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DIVALI
The Festival of Lights
INTRODUCTION:
What is Divali ?
Diwali, or Deepavali, is one of the biggest Indian festivals and also a
major occasion in Nepal. The festival has great religious significance
for Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and the Nepalese. In India, Diwali is now
considered to be more of a national festival, and is enjoyed by most
Indians regardless of faith. It is commonly celebrated by decorating
homes with lamps and candles, bursting of firecrackers and sparklers,
eating sweets and other mouthwatering dishes, praying to Gods and
Goddesses, observing religious rituals, wearing new dresses and
sending wishes and gifts to one another.
Why do we celebrate Divali?
The festival celebrates Lakshmi, goddess of light and wealth, as well as
the New year and the story of the Ramayana. Divali, whose name
means “garland of lamps,” is marked by the lighting of lamps and
candles (inviting the goddess into the house ), feasting, and
exchanging of gifts.
When do we celebrate Divali?
Divali is celebrated in October/November and marks the homecoming of Rama
after his victory over Ravana and also commemorates Krishna's destruction of the
demon Narakasuran. Clay oil lamps are placed inside and in front of every hindu
home, turning the island into a fairyland of flickering lights.
Though the number of days of the celebration of the festival differ with different
communities, the actual days of observance of Diwali are common and fall on
exactly the same set of days across Nepal and India. Going by the Gregorian
calendar, Diwali in India is observed generally in the months of October or
November. The festival comes exactly twenty days after Dussehra, another
sacred Hindu occassion, and is celebrated for five consecutive days at the end of
Hindu month of Ashvin.
How do we celebrate Divali?
Hindus celebrate the Divali New Year festival with bright lights, gifts
exchanges, fireworks, and elaborate feasts to welcome Lakshmi, the
goddess of lights and wealth.
Once every year in Divali houses all over Mauritius lights up. The
darkest of nights becomes the brightest. This is why Hindus celebrate
Divali as the festival of light. Light bring joy and happiness in every
home. To enhance the joy of Divali both young and old light
firecrackers at night.
What happen during Divali?
Known as the "Festival of Lights," Diwali commemorates the time when the Lord
Rama returned to his hometown Ayodhya after defeating the evil demon king of
Lanka, Ravana. Lord Rama was the king of Ayodhya who had, by his father's orders,
went away from his country to live in the forest for fourteen years. But the people of
Ayodhya loved their king very much and waited for years to meet with him again. And
so, when news of Lord Rama's return came to them again, the people of Ayodhya, in
the honour of their king and to celebrate his victory, burst crackers, lit up their houses
with earthen lamps (diyas), and decorated the entire city in the grandest manner.
Year after year this homecoming of Lord Rama is commemorated on Diwali with
lights, fireworks, bursting of crackers and merriment.
The festival gets its name Deepawali, or Diwali, from the rows (avali) of lamps
(deepa) that the people of Ayodhya lit to welcome their King.
Today Diwali is celebrated across the world as the "Festival of Light,"
where the lights or lamps signify victory of good over the evil within every
human being .
Why is Diwali called the "Festival of Lights"?
Diwali is known as the "Festival of Lights". This is probably because of the
manner in which it is observed. The festival is traditionally celebrated with
activities like bursting crackers, lighting rows of candles and diyas (earthen
lamps) around individual homes, holding dazzling fireworks display and
igniting colourful sparklers.
A Guide to Divali sweets
Sweets play a big role in the Diwali celebrations.
The festival of Diwali is associated with fireworks, decorations, and
lights. However, another important part of the celebrations deals with
mithai or sweets. Traditionally, around this time, the entire household
would get together and prepare an array of mouth-watering sweets for
the family members. These sweets would be distributed to the
neighbours as well as the people who came to visit. Various kinds of
mithai are also offered to the goddess Lakshmi, during the Diwali puja.
Examples of some sweet prepared during Divali
Motichoor laddu, jalebi,kaju katli,peda,Barfi,Rasmalai
Traditional Dress for Divali
Women’s clothing during Divali
festival:
Sari
The sari (saree) is the most popular outer
garment of women of the Indian
subcontinent. It consists of a piece of silk,
cotton or synthetic cloth, five to seven yards
long which is worn wrapped around the body
with the end left hanging (the pallu) or used
over the head as a hood. The border of a sari
is usually embroidered and this is often a
status symbol. Also different regions of India
have specific methods of wrapping the cloth.
A short tight fitting blouse called a choli is
usually worn under the sari.
Shalwar and Lengha
Shalwar
The shalwar (salwar) is a pair of light loose fitting
trousers with a tight fit around the ankles. This is
usually worn by East Indian women with a kameez
which is a long tunic extending to the hips or knees. A
matching dupatta (an unstitched length of material
draped over the upper body) is also part of this outfit.
The lengha (lehnga) is one of South Asia's favourite
garments, worn frequently at weddings and other
formal occasions. It is a long skirt worn either with a
choli or a longer kurti top (tunic). Lengha skirts come
in many varieties which are described below:
Gaghara - A full flared skirt, usually with a broad fitted
belt around the waist (as worn by this model).
Garara - A divided skirt, similar to culottes or flared
bell-bottoms.
Sharara - This is similar to the gaghara, but it is cut in
an A-line pattern and the flare usually begins at the
knees.
Men’s clothing during Divali festival:
White Kurta and Paijamas (Pyjamas)
The kurta is a loose collarless shirt worn by both
men
and
women,
usually
with
paijamas
(drawstring trousers), a shalwar, or churidars
(tight trousers). This ensemble also includes a
bandi ( waistcoat) and a dupatta.
Dhoti
The dhoti is a style of East Indian men's wear. It
is formed by wrapping a piece of cloth in a
specific manner about the waist and legs. It is
usually white or cream in colour.
DIVALI Project Submitted By
Abeda Takun,Priyeshna Ramlugun,Prerna Rawoo,Yadhvi
Goordyal,Nagma Mahamood,Shreeya Gopaul
Form IIB, Bon accueil State College, Mauritius
Acknowledgement
We would like to thank,firstly ,the Almighty God ,our teacher
Mr Ujoodha(Chemistry teacher), Parents and Everyone who
helped us. Thank-you all