Diwali

28 October 1962 was the date of Diwali according to Deepavali.net

Diwali falls on the new moon night (Amavasya) between mid-October and mid-November. Diwali is celebrated for five days according to the lunisolar. It begins in late Ashvin (between September and October) and ends in early Kartika (between October and November).

Diwali poojan muhurta 2013 -

Pradosh kaal - 05:35- 08:14. Time from 06:15PM - 08:09 PM is also recommended.
Shubh chaughadiyan - 05:35 -07:14 PM After that till 08:54 PM Amrit Chaughadiyan will be there.

Nishith kaal - 08:14 PM - 10:53 PM (From 08:09 PM to 10:23 Gemini Ascendent, After that till 00:46 Cancer ascendent will be there)
Char Chaughadiyan - 08:54 PM - 10:33 PM. In this time chanting of mantra will be beneficial. after this time Chaghardiya time is not favorable.

Maha Nisheeth kaal - 10:53 PM - 01:32 AM, Mahalaxmi poojan one must do before 10:33 PM.

Your guide to perform laxmi puja the most important aspect of the festival on Diwali

Preaparation-

First and foremost step is to clean the house. Through the puja we are inviting Goddess Lakshmi to our house and she likes everything to be neat and clean. Make a rangoli on front door at least. Offer few clay diyas in temple than lighten your house and start the puja.

Important Items Needed For Lakshmi Puja-

Kalash, Mango leaves, nariyal gari ( peeled coconut )

Idol or picture of Goddess Lakshmi and Ganesha, Shivling and Shri Yantra if you have

Milk, curd, honey, ghee, gangajal for Panchamrat

raw rice, dry fruits, ), incense sticks (agarbattis), vermilion (kumkum),

puja Sweets, Red cloth, Red and other color flowers, Seeds of kamalgatta, Hawan samagri ( fire sacrifice), Samidha for Navgrah, Kalawa ( a skein of thread ), supari ( Betel nut ), Coconut, Paan ke patte, Rangoli

Lakshmi Puja Process

• First decide on a place to perform the puja. It should be in East or North

• Spread a clean red cloth on a chouki ( a small stool for offering ) and create a bed of rice on lt and rt side.

• A Kalash (pot), is placed after tying three rounds of kalawa on the bed of rice.

• Fill the Kalash with water.

• Put a betel nut, flower, a clean coin, and some rice in the Kalash.

• Now arrange mango leaves around the opening of the Kalash in 7 or 9 number.

• Place a coconut after tying three rounds of kalawa on the Kalash.

• In the front of your right hand, draw a lotus with turmeric powder and flour and place the idol or small photograph of Goddess Lakshmi, Ganesha , Shri Yantra on bed bed of rice. Shiv ling you can keep on side also'

• Take some water and sprinkle on all puja items to purify them.

• Do puja with haldi, kumkum and flowers on the Kalash.

• Light a four faced lamp ( dipak ) . It should be for the whole night. The diyas serve a dual purpose. Their primary purpose is to drive away all the shadows of evil spirits present in the area. At the same time awakening of the light of good within each individual.

• The incense sticks are burnt while the clay lamps are filled with ghee and their wicks are lit

• Now remember the following deities in given order and offer each one the following set of offering- flower, 1 paan leave, loung, supari and some sweet .Guru is remembered before every pooja first. Than start with Ganesh ji , Navgarah ( Surya, Chandra, Mangal, Budh, Guru, Shukra, Shani, Rahu, Ketu), Kuber devta, Sthan devta and Vaastu devta.

• No puja is performed without paying customary tributes to Lord Ganesha. Lord Kubera, represents wealth, and he is the treasurer of Gods. In homes, usually the locker or safe in which gold and cash is kept symbolically represents the seat of Kubera.

• A panchamitra is made using five ingredients including milk, curd, honey, gangajal, and clarified butter (ghee). Offer this panchamrit to Lord Shiva with Mahamritunjay mantra-

" Om Tryambakam yajamahe

Sugandhim pushti-vardhanam

Urvarukamiva bandhanan

Mrityor mukshiya mamritat"

• Now sprinkle the flowers and rice on the idol of Goddess Lakshmi.

• Take out the idol of Goddess Lakshmi and place it on a Thaali. Clean the idol with panchamrit. Then clean the idol again with water.

• Place the idol back. Now offer fruits, sweets, betel nuts and betel leaves.

