by Teetant

Created on: October 12, 2009   Last Updated: March 05, 2010

LEGENDS ASSOCIATED WITH DIWALI

Diwali is the most important and commonly celebrated festival of Hindus in India and around the world. In its most elaborate and inclusive version, it extends over a period of six specific consecutive days of Hindu lunar calendars. However, the significance and relative importance of each day differs from region to region based on local traditions. In the Georgian calendar, the dates on which Diwali comes change each year, though they always fall in October or November.

Diwali derived from the Sanskrit word Dipawali literally means a row of lamps. It is a celebration of the blessings of all good things we are fortunate to have, and the expression of hope that with effort and determination, all difficulties and obstacles of life will be overcome. This theme is symbolized by celebrating it as a festival of lights at the end of a harvesting season during the darkest nights of the month.

Given below are each Diwali day's theme, its position in a lunar month (ending with no moon), and its legends.

1. Vasu Baras (Day 27/ 12 of second half)

Vasu means cow and Baras means 12th day. The first day of Diwali festival is marked by worship of the cow and (male) calf, the two animals most important to farming, to celebrate these wonderful animals' contribution to human life.

2. Dhana Trayodashi (Day 28/ 13 of second half)

Dhana means wealth and Trayodashi means 13th day. According to the legend, the young son of King Hima was doomed to die from a serpent within days of his marriage. To save his life, his young wife piled all her gold and silver jewelry and coins at the door, lit up the room with oil lamps, and kept him awake by telling stories and singing songs. When Yama, the god of Death arrived in the form of a serpent, he was so dazzled by the wealth and mesmerized by the stories and songs that he sat dazed at the door the whole night and went away in the morning without taking her husband. Since then, the day is celebrated by women as Yamadeepdan or devotion of lamps to appease Yama and ensure a long life for their husbands.

According to another legend, once Devas (gods) and Danavas (demons) were churning the Kshira Sagara (ocean of milk) to bring up Amrit (Nectar) in order to gain immortality. In the end, Lord Vishu in the incarnation of Dhanavantri (physician of the gods) emerged from the ocean carrying the chalice of Amrit. Since then, the day is celebrated also as Dhanavantri Jayanti (birth/incarnation day)

3. Narka Chathurdashi (Day

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