Happy Depavalli

[zinglicious]

Wishing all Hindu friends celebrating Festive of Lights - a Happy and Healthy celebration throughtout the year.

[birdy]

Wishing all Indians Happy Deepavali and to those not celebrating, Happy Holiday!

[Naka]

Wah, another holiday in Boleh...Happy Deepavalli

[Jeyanthy]

Terima-kasih banyak-banyak. There are many reasons why Deepavali or Diwali is celebrated. Unfortunately, not many are aware of it.

The Diwali Period..

(Admin note - the article had been revised for some factual errors - please refer to Jeyanthy's re-post below)

[currymee]

Happy Diwali to all ... Jey, thanks for the info

[ungkb]

Wishing all Hindu friends, Happy Deepavali.

[ginaphan]

Happy Diwali to all Hindu friend here.

[Dervish]

Happy Deepavali, Jeyanthy, Umadavid, Kuma and Others.

[kuma]

Happy Deepavali, Jeyanthy, Umadavid, Kuma and Others.

Thank You and similar wishes to our fellow Hindu members here.

BTW, here's a US Presidential First...Obama Wishes 'Happy Diwali' To All Hindus Around The World. Now, this was lat year. This year 2010, Obama will be celebrating Diwali in India. [Now that he has lost the House, it is he who will need all the wishes and blessings]

[Sentinel]

Happy Deepavali to all Hindu Forumers and to the rest, have a good break!

[Jeyanthy]

Terima-kasih banyak-banyak. There are many reasons why Deepavali or Diwali (a row of lights) is celebrated. Unfortunately, not many are aware of it.

The Deepavali Period.

1. Deepavali Trayodasi - Dhanwantari Trayodasi

Story Behind:
Two days before the main festival of Deepavali is "Dhanteras" in honour of Dhanwantari, the physician of the gods. He is considered a minor incarnation of Lord Krishna and arose out of the Ocean of Milk, carrying the pot of amrita (nectar), the drink of immortality. He is considered the father of the Indian System of medicine called Ayurveda. "Dhanteras" is a part of the Deepavali celebrations and not a festival in its own right. People bathe early in the morning and observe a fast, which is broken only after sunset, when the housewife lights an earthen lamp at the gate. Women purchase some gold or silver or at least one or two new utensils.

2. Deepavali Caturdasi - Narakasura Caturdasi
Lord Krishna killed Narakasura (the son of Hiranyaksha (demon) and Bhumi Devi (Mother Earth)) he stole the 16000 princesses and did generally all manner of bad things. Bhumi requested Krishna to come and kill the demon. Devotees glorify Krishna as the personification of good, who always triumphs and destroys evil - on this day!!!

Story Behind:
This is the day when Sathyabhama (wife of Lord Krishna) rode with the Lord to the battle in the capital of Naraka-asuran and helped her Lord to put an end to the adharmic (sinful acts) of that Asuran (demon). He was a son of Bhumi Devi (Mother Earth), but had strayed and committed many offenses against the devotees of the Lord. The compassionate Mother prayed for Her son to be granted moksham (liberation from birth and death) and be remembered on the day of his destruction by the Sudarsanam (discus) of the Lord.

The tradition is that she prayed for the pristine waters of river Ganga, which arose from the Lord's feet to enter into the oil and waters at the home of pious devotees on this day, when they take the oil bath in hot water during the early morning ( before sunrise ) of this Naraka Caturdasi day. She also prayed for all people to celebrate her son's moksham (liberation) as a celebration, wearing new clothes and eat special sweets and nourishments. Lord Krishna granted her wish and thus we celebrate this day of Deepavali. We light fire crackers, light lamps and with "sound and light" we celebrate this great deed of the Lord.


3. Deepavali Amavasya (Dark Moon) - Ram, Damodara, Lakshmi Puja

a. Return of Rama to Ayodhya
The story goes that Hanuman (A devotee of the Lord in the form of a monkey) was sent by Rama to Ayodhya the day before Rama's arrival as prearranged with Bharat to let the residents of Ayodhya know how Sita and Rama and all Their retinue were returning.

Story Behind:
King Dashrath ruled the rich and prosperous city of Ayodhya. He had three wives and Kaikayi was his favourite. She saved his life in a war at a very crucial time. Dashrath granted her two favours for saving his life.

Dashrath had four sons. Rama, the oldest, was everybody's favourite. He was married to the beautiful and devoted Sita. Just before Ram's coromation, Kaikayi reminded Dashrath of her two favors. She told him to crown Bharat as king and to banish Ram to the jungle for fourteen years. Her wishes were granted.