• Next make offerings of Batasha and puffed rice ( lahi).

• Chant " Om Mahalaxmaye Namah" for some time.

• Now do hawan. Offer hawan samagri to each diety you welcomed in above mention order with the hawan samagri. When you start offering for Goddess Laxmi, the head of the family will do with the kamalgatta and ghee and other family members with the hawan chanting "om mahalaxmaye namah" mantra for 108 times.

• When finished all family members should stand up and offer nariyal gari for purnahuti.

• .Now you are ready for the Aarti. Light the Aarti diya. Light camphor. Sing the aarti to the tune of 'Om Jai Jagdeesh hare' along with the accompaniment of the jingle of the bell. (You will find the words of the Aarti at the end of this note)

Here are the Diwali aartis, to be sung at the time of Diwali puja, in order to please the gods and ask for their blessings.

Shri Ganesha Aarti

Jai Ganesh Jai Ganesh, Jai Ganesh deva

Mata jaki Parvati, Pita Mahadeva.

Ek dant dayavant, char bhuja dhari

Mathe sindur sohai, muse ki savari, Jai

Ganesh...

Andhan ko ankh det, kodhin ko kaya

Banjhan ko putra det, nirdhan ko maya, Jai

Ganesh....

Pan chadhe, phul chadhe, aur chadhe meva

Ladduan ka bhog lage, saht kare seva, ,Jai

Ganesh....

Jai Ganesh, Jai Ganesh, Jai Ganesh deva,

Mata jaki Parvata, Pita Mahadeva.

THE MAHALAXMI AARTI

Om Jai Laxmi Mata, Maiya JaiLaxmi Mata,

Tumko nis din sevat, Hari, Vishnu Data

Om Jai Laxmi Mata

Uma Rama Brahmaani, Tum ho Jag Mata,

Maiya, Tum ho Jag Mata,

Surya ChanraMa dhyaavat, Naarad Rishi gaata.

Om Jai Laxmi Mata.

Durga Roop Niranjani, Sukh Sampati Data,

Maiya Sukh Sampati Data

Jo koyee tumko dhyaataa, Ridhee Sidhee dhan paataa

Om Jai Laxmi Mata.

Jis ghar mein tu rehtee, sab sukh guna aataa,

Maiya sab sukh guna aataa,

Taap paap mit jaataa, Man naheen ghabraataa.

Om Jai Laxmi Mata

Dhoop Deep phal meva, Ma sweekaar karo,

Maiya Ma sweekaar karo,

Gyaan prakaash karo Ma, Moha agyaan haro.

Om Jai Laxmi Mata.

Maha Laxmiji ki Aarti, nis din jo gaavey

Maiya nis din jo gaavey

Dukh jaavey, sukh aavey, Ati aananda paavey.

Om Jai Laxmi Mata.

Do the above with faith and devotion and don't worry too much if you do not do it very correctly. Even after finishing your puja do maximum chanting of mahalaxmi mantra.

For more information submit your details here- http://www.bagulamukhijyotishtantra.com/

Diwali is mainly a Hindu festival. It is also celebrated by Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists for different reasons.

There are several reasons to celebrate Diwali depending on the group celebrating it. Diwali or Deepavali is a significant festival in Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism. All of these religions celebrate Diwali as the Festival of Lights.

The lights that are lit signify victory of good over the evil within an individual.

The various reasons for Diwali are:

• In Hinduism it is the homecoming of Rama after a 14-year exile in the forest and his victory over the Ravana. or Killing of Narakasura by Lord Krishna.
• In Jainism, Diwali marks the attainment of nirvana by Mahavira on 15 October, 527 BC.
• In Sikhism it celebrates the return of Guru Har Gobind Ji (1595-1644), the sixth Guru of Sikhism, who was imprisoned along with 53 other Hindu kings at Fort Gwalior by Jahangir.

It's not just the festive mood in the air that makes you happy, or just that it's a good time to enjoy before the advent of winter. There are 10 mythical and historical reasons why Diwali is a great time to celebrate. And there are good reasons not just for Hindus but also for all others to celebrate this great Festival of Lights.

