HIndu Blog Posts, About Hindu Gods, goddesses

The End of Diwali & Its Significance

We at Lotus Sculpture hope you all had a wonderful Hindu Festival of Lights! Many non-Hindus around the world have come to know of the religious holiday, but fail to truly understand what it entails or symbolizes for the greater Hindu community. Diwali is not just a religious holiday, but a spiritual and social holiday as well. According to the Hindu calendar, Diwali marks the beginning of a new year. It is a time to be re-acquainted with one’s inner spirituality and set goals and ambitions for the year ahead. The festival itself honors the Hindu Gods in many ways with both rituals and prayers.

Lord Ganesh — View all Hindu God Ganesh Statues from Lotus Sculpture

The most revered of the deities during are Hindu Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity, and God Ganesh, Remover of Obstacles. It is not hard to see why these are the most important Hindu deities during the festival, as believers wish for prosperity in their lives both financially and spiritually in the coming year as well as help from Lord Ganesh in guiding their path to defeat those obstacles that may have hindered them in the previous year.

It is also a time to honor the return of Lord Ram. The legend behind the return of Lord Ram from Sri Lanka is one of the most beloved within Hindu mythology. Legend has it that the evil King of Sri Lanka, Ravana, kidnapped Lord Ram’s wife, Sita. Ram and his followers proceeded to spend years building a bridge between Sri Lanka and India in order to defeat Ravana and save his beloved wife. Once the bridge lay complete, Lord Ram was successful in his plans of defeat and rescue. When Ram returned to India, people welcomed them back by lighting small clay pots and decorating their homes in homage. These lamps are said to symbolize the triumph of good over evil, just as Lord Ram did over Ravana. The themes behind this story now define the celebration behind the Diwali Festival to date.

Today, the festival is marked by vast displays of fireworks, devote worship, social gatherings, prayer, and cleaning up one’s life both physically and spiritually. It is a time of joyous celebration of life itself. The holiday itself should not be considered only an exclusive holiday for Hindus, as they invite people of all faiths to embrace the meaning behind the festival, shedding stresses, worries, and make goals for the coming year. If you were not able to participate this last week, join Hindus around the world in celebrating the Festival of Lights next year!

Diwali Festival of Lights Day 3: Lakshmi Puja

The 3^rd day of the Diwali Festival of Lights is the most important day of the festival for Northern and Western Indians and is traditionally known as Lakshmi Puja. As the 15^th day of the Hindu month Ashvin, this day is the new moon day of Amavasya. Although it is Amavasya, or the dark night, it is regarded as a day of supreme auspiciousness and followers propitiate Lakshmi. On this day Hindus devote much of their time to performing Lakshmi Puja, worshipping the Hindu Goddess of Wealth. Although Hindus perform Lakshmi Puja throughout Diwali, today is especially devoted to her. Devotees light oil lamps throughout the day and focus on cleaning their homes inside and out. It is believed that Lakshmi visits the most cleanly homes first, bestowing on them prosperity in the coming year. She does not visit those who do not bother to live a cleanly lifestyle, deeming them unworthy of fortune. The beating of drums and ringing of bells can be heard flowing from homes and temples as they pour out noise to summon the great Goddess. It is a day of great joy and celebration. Hindus believe that as Lakshmi visits earth she bestows upon them divine wisdom as she showers upon man blessings of plenty and wealth.

Day 2 of Diwali Festival of Lights: Choti Diwali

Today, November 14^th, marks the second day of the 2012 Diwali Festival of Lights known as Choti Diwali, Naraka Chaturdashi, or Kali Chaudas. It is the 14^th day of the Hindu month of Ashwin and the most important day of the festival for South Indians. Legend has it that on this day God Krishna defeated the evil demon Narakasura and is therefore celebrated by Hindus as a triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. It is not surprising then that Kali, which translates as dark, the Goddess of death, time, and change, is celebrated.

On this day of Diwali many perform Poojas, or religious offerings, for Lakshmi and Rama with delicious foods. It is also tradition to bathe in fragrant oils before the sun comes up early in the morning and wear fresh new clothing as part of the day’s ritual. Bathing under the cloak of darkness and stars is regarded as honoring the holy river of Ganges. Families and friends gather together for shared meals and celebrate the richness of the day with song and collective activities.

The morning after Choti Diwali women often make beautiful Rangoli around their houses and yards. Rangoli are artistic designs made on the floors of Hindu households and yards during religious festivals. They are thought to be welcoming areas for the Gods and are traditionally made from colored rice, colored flour, sand, and flower petals.

To celebrate, gather materials around the house such as rice, grains, flower petals, beads, or anything small and vibrant in color. Use dyes or food coloring to add color to less than vibrant pieces. Once you have gathered up enough supplies, make the entrance way to your home or business colorful using what you have collected. This is a joyful way to welcome the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity Lakshmi to your home so that she may bless you in the coming year. Examples of Rangoli designs can be found across the internet for inspiration!

Yama the Hindu God of Death

Yama, Hindu God of Death with Buffalo — Yama the Hindu God of Death with his vehicle, the Buffalo. Click to view statues of all the Hindu Gods.

Yama is the much-feared Hindu god of death who lives in his gloomy palace Kalichi situated somewhere in the nether regions or the Hindu Patala. He is the regent of the Southern quarter of the compass. Yama has a number of attendants to assist him in his many tasks. In his palace he keeps a register called the “Book of Destiny” in which each person’s span of life is recorded. This is maintained by one of the god’s attendants and the servant is predictably as gloomy of countenance as his master. When a person’s span of life is over Yama sends some of his more robust attendants up to earth to haul the person down to his palace. Yama is depicted as a man with dark green skin, wearing blood-red robes and with coppery eyes staring out of his grisly face. He rides his buffalo when he is traveling and he takes his mace and noose everywhere just in case there is an emergency and someone has to be cut off in the midst of his or her life.

Day 1 of Diwali Festival of Lights: Dhanteras

Goddess of Wealth Lakshmi — View all our Lakshmi Statues

Today, November 13^th 2012, marks the beginning of the 5 days of Diwali. The first day of the Diwali is known as Dhanteras or Dhantrayodashi, which falls on the 13^th day of the month Ashvin according to the Hindu calendar. The name comes from the root word Dhan or Wealth. Dhanteras is known as an opportune day for Hindus as they celebrate by buying precious metals such as gold or silver for good luck in the coming year. It is not surprising then that today is the day Hindus worship the revered Lakshmi, Goddess of Wealth. For many Hindu businesses today marks the beginning of the new fiscal year.

Many worship this day through Lakshmi Puja, which is a Hindu tradition of placing lighted clay pots outside their homes in hopes that she may pay their home a visit and bless them with prosperity in the coming year. These lamps are left burning on doorsteps throughout the night in order to light her path. It is believed that Lakshmi only visits homes that are clean and to those who are hard-working and deserving of acquiring and preserving wealth. She does not visit the lazy or those that keep their homes uncleanly.

Worship with Hindus across the globe in worshipping Lakshmi by placing a small lamp upon your doorstep with offerings of saffron paste, flowers, sweets, fruits, and/or rice. Today is a day for peaceful worship and offering upon the beautiful Goddess Lakshmi.

It is also believed that today, an incarnation of Vishnu known as Dhanvantari, was born. Vishnu as Dhanvantari is known as the physician of the Gods. So in addition to Lakshmi, pay special devotion to Vishnu as Dhanvantari by paying homage to his birth.

Page 8 Of 15