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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 .

 

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.

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