Tamil Nadu » Tamil Nadu Festivals » Diwali Festivals in Tamil Nadu- Diwali
Diwali, the festival of lights, is held throughout India. In Kerala, this is celebrated only by Hindus. It falls on the preceding day of the New Moon in the Malayalam month Thulam (October-November). It is celebrated in commemoration of the destruction of the demon called Narakasura by Lord Krishna. As Lord Krishna killed Narakasura on the Chaturdasi day (the fourteenth lunar day) it is also known as Narakachaturdasi. Before sunrise, all in the house have their oil bath and put on new cloths. Sweets are then served followed by bursting of crackers. The word 'Diwali' means an array of lights. The people of Dwaraka greeted Lord Krishna with illumination and rejoicing in honour of his victory over Narakasura. The darkness of the Chaturdasi night compelled them to use many lamps on the occasion, and subsequently the illumination became a part of this celebration. Significance It is celebrated by Hindus all over the world, every year. On the day of Diwali old and young, rich and poor wear new dresses and share sweets. They also burn crackers. The traditional business community starts their financial new year on Dipavali and new account books are opened on this day. There are two mythological legends associa ted with Dipavali. The first Dipavaliwas held to celebrate the return of the Rama, King of Ayodhya, his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana to Koshala after a war in which he killed the demon Ravana. It was getting dark, so people along the way lit oil lamps to light their way. Second, it commemorates the killing of Narakasura, who was also an evil demon. So Dipavali is a festival symbolising the destruction of evil forces. There are various legends relating to Dipavali as also different ways of celebrating in different parts of India. Dipavali is celebrated over 5 days in most of north India as: dhan teras In South India, naraka chaturdashii is the main day of celebration with lot of fire crackers at dawn while in North India the main celebration is on Amavasya evening with Lakshmi Puja followed by lighting of oil lamps in and around the house and bursting of crackers. In England, the days are Dhanteras, Narak Chatrudashi, Lakshmu-Puja, the most important day, Padwa or Varshapratipanda and Bhaiya Dooj or the Teeka Ceremony. The time is also significant to Sikhs. During the festival time in 1620 the 6th Guru, Hargobind Singh gained the release of 52 Hindu princes who had been falsely imprisoned in Gwallior Fort by the rulers of the area, the Mughals. The Golden Temple was lit with many lights to welcome the release of [Guru Hargobind]] and Sikhs have continued the celebration. Criticism Related to firecrackers In recent years there has been a some criticism about the celebration of Diwali in India. The most common reason is the noise pollution caused by crackers, which particularly affects infants, pets and older people whose sleep can also be disrupted by firecracker noise that continues late into the night. The noise from crackers has a more deleterious effect on animals since they have a more sensitive sense of hearing than humans. Pets like dogs and cats as well as stray cattle in cities spend the Diwali days in a state of confusion. Voluntary and non-profit organizations like People for Animals educate the public about these issues. Additionally, Smog is extremely common on the morning after Diwali, and may be harmful to inhale and causes difficulty for drivers through reduced visibility. Diwali can often be treated by some as an opportunity to show off their status or purchasing power. This competitive approach encourages the use of ever larger and noisier fireworks. Recently there have been several governmental and legal efforts to combat the menace. The Supreme Court of India, observing that the "right to peaceful sleep is a fundamental right of the citizens", has banned crackers between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am during the Dasara and Diwali festivals. While strict enforcement of this ban is not yet in place, the effect has nevertheless been very positive. The Central Pollution Control Board has banned fire-crackers with a decibel level of more than 125 at a distance of 4 meters from the bursting point. There have also been state-level efforts to ban the very loud "1000-walas" and "hydrogen bombs" fireworks. There have been efforts by some non-governmental organisations to educate school children about the ills of firecrackers, because it is understood that children are the ones who influence their parents to purchase them and are the ones who eventually light them. The cumulative effect of these actions has been a noticeable reduction of noise during Diwali. There is also the issue of child labor in the fireworks industry whose main centre in India is Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu. Children as young as three or four (the average is 10-14) work in harsh conditions, and about a third of them are in debt bondage. There is some public awareness of this problem, but the longstanding issue of child labor in India is larger than the context of Diwali alone. |
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Dipavãli
(also transliterated Deepavali; Sanskrit: row of lights) or Diwãli
(contracted spelling) is the Hindu festival of lights, held on the final
day of the Hindu calendar (compare New Year's Eve). The following day,
marking the beginning of a new year, is called Annakut.