The old king Dashrath later died of a broken heart. After a few years in the forest, Sita was lured by the demon king Ravana. Rama, with the help of a monkey general, Hanuman, rescued Sita and defeated Ravana. After fourteen years in exile Ram and Sita and returned to Ayodhya.

It is in Their honor that "Deepavali" is celebrated. "Deepavali" signifies the victory of good over evil.

Today in India for Deepavali all the shops are decorated brightly. Many people make "rangoli" (patterns made of coloured rice) in their house or outside. They are filled to capacity in this festive season. Everybody buys new things and decorates their homes. People visit their friends and relatives and give them sweets. On Deepavali friends come over for the whole day and relatives come and go. Everyone has a wonderful time celebrating the return of Sita and Rama. Thus Deepavali has become a day when all the sad things of the past are forgotten and happy times are remembered.

b. Damodar Lila
The month of Damodara (Deepavali month) is described in Padma Purana as being one hundred times more [beneficial] than normal days; but any activity offered during this month will bring a hundred times benefit; and that's still nothing compared to the mercy one gets by performing specific activities meant to satisfy Lord Damodara (Baby Krishna tied to a wooden mortar by His Mother).

Lord Damodara is unconquerable, but he was conquered by the love of His mother. This is the message that comes loud and clear from the Damodara month, that mother Yasoda tried to tie Lord Damodara, thinking that He was her son. She didn't realize that He is the unlimited Lord. So she tried again and again to tie Him, but every time the rope was two fingers short. What do these two fingers mean?

One is the endeavour of a pure devotee and the second is the causeless mercy of the Supreme Lord. That Yashoda had a pure desire and when Krishna agreed, He could be tied; that without Krishna's assent, no one can bind Him in our hearts. He was conquered by the love of His mother. That is the message we get.

Story Behind:
While mother Yashoda was allowing Lord Krishna to drink her breast milk, she was forced to stop because she saw the milk pan boiling over on the oven. The maidservants being engaged in other business, she stopped allowing Lord Krishna to drink from her breast and immediately attended to the overflowing milk pan. Lord Krishna became very angry because of His mother's behavior and devised a means of breaking the pots of yogurt. Because He created this disturbance, mother Yashoda decided to bind Him. These incidents are described in this chapter.

One day, the maidservants being engaged in other work, mother Yashoda was churning the yogurt into butter herself, and in the meantime Lord Krishna came and requested her to allow Him to suck her breast milk. Of course, mother Yashoda immediately allowed Him to do so, but then she saw that the hot milk on the oven was boiling over, and therefore she immediately stopped allowing Lord Krishna to drink the milk of her breast and went to stop the milk on the oven from overflowing. Lord Krishna, however, having been interrupted in His business of sucking the breast, was very angry. He took a piece of stone, broke the churning pot and entered a room, where He began to eat the freshly churned butter.

When mother Yashoda, after attending to the overflowing milk, returned and saw the pot broken, she could understand that this was the work of Krsna, and therefore she went to search for Him. When she entered the room, she saw Lord Krishna standing on the ulükhala, a large mortar for grinding spices. Having turned the mortar upside down, He was stealing butter hanging from a swing and was distributing the butter to the monkeys. As soon as Lord Krishna saw that His mother had come, He immediately began to run away, and mother Yashoda began to follow Him. After going some distance, mother Yashoda was able to catch Lord Krishna, who because of His offense was crying.

Mother Yashoda, of course, threatened to punish Lord Krishna if He acted that way again, and she decided to bind Him with rope. Unfortunately, when the time came to knot the rope, the rope with which she wanted to bind Him was short by a distance equal to the width of two fingers. When she made the rope longer by adding another rope, she again saw that it was short by two fingers. Again and again she tried, and again and again she found the rope too short by two fingers. Thus she became very tired, and Lord Krishna, seeing His affectionate mother so tired, allowed Himself to be bound. Now, being compassionate, He did not show her His unlimited potency.

c. Sri Lakshmi Puja:
Lakshmi Puja marks the most important day of Deepavali celebrations in North India. Hindu homes worship Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, and Ganesh, the God of auspicious beginnings, and then light lamps in the streets and homes to welcome prosperity and well-being.

Lord Vishnu (Incarnation of Lord Krishna) for the first time worshiped Lakshmi (Goddess of wealth) on this day.

This is also the day, when the new year accounts are started by commercial houses and Maha Lakshmi pooja (rituals) is performed with great ceremony.

