Significance of Deepavali

Celebrated as the festival of lights, Deepavali is one of the ancient festivals. The Pancharatra Agamam says Deepavali festival has been in existence through the yugas, starting with Krita yuga, said Tirukkudanthai Dr. Venkatesh.

Observed on the Amavasya day in the Tamil month of Aippasi, it denotes the emergence of Goddess Lakshmi with pot of nectar following the churning of the Milky Ocean by the devas and asuras. The word Avali denotes lineup and signifies the fact that the Goddess was welcomed with diyas lit sequentially by devas, saints and the others, when she emerged. Deepavali is also referred to Lakshmi Puja due to this reason.

People believe that in Treta yuga, Lord Rama defeated Ravana on Vijayadasami Day and returned to Ayodhya on the Amavasya day in Aippasi and hence Ayodhya continues to celebrate Deepavali by staging the Lanka war followed by the burning of the Ravana in effigy.

In the Dwapara yuga, on the day preceding Amavasya in Aippasi, Lord Krishna fought with Narakasura, a rakshasa who had stolen Indra’s pristine white umbrella and his mother Aditi’s earrings. Following Indra’s appeal to Krishna to recover the stolen items, Krishna, accompanied by Satyabhama, reached Narakasura’s abode and engaged in a fight with him, defeating the asura. With his last breath the rakshasa prayed to Krishna that He should negate the sins of all those who have a Ganga snan early morning and pray to God on Aippasi Amavasya.

The real benefit of observing Deepavali lies in the fact that the festival dispels the darkness of ignorance and fetches the blessings of Lakshmi.

Published - October 31, 2024 04:50 am IST