1. Goddess Lakshmi's Birthday: The Goddess of wealth, Lakshmi incarnated on the new moon day (amaavasyaa) of the Kartik month during the churning of the ocean (samudra-manthan), hence the association of Diwali with Lakshmi.
2. Vishnu Rescued Lakshmi: On this very day (Diwali day), Lord Vishnu in his fifth incarnation as Vaman-avtaara rescued Lakshmi from the prison of King Bali and this is another reason of worshiping Ma Larkshmi on Diwali.
3. Krishna Killed Narakaasur: On the day preceding Diwali, Lord Krishna killed the demon king Narakaasur and rescued 16,000 women from his captivity. The celebration of this freedom went on for two days including the Diwali day as a victory festival.
4. The Return of the Pandavas: According to the great epic 'Mahabharata', it was 'Kartik Amavashya' when the Pandavas appeared from their 12 years of banishment as a result of their defeat in the hands of the Kauravas at the game of dice (gambling). The subjects who loved the Pandavas celebrated the day by lighting the earthen lamps.
5. The Victory of Rama: According to the epic 'Ramayana', it was the new moon day of Kartik when Lord Ram, Ma Sita and Lakshman returned to Ayodhya after vanquishing Ravana and conquering Lanka. The citizens of Ayodhya decorated the entire city with the earthen lamps and illuminated it like never before.
6. Coronation of Vikramaditya: One of the greatest Hindu King Vikramaditya was coroneted on the Diwali day, hence Diwali became a historical event as well.
7. Special Day for the Arya Samaj: It was the new moon day of Kartik (Diwali day) when Maharshi Dayananda, one of the greatest reformers of Hinduism and the founder of Arya Samaj attained his nirvana.
8. Special Day for the Jains: Mahavir Tirthankar, considered to be the founder of modern Jainism also attained his nirvana on Diwali day.
9. Special Day for the Sikhs: The third Sikh Guru Amar Das institutionalized Diwali as a Red-Letter Day when all Sikhs would gather to receive the Gurus blessings. In 1577, the foundation stone of the Golden Temple at Amritsar was laid on Diwali. In 1619, the sixth Sikh Guru Hargobind, who was held by the Mughal Emperor Jahengir, was released from the Gwalior fort along with 52 kings.
10. The Pope's Diwali Speech: In 1999, Pope John Paul II performed a special Eucharist in an Indian church where the altar was decorated with Diwali lamps, the Pope had a 'tilak' marked on his forehead and his speech was bristled with references to the festival of light.

• Hindu's traditional festival.
• Falls on the one new moon night (Amavasya) between mid-October and mid-November.
• Mainly observed by:
  • Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists.
• Significance:
  • Celebration of the victory of good over evil; the uplifting of spiritual darkness.
• Type:
  • Religious, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Surinam, Malaysia, Singapore, and Fiji (National holiday in these countries).
• Date:
  • Decided by the luni-solar Hindu calendar.
• Observances:
  • Prayers, Religious rituals.

• Chinese traditional festival.
• Celebrated on first month 15th of Chinese Lunar calendar.
• Mainly observed by:
  • Chinese, Vietnamese.
• Significance:
  • Marks the end of Chinese New Year.
• Type:
  • Cultural festival.
• Date:
  • 15th day of the 1st month (lunisolar year).
• Observances:
  • Flying of paper lanterns.

Hanukkah commemorates the Maccabean War of 165 BCE, between the Jews and the Syrian-Greeks. The real miracle of Hanukkah is that the Jews were victorious, against all odds, they beat their enemy and were able to restore the Ancient Temple in Jerusalem, which had been desecrated by the Greeks. In a larger context, Hanukkah represents victory against religious persecution and assimilation.

But a second miracle is more commonly known: A story in the Talmud (500 years later) tells of a legendary miracle. After the war, When the Jews returned to rededicate the Ancient Temple, they found that there was only enough oil to keep the eternal lamp burning for 1 day. It would take 8 days to make more of this special oil. So the lit the lamp, and it miraculously burned for 8 days, giving them plenty of time to make more oil to keep the lamp burning.

This second miracle is very popular with children. It is understood as a legend only, and appears to be the early Rabbis' attempt to add a spiritual level to the holiday.

The Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks) under Antiochus Epiphanes (2nd century BCE), at the instigation of the Hellenizers, had forbidden various Torah-practices in Judea, such as Sabbath-observance and circumcision, rededicated the Temple to a Greek idol, and pressed the Jews to offer up idolatrous sacrifices. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Hasmoneans (a family of religious Jews) fought to retake the Holy Temple, which had been seized by the Seleucids, and to enable the people to once again observe the Torah. The Hasmoneans (also called Maccabees) were miraculously victorious. When they reached the Temple grounds, they immediately reconsecrated it to God. As part of this action, they relit the Menorah (Exodus ch.25), which was fueled with olive oil. However, it soon became apparent that there was only sufficient oil to keep the candelabra burning for one single day - and it would take eight days to make and bring some more.

