner, rather she originated from

the ocean at the tine of its churning. When she appeared she was

chosen by Lord Vishnu as his consort. This tale signifies that

Lakshmi or wealth can be had in life only after putting in great

efforts.

 

No doubt good luck is important in life. But success comes only

through hard work. Where there is perseverance there is bound to be

success.

 

Perseverance means a strong will power so that the mind could become

sharp and concentrated. Lakshmi has been called Karma Prabhaav

Prakaashini i.e. were there is hard work its fruit manifests in the

form of the divinity and blessings of Lakshmi.

 

Those who lack determination in their lives and are lazy, unwilling

to work, a prey to bad habits have weak minds. And a person with a

weak mind cannot rise high in life or become wealthy.

 

On the day next to Diwali, a special worship known as Govardhan

Pooja is accomplished. This worship is performed before sun rise at

the entrance to one's home.

 

In it a special Yantra is prepared with cow dung and a ghee lamp is

lit. In India it is believed that all gods are present in the body

of a cow. We obtain milk, ghee from the cow which are the very basis

of life. That is why this ritual is performed and cow dung is

worshipped.

 

It is on this day that people visit each other's home to wish each

other. Everyone tries to include others in his or her happiness.

Guests are most welcome on this day and they are treated to sweets

and dishes.

 

The above mentioned points should be kept in mind while celebrating

the festival of Diwali. It is a festival when the following vows can

be taken.

 

1. I shall work hard in life. I won't waste any time at all. I shall

reflect upon my mistakes and shall learn from them.

 

If there appears some problem in life I shall not feel troubled but

shall try to find a solution to it with a cool mind. I shall try to

find out how the problem arose and how it could be overcome.

 

2. No matter how dark the times I shall keep the light of my mind

turned on and with a conscious mind I shall try to find a way out. I

would seek recourse of Sadhanas and hard work to overcome all

problems of life.

 

3. I shall take care of my body and never fall prey to bad habits. I

shall try to maintain a good health. I shall also try to improve my

looks so as to appear appealing to all.

 

4. I shall include all family members in important decisions. I

shall give respect to my spouse and treat my children well. I shall

try to keep the family united.

 

5. I shall surely offer prayers to the Guru, ancestors and family

deity before starting some important work or Sadhana. All that I

possess is due to the blessings of my Guru, parents and the gods.

 

6. In the night of this year's Diwali I shall take some pledge. A

strong will power improves life. And success in some aim boosts

one's confidence and opens up doors to new and higher goals.

 

7. I will pray to Lakshmi to remain permanently in my home. I shall

not be extravagant and not misuse the wealth that I have.

 

If one celebrates Diwali with these vows in mind then this festival

really becomes benefic. This is a sure way of ensuring a year full

of joy, beauty, knowledge, intelligence and good health.

 

Diwali shall come every year but this year can be special if you

keep these vows in mind. The best wishes of revered Gurudev and

Mataji are with you.

 

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