* Diwali in India is as important to the Indians as Christmas celebrations in the West. Common traditions include buying new clothes and redecorating houses, lighting butter lamps, exchanging gifts, eating together as family and bursting firecrackers. The primary purpose of these traditions is to start afresh with the belief of good emerging victorious over all evil.
* As a traveller, especially if you are anywhere in India, you will certainly feel the festive vibe! Indians are friendly and curious people. Don’t be surprised if you are invited to someone’s house to join in the family celebrations.
* If you intend on travelling during Diwali in India, here’s everything you need to know about the festival of Diwali.
* If experiencing Diwali in India is on your wishlist (something which I highly recommend), plan your trip months before, so you can properly experience the grandeur of the festival of lights.
* Any travel related queries on planning your trip can be asked here..
EXPERIENCING DIWALI IN INDIA :
* If we had to pick two festivals that you must definitely experience in India, it would have to be either the festival of colours – Holi (in March) or Diwali (October or November).
* Both these festivals are a sight to behold, and joyous Indians in the mood to celebrate are super fun.
* Travelling in India during Diwali will give you an insight into India’s rich cultural heritage and help you understand age old traditions.
* During this time, streets and homes are all lit up with lanterns and candles for the celebration of this Hindu festival.
* Experiencing Diwali in India is certainly surreal.
* So if you are travelling in India during Diwali, go for it as festivals are the best way to experience a place and learn about it's culture. This blog will tell you all about experiencing the festival of lights, celebrating Diwali in India!
UPCOMING DIWALI DATES TO BE NOTED :
* 14th November, 2020, 04th November, 2021 and 24th October, 2022.
* Do note, three to four days before and after are all festive, so you have a week-long window to witness or partake in the festivities.
WHY DO WE CELEBRATE DIWALI?
* Diwali marks the beginning of a new year in the Hindu calendar in India.
* It celebrates the return of Lord Ram after fourteen years of exile. During this period, he also defeated the ten-headed King Ravana who had abducted his wife Sita.
* Hanuman (the Monkey God) and Laxman (Ram’s younger brother) are other important characters in the Ramayana, an ancient epic about Ram, Sita and righteousness.
* It symbolises the victory of light over darkness, good over evil and hope over despair.
* Hindus light up their homes, they adorn the entrance with lamps or candles, and colourful mandalas made using coloured powder.
* This is why it is also known as the festival of lights. In order to show gratitude to the lord, all assets like cars, offices, jewellery are worshipped at this time.
WHERE AND WHEN IS DIWALI CELEBRATED?
* Diwali is celebrated on the day of the full moon, around the end of October and beginning of November.
* The celebrations are for five days with Diwali being the third and the most important day.
* Most regions across the country celebrate this Hindu festival.
* Diwali celebrations in North and Central India are extremely different as compared to the festivities in South India. The religious significance of Diwali also differs depending on each state. The most popular significance continues to be based on the legend of Ramayana. But in South India, Diwali is celebrated to commemorate the conquering of the Asura Naraka and in the honour of Lord Krishna.
* Celebrations in North India take place with great fervour – colours, lights, chaos, fireworks, loud gatherings and noise.
* In Southern India, on the other hand, celebrations are quite subtle even though the traditions are more or less the same. If you ask us, you must be in North India during Diwali.
HOW IS DIWALI CELEBRATED?
* Each of the days of this five day festival have a different significance, with its own set of rituals and traditions followed by fireworks at night time. Knowing this isn’t a must, but will help you get a better understanding of it when experiencing Diwali in India.
* The celebrations start on Day 1 with Dhanteras. On this auspicious day, Indians clean and decorate their houses and prepare for the festival. Also going out and buying new clothes. Stores have all kind of discounts in order to attract more buyers.
* The 2nd Day is also used for preparations and to mark the beginning of this auspicious festival, certain rituals are also performed. The entrance of people’s homes are adorned with Rangolis – art patterns made of coloured powder and flowers, to welcome their guests for Diwali. Families and friends come together, exchange gifts and light oil lamps on the third day and the most important day – Diwali.
* Later at night, people go out onto the streets and light fireworks to bring in the new year.
* The day after, new year’s day, relatives and friends visit each other and exchange sweets and gifts.
* ‘Bhai Dooj’ (the second day of the new year is dedicated to brothers), this is the last and the fifth day of this celebration. This is when sisters cook for their brothers, put ‘teekas’ (red dots) on their foreheads and take their blessings. We recommend all 5 days when experiencing Diwali while on your travels.
WHAT ARE THE BEST PLACES TO CELEBRATE DIWALI IN INDIA :
* In terms of destinations, any place in Rajasthan is great for Diwali.
