It has been an awfully long time since my last post, the reason being my preoccupation with the festival season which had me on my toes, not allowing much time for anything other than sundry cleaning works, shopping, and other household chores. The good thing about all these festivals and accompanying festivities is that, although tedious, you have to get on with the onerous task of cleaning the house; something which I meticulously avoid till pushed to the wall.
Autumn is almost fully booked with various rituals and festivals.
Diwali is the most important festival in the Hindu calendar.The word
Diwali is derived from the word
Deepavali that means "a row of lights".
Before
Diwali the house is spring cleaned and white washed. On
Diwali day itself, the house is adorned with marigold flowers, colourful
rangoli patterns are made on the main entrance and sweets are exchanged among acquaintances and friends.
As the night falls, preparations are made for
LakshmiPooja or the worship of Goddess
Lakshmi-Goddess of wealth and prosperity.It is believed that Goddess
Laxmi will visit the cleanest house first. After the puja, rows of earthen lamps and candles are lit to usher in light on the dark no moon night.
Then crackers are bursted without which
Diwali festivities are incomplete. This part of the celebration is the main attraction for children for which they wait eagerly the whole day.With the bursting of crackers and fireworks Diwali celebrations come to an end.
Diwali is a festival which is celebrated with equal fervour throughout the country and many parts of world, among all age groups irrespective of caste,creed and socio-economic background.
Diwali date comes 20 days after the popular festival of
Dussehra or
Vijaya Dashmi and marks the return of mythological lord
Rama from exile after defeating the ‘Demon king’
Ravana. The fall of
Ravana is celebrated as
Dussehra and on this day huge effigies of
Ravana, filled with firecrackers, are burned all over the country.
Over with the festivals of Dussehra and Diwali, and with Christmas and New Year to look forward to, I am back in routine to my garden in company of my ‘a little grown up’ little one, and Bruno.
Autumn is almost fully booked with various rituals and festivals. Diwali is the most important festival in the Hindu calendar.The word Diwali is derived from the word Deepavali that means "a row of lights".
Before Diwali the house is spring cleaned and white washed. On Diwali day itself, the house is adorned with marigold flowers, colourful rangoli patterns are made on the main entrance and sweets are exchanged among acquaintances and friends.
As the night falls, preparations are made for LakshmiPooja or the worship of Goddess Lakshmi-Goddess of wealth and prosperity.It is believed that Goddess Laxmi will visit the cleanest house first. After the puja, rows of earthen lamps and candles are lit to usher in light on the dark no moon night. 
Then crackers are bursted without which Diwali festivities are incomplete. This part of the celebration is the main attraction for children for which they wait eagerly the whole day.With the bursting of crackers and fireworks Diwali celebrations come to an end. Diwali is a festival which is celebrated with equal fervour throughout the country and many parts of world, among all age groups irrespective of caste,creed and socio-economic background.
Diwali date comes 20 days after the popular festival of Dussehra or Vijaya Dashmi and marks the return of mythological lord Rama from exile after defeating the ‘Demon king’ Ravana. The fall of Ravana is celebrated as Dussehra and on this day huge effigies of Ravana, filled with firecrackers, are burned all over the country.
Over with the festivals of Dussehra and Diwali, and with Christmas and New Year to look forward to, I am back in routine to my garden in company of my ‘a little grown up’ little one, and Bruno.
14 comments:
When I used to teach nursery-aged children here in Scotland we had some new children who were going to celebrate Diwali.
In order to help all the little children (only three/four years old) understand what Diwali was about, I used to let them make little baskets. Then we baked sweets for them to put inside to take home and share with their families.
Hi Green Thumb,
I enjoyed learning about the festival of Diwali. The candles lit at night look so cool. I can understand why children wait all day for the firecrackers.
How fast they grow - your daughter is a sweetie and Bruno would enjoy roaming about with my brown lab.
Oh and I also meant to add that I am the same with cleaning ... wait until the last minute before doing it.
Dear Green Thumb, thanks for explaining about the Diwali festival. I love that tray with all the lights on it. It strikes me that people all over the world celebrate light=life.
We have firecrackers on New Year's Eve, the sound is deafening. ;-)
Your little flower is growing fast and Bruno is looking very relaxed!
Hi Green Thumb,
I loved your post. There is something about the lit deyas that is so magical. It's a big thing in Trinidad as well and I love the idea of light triumphing over darkness. I love your two gardening companions. Your daughter is so cute and is Bruno a brown lab?
Best Regards from Trinidad.
Sharon
That is so interesting about the festival. Thanks for sharing all of the customs and the photos.
Light and sharing...what is better than that! Oh, and add a clean house to the mix and you have serenity. I too enjoyed reading about this holiday. Your 'little one' looks excited but Bruno seems just content. Thanks!
There's something comforting in the way we all avoid housecleaning until guests are expected. I imagine there'd be even more reason to get out the vacuuum to attract the attention of Lakshmi. That's the first name of a news person on NPR radio - now I know the origin.
Thank you for this interesting post, Green Thumb - your photos are beautiful.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
It must be so beautiful! Candle light has a magic like no electric light has!
Hello again, dear Green Thumb. I came back to see if you had had time to do another post and re-read this one and laughed when I saw the comment about not doing housework till your back's against the wall...these days my garden comes first and housework gets done on a 'needs must' basis. Maybe it's a trait common to keen gardeners :)
I loved your post! It's interesting to read about the festval! Your little girl is beautiful!
Have a nice day!
What a lovely and beautiful festival! Thanks for sharing.
Happt belated Diwali, Green Thumb!
Diwali festival 2013 is coming that's why I am looking for different beutiful yet easy to make rangoli designs for diwali that I can try. Thanks for sharing ideas.
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