Diwali Festival, When is Diwali in 2017?, Diwali Date, Diwali 2017, Deepavali
Diwali is celebrated on Amavasya of the Krishna paksha in Aswayuja or Ashwin month or the day of no moon in the month of Ashwayuja as per the lunar calendar. The month for Tamil calendar is Aipasi. Diwali will be celebrated on Thursday, 19th October, 2017.
Diwali came into existence from the Sanskrit word Deepawali or Deepavali. Deepawali means, Deepa is light and Wali is row, so a row of Deepas or row of lights. People would light wicks in baked earthen lamps and arrange them in rows all around the house, to decorate the house with lights to the maximum possible extent.
Diwali is celebrated in North India to mark the returning of Lord Rama after killing Ravana to Ayodhya along with Sita and Lakshmana. Diwali in SouthIndia is celebrated to mark the killing of demon Narakasura by Lord Shri Krishna with the help of his wife Sathyabhama.
Every person in India would try to decorate his house to the maximum possible extent with lights to welcome goddess Lakshmi or Laxmi on Diwali. All the shops and other businees establishments are also cleaned and painted for welcoming Goddess Lakshmi or Laxmi on Diwali.
In few parts of the country Shops and other business establishments would treat Diwali as a start of new financial year and would close the previous year account books and open new ones on Diwali.
In homes Diwali is celebrated with lot of enthusiasm. All the members of family get up early in the morning on the day of Diwali. It is believed that Goddess Lakshmi resides in the oil on the day of Diwali and hence oil is applied to whole body before taking bath on Diwali. All the members wear new clothes and would fire few firecrackers early in the morning.
After burning the fire crackers a sweet is normally consumed and the day begins. In the evening Lakshmi Puja is done and the whole house is decorated with lamps to welcome Goddess Lakshmi or Laxmi who is believed to enter the house only if it is very clean and tidy. After Laxmi or Lakshmi Puja all the family members would burn firecrackers. The sky in the night is filled with different colours and formations formed from burning of fire crackers.
Sweets of all kinds are made and distributed after Laksmi Puja among relatives and friends. Playing of cards is a common practice during Diwali in some parts of the country.