Miraculously, the menorah stayed lit for eight days (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), allowing enough time for new oil to be prepared and brought.

The significance of the miracle is that it demonstrated that God's presence still dwelt in the Holy Temple. This is what Hanukkah represents: the closeness to God; and the avoidance of Hellenization (assimilation).

The Torah Sages instituted the festival of Hanukkah at that time (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), to publicize the miracle (Rashi commentary, ibid). This is why we light our Hanukkah-menorahs.

(The Hanukkah-menorah, or hanukkiyah, is a special form of the original seven-branched menorah. Our Hanukkah-menorahs have eight spaces for oil, or candles, to mark each of the eight days for which the oil lasted and a ninth to hold the shamash, a candle used to light the others.)

The eight-day rededication of the Temple is also mentioned in the book of Maccabees (I, 4:36; and II, 1:18); and Josephus mentions the eight-day festival in Antiquities ch.12.

The Al-Hanisim prayer which we recite during Hanukkah centers around the Hasmoneans' victory and rededication of the Temple, while the candle-lighting commemorates the miracle of the oil.

Though the military victory is prominently mentioned in the prayers, it wouldn't have been celebrated if not for the miracle of the oil, just as we have no special occasion to mark Abraham's victory (Genesis ch.14), or those of Moses (Numbers ch.21), Joshua, Deborah (Judges ch.4), Gideon (Judges ch.6-7), Jephthah (Judges ch.11), or King David. And though the Hasmonean battles continued for two decades after the retaking of the Temple, the Sages instituted Hanukkah immediately after the miracle of the oil.

It should also be noted that the main goal for which the Maccabees fought was not political independence. They fought to enable the people to observe the Torah's commandments; as we say in the Al Hanisim prayer: "the Greeks sought to cause us to forget Your Torah and leave Your statutes."

A Festival Of Lights or Pollution?

This Diwali make a pledge to reduce environmental pollution, not increase it.

Do you encourage your kids to burn firecrakers on Diwali? Do you go all out and splurge at the nearest store, so your kids can shoot rockets in the air, light 'anars' and 'chakris'? Here's why you should think twice.

Child Exploitation

Your children are fortunate to be part of the privileged few that can afford firecrackers. But there are numerous children who are employed by the firecracker industry, who sit late into the night making crackers for your children to burn in an instant. Firecrackers are made using harmful chemicals and acids, and these children work from dawn to dusk, breathing such harmful fumes and coming into constant skin contact with the acids. They burn their hands, legs and eyes, and many get miamed for life. The conditions they work in are inhumance, and the compensation, pitiful.

Air Pollution

A heavy smog hangs low in the air on Diwali night and a few days after that. While we ignore the smell - and some even claim to like it - we can't ignore the fact that we are inhaling poison. The levels of sulphur nitrates, magnesium, nitrogen dioxide increase, and these chemicals are injurious to our respiratory passages. Asthamatics, beware! Diwali can be potentially fatal!

Ecology

One Diwali night causes as much damage to the ecology as regular pollution does over the span of a year.

Noise Pollution

'Bombs' are a favourite amongst kids, and the noisier the better. This leads to noise pollution, and a prolonged exposure to such high levels of noise can lead to permanent damage of the eardrums.

Garbage

The amount of garbage released on the day after Diwali is phenomenal. Approximately 4,000 additional metric tonnes of garbage are released in Delhi alone, and twice the amount in Mumbai. And this garbage, far from being eco-friendly, is extremely hazardous for the environment as it comprises of chemicals like phosphorous, sulphur and potassium chlorate, and tonnes of burnt paper.

Accidents

Numerous fire accidents occur every year. Rough estimates claim that nearly 10,000 people get injured by the crackers. Most of the injuries are minor, but cause an untold amount of pain. Most of the victims are children in the age group of 8-16.

School Campaigns

A few schools around the country are encouraging their students not to burn firecrackers. Perhaps it's time you did the same.

Firecracker Display

Take your children to a clubhouse or encourage your neighbourhood society to hold a firework display, followed by dinner. In this manner a lot fewer fireworks get burnt, and one doesn't feel that they haven't 'celebrated' this festival in the manner it calls for.