Diwali Celebrations

Diwali Festival is seen as arenewal of life. Houses are painted and new purchases are made at thistime. Diwali Festival is the hindu "festival of lights" which celebrates the new year. It is india's most important holiday. The festival is calculated by the lunar hindu calendar, it falls on different days each year. Diwali Festival is called dhanvantari triodasi or dhanwantari triodasi also called dhan theras. It is in fact the thirteenth lunar day of krishna paksh (the dark forthnight) of the month of kartik. On this day, lord dhanwantari came out of the ocean with ayurvedic medicine (medicine which promotes healthy long life) for mankind.

Diwali Festival is the major indian occasion which is celebrated whole heartedly in hinduism, sikhism and jainism. It is also called 'festival of lights' as people illuminate candles, diyas on this day and celebrate the victory of good over wicked powers.

The day is celebrated in throughout the world, where in nepal it is called tihar and swanti. In maharasthra, diwali festival is seen as a festival for warding off kingbali, the ruler of the underworld. In the western part of india, manyhindus believe that the souls of their ancestors come to visit their homesduring the new moon day of diwali. Lamps are lit to guide the way of thedeparted souls. In gujrat, diwali festival is associated mostly with the worship ofluxmi, the goddess of wealth. It is believed luxmi on this day emerges tobring prosperity to the world. Luxmi puja in gujrat lasts for five dayswhich starts with dhanterash, the worshipping of wealth. In the eastern part ofindia, especially in west bengal, luxmi puja is celebrated five days afterdashera, on the full moon day, coinciding with diwali festival, goddess kali is worshipped.