Diwali II Festival of Lights II And Cracks and Lots of Fun II
"Diwali" will take place this Thursday, October 19, 2017. "Diwali" , also called "Deepavali" or Dipavali, is the Indian Festival of Lights - one of the most popular and important festivals in India.
The Indian Festival of Lights is comparable to our Christmas festival in terms of preparation, anticipation, meaning and devotional execution. Families find themselves together, one is dressed up and his apartment or house out and there are of course gifts.
Just like Christmas, Diwali stretches over several days, because, strictly speaking, it even consists of five individual celebrations, traditionally starting with new moon in October or November. The festivities begin on the 13th day after Vollmond, culminate with the actual ceremony on the 15th day after Vollmond and end with a consecrated Sri Govardhana Puja
The different aspects of Diwali is celebrated not only in Hinduism , but also in Jainism and Sikhism. Thus, it is an overarching feast - in which, however, Muslims and Christians only partially participate in the country of origin. For the European, the parallels to Christian holidays are close, because Diwali is a celebration of great devotion, which is therefore celebrated with all that expresses happiness in the respective country.
As with other holidays, there are numerous legends around the origins of this most popular Indian festival and, as is often the case, they are exciting and educational. The story of Krishna and the demon Narakasura, who was conquered by Krishna on this day with a throwing disc, thus liberating numerous kingdoms from his rule - including Svargaloka, the paradise of the god Indra .
According to a less warlike history, Diwali celebrates the wedding of Lakshmi (goddess of prosperity, happiness and beauty) and Vishnu (preserver of creation), or the blessed day of Rama, after his glorious victory over the demon king Ravana Ayodhya, returned to the threatened capital of the kingdom of Dasharatha - much to the delight of its inhabitants, and especially of its father.
Feast of enlightenment
However, there are regional differences; because the 13th day after Vollmond in a huge country like India in different regions can fall on different days and this also applies to the importance because in Bengal, for example, it is a feast of Kali ("the dark", goddess of time)
In spite of the different variants in the mythological origin of Diwali, however, a central element of the festival is the same: the light chains, for Diwali means exactly that: light chain or path of light, because originally there were small oil lamps placed in rows at windows and entrances and so created a verge of brightness in the dark season.
Today, of course, there are predominantly electric lights that decorate residential and commercial buildings, streets, roofs and trees throughout India. However, not only to please the people with their appearance, but also, according to an interpretation, to illuminate the pitris, the souls of the deceased, the sure way to salvation and symbolize the overcoming of death. In this context, the burning of fireworks, rockets or firecrackers is also to be understood. In this way, as in our latitudes, demons - symbol of all negatives - are to be expelled, and some think in the bright explosion of a rocket at Nachthimmel perhaps also the sudden enlightenment that can be done after a long effort on the spiritual path.
