Deepawali-The festival of lights

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Deepawali festival was celebrated with great excitement and happiness by Hindus on the last Wednesday, 18th of October.

The name “Deepawali” implies that  the row (avali) of clay lamps (deepa). This festival can be considered the brightest festival of Hindus as the important act they do during the festival is lighting the lamps ,outside and inside their homes to symbolize the elimination of spiritual darkness from their lives on this special day. Almost all the festivals and fasting is related by a story in Idhigasams in Hinduism.

Likewise, story of Deepawali reminds us the demise of an arrogant Ashuran”Naragasharun”.
Naragashuran started torturing and insulting Dhevas in the world of Dhevas. Dhevas who feared his crucial acts ran to God Vishnu and requested to save them from Ashuran.
In Hinduism, its believed that whenever evil raise, God Vishnu appears to destroy and protect the pious people.

The ten avatharas or Dhasa avatharas of god Vishnu are Mathsyam(fish), Koormam(tortoise), Varagam(pig), Narasimam( human and lion), Vamanan, Balaraman ,Parasuraman ,Raman ,Krishnan and kalki. All of the avatharas above are believed that they appeared to destroy evil at different instances. So, when dhevas sought the help of Vishnu he was born as Lord Krishna.

Lord Krishna was born to Devaki and Vasudevan. There was an astrological prediction to an elder brother of Devaki called Kamasan that the son of Devaki will bring Kamsan to his death. Therefore Devaki and Vasudevan exchanged their baby- son with Yogamaya, daughter of Yashoda and Nanda. Then Krishna grows up in Gokulam. Finally he kills Kamsan,the arrogant king, and then he destroys the ashuran, Naragashuran too.

But Naragashuran at his death bed confesses to Lord and requests that this day should be celebrated with lamps to destroy the darkness and to bring light back into peoples lives.

Lord Krishna forgives and gave him mukthi (reaching god) after giving him his request as a blessing.
This is believed to be the idhigasa story behind the celebration of Deepawali with lamps.

The lamps not only symbolizes the darkness in our surrounding,but also reminds us about the darkness within us,brought out by Ego, kanmam and maaya.

So,its better that we remember that all of us should live compassionately with all living beings and the nature.

May this day brings light and destroys the darkness from all our lives.

Happy Deepawali everyone!

 
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