* You will see lots of festivities and fire-crackers in bigger cities like Mumbai and New Delhi.
Ganga Aarthi During Diwali @Kaasi
* Towns like Agra, Orchha and Khajuraho located in the state of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are great for Diwali.
* You can go to Varanasi and watch the amazing aarti and the mesmerising fireworks on the banks of River Ganga. Varanasi also celebrates the festival of Dev Deepawali – the Diwali of the Lords. This celebration takes place 15 days after Diwali. It is believed that the Lords come down to Earth to take a dip in the holy waters of Ganga and all the 84 ghats are lit with oil lamps for their welcome. This is a sight worth witnessing as along with celebrations, multiple rituals take place as well.
* Jaipur markets are completely lit up and are an absolute visual delight during Diwali.
* Goa has a special tradition of burning effigies of the demon Narakasura.
* Though Amritsar has a majority Sikh population, it is worth witnessing the celebrations at the Golden Temple.
Diwali @Ayodhya, The Birth Place Of Lord Rama
Pro Tip :
* It doesn’t necessarily matter where in India you celebrate, just make sure to not travel on the day of Diwali to really experience the Diwali festival to the fullest.
DEV DIWALI AT VARANASI :
* Do not confuse Dev Deepawali with Diwali, though both are festival of lights but are extremely different in rituals.
* Celebrated every year in the sacred city of Varanasi, Dev Deepawali or Dev Diwali, marks Lord Shiva’s victory over demon Tripurasur and comes after 15 days of Diwali.
* Therefore, the festival is also known by the name of Tripurotsav and is observed on the day of Kartik Purnima (the full moon day for the Hindus).
* On this auspicious day, a large number of devotees come together to take a dip in the holy Ganges.
* They pray to goddess Ganga and offer flowers and light clay lamps or diyas in the evening.
* This act of offering lit-up lamps to the Ganga is called Deepdaan.
* As the sun goes down, every single step of the staircases at Varanasi ghats glitter with thousands of diyas, which look absolutely gorgeous.
* Besides the ghats, all the temples in the city are also beautifully lit by the lamps.
* Dev Deepawali in Varanasi is an experience worth remembering. During this celestial manifestation, every corner of the city comes alive with bright colours and glowing diyas.
* It looks like stars have fallen down on the Earth to make the city all the more beautiful.
* People are also of the view that on the day of Dev Deepawali, all the Gods descend to Varanasi to bathe in the Ganga River, a fact that makes this festival extremely popular.
* The main ritual of this festival involves taking a bath in the Ganges also called ‘ kartik snan’ and performing deepdan to the river goddess in the evening.
* Later, the famous Ganga aarti of Varanasi is performed on the banks of the river in the evening, which is a spectacular spectacle!
Dev Diwali @Varanasi
* Pilgrims, travellers and tourists from all across the globe flock the city during this period to experience the grandeur of the festival.
Plan your trip for Diwali in Varanasi :
* If you wish to partake and experience the magic of Dev Diwali Varanasi, you must start planning months before as all the prime hotels get booked.
* This festival is a major draw and gets packed with travellers and devotees.
* The vivid colours on the ghats and the sight of thousands of people lighting lamps and diyas on the ghats look absolutely breathtaking.
* It is the best time for the boatmen as they earn fairly well this time of the month.
SAFETY TIPS FOR EXPERIENCING DIWALI IN INDIA :
* Diyas and firecrackers are everywhere, so be careful with your clothes catching fire (especially girls wearing ‘dupattas’ or ‘Indian scarves’).
* If your ears are sensitive, we suggest taking earplugs as some firecrackers are extremely loud and can sound more like explosions.
* There can also be a lot of smoke in the air. Don’t keep your face too close when lighting fireworks and rush to a safe distance once lit.
* We highly recommended that you constantly supervise children to avoid any accidents.
* Burning of firecrackers during the festival can lead to air pollution especially in big cities like Delhi. In order to steer clear of any infection, it is best that you wear a mask to avoid inhaling this air.
* Celebrating Diwali in India in smaller cities like Rishikesh and Jaipur, guarantees an authentic cultural experience. Smaller towns, continue to celebrate Diwali in accordance with ancient traditions. The ideal way to understand the rich history and culture of India, we highly recommend celebrating this festival in such towns.
TRAVELLING IN INDIA DURING DIWALI :
* If you’re travelling to India during Diwali (the festival of lights), make sure you book inter city commute and accommodation well in advance – train tickets, hotel bookings and guides become harder and more expensive to book as the festival approaches.
* Most people make booking well in advance for accommodation in major tourist cities.
* However, the most difficult thing to procure is train tickets, as people travel all over India to visit their loved ones.
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