[Jeyanthy]

4. Deepavali Pratipat - Govardhana, Bali Pratipat

a. The day after Deepavali is celebrated as Govadhan Puja when Mount Govardhan, near Mathura, is worshiped. Pious people keep awake the whole night and cook fifty-four (or 108) different types of food for the bhog (the offering of food) to Lord Krishna. This ceremony is called ankut which means a mountain of food. Various types of food – cereals, pulses, fruit, vegetables, chutneys, pickles, and salads – are offered to the Deity and then distributed as prasada (mercy) to devotees.

This festival is in commemoration of the lifting of Mount Govardhan by Lord Krishna (He was only 7 years at this time, The Lord performs pastimes in this material world to attract His devotees back to the spiritual world)). According to a legend, before Lord Krishna was born, Indra, the god of Rain, was the chief deity of Vraj. Then Lord Krishna instigated the people to stop worshiping Indra. Indra wanted to show his power over Lord Krishna and brought about a cloud-burst which flooded the countryside for many days. People were afraid that the downpour was a result of their neglect of Indra. But Lord Krishna assured them that no harm would befall them. He lifted Mount Govardhan with his little finger and sheltered men and beasts from the rain. This gave him the epithet Govardhandhari. After this, Indra accepted the supremacy of Lord Krishna.

b. The day also commemorates the victory of Vishnu (incarnation of Lord Krishna) in his dwarf form Vamana over the demon-king Bali, who was pushed to the nether-world, and the return of Bali to earth from the nether-world.

Story behind:
Bali, an asura (demon) king was well known for his bravery, uprightness and dedication to god Vishnu. He was benevolent and his popularity was only marred by the actions of his kinsmen who involved themselves with depredations against the gods who stood for righteousness and justice. But Bali was also considered as arrogant and vainglorious and the godly people did not like him for this. Bali was also considered invincible since he was a great devotee of Vishnu. The gods, upset by the harassment meted out to them by the asuras, and jealous of the popularity of Bali - sometimes glorified as Mahabali ("the great Bali"), approached Vishnu to help them to get rid of Bali.

Vishnu took the form of a dwarf Vamana, then approached Bali seeking reverence and alms. Aware of the generous nature of Bali, Vamana appeared before him and sought a gift of three paces of land from the king. Bali readily agreed. The dwarf then assumed his huge universal form (Vishwarupa or "all pervading") and placed his first step forward, which occupied the entire universal space. With his second step he occupied the earth, except the space where Bali was standing. Since there was no other space available to put Vamana's third step, Bali readily offered his own head for Vamana to put his third step, fully realising that the person who was asking for such gift was none other than Vishnu himself. Vishnu banished Bali to patalaloka, the nether-world.

Vamana as Tri-vikrama (victor of the three worlds) triumphing over Bali

Pleased with the generosity of Bali, Vishnu grants him a boon that he could return to earth for one day in a year to be with his people and light millions of lamps to dispel the darkness and ignorance and spread the radiance of love and wisdom. It is this day that is celebrated as the Bali Padyami, the annual return of Bali from the netherworld to earth.

5. Deepavali Dwitya - Bhaiya Dooj, Yam Dwitiya
a. After killing the Narakasura demon, Lord Krishna, went to his sister Subhadra who welcomed him in the traditional way by showing him a light and putting on his forehead a tilak (red marking) of her sisterly protection.

b. Yamraj, the God of Death visited his sister Yami on this particular day. She put the auspicious tilak ( red marking) on his forehead, garlanded him and led him with special dishes and both of them together ate the sweets, talked and enjoyed themselves to their heart's content, while parting Yamraj gave her a special gift as a token of his love and in return Yami also gave him a lovely gift which she had made with her own hands.

Since then this day is being observed as a symbol of love between sisters and brothers.

In today's world when pressing everyday problems are teaming as under all the tender words of personal relationships, the celebrating of this day has its own importance in continuing to maintain the love between brothers and sisters for it is the day of food-sharing, gift-giving. On this day sisters perform puja for their brothers safety and well being. Brothers in return give gifts to their sisters as a token of love.

[Sentinel]

[Jeyanthy]

Lovely song for Deepavali. Dedicated to the Lord in His baby form:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvmEQ...eature=related

[bslee]

Wishing all Malaysian Hindu forumers here and all other rakyat who celebrate Happy Deepavali!.. Enjoy the celebrations, the holidays and best of luck! Best regards from bslee and family.

P.S. Its saddening to read about the couple at Mentakab Pahang, who's missing their most loved daughter and not happy at this auspicious time.