Diya is a small earthen lamp made of clay. Ghee or oil, especially gingelly oil, are used as the fuel. Cotton wool is used as the wick. They are also known as Deepams and are considered holy and auspicious. They are purchased on the day before Diwali.

Now-a-days the diyas are not just baked mud ones but are embellished beautifully by colours, designs and crafts. Various shops showcase the brilliant designs of diyas and lamps crafted by ceramic designers from all over the country.

Diyas also come with zaris and mirrors. Latest diyas are the delightful ones with sharply cut edges, embellished with cut work, covered and filled with colorful wax. Special Diyas called ‘Ganesha Diyas’ and ‘Lakshmi Diyas’ come with 21 or 11 spouts. Leaf shaped and rose shaped diyas are famous these days. Some colorful diyas show the vivid shades of blue, yellow, red, pink with well-crafted gold and silver borders

In this article we show few of designer diyas that are very popular.

Some Diwali Mithai (Sweet) Recipes:

Kalakand:
It is also called as Milk Burfi.

Ingredients:

• Milk : 2 litres
• Sugar : 1 cup
• Nuts (chopped) to garnish
• Silver or golden foil (optional)
• Citric acid solution ( 10 drops of citric acid dissolved in a cup of water)

Method of Preparation:

• Boil half the milk ( 1 litre) and add the citric acid solution while it is boiling
• Off the stove. After the chenna settles, sieve it through muslin cloth and press out excess water
• Don’t knead. It disrupts the structure of the mixture
• Pour the remaining (1 litre) milk in a heavy pan and boil to half
• Add chenna and boil. Stir it continuously till the mixture thickens
• Add sugar and continue to boil. Once it appears like a soft lump switch off the stove
• Set in a tray, garnish with siver or golden foil and sprinkle the chopped dry nuts

Basin Ke Ladoo:

Ingredients:

• Semolina : 30ml or 2 table spoons
• Sifted Gram flour : 100 gms
• Ghee : 75 gms
• Chapped almonds : 50 gms
• Sultanas : 50 gms
• Ground Cardamom : ½ table spoon
• Sugar : 100 gms

Method of Preparation:

• Put the semolina into a deep frying pan over a medium flame and stir for 4 minutes
• Add the gram flour and ghee, fry and stir continuously for 10 minutes until pale golden color appears
• Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the nuts, sultanas and cardamom and allow to stand for 4 minutes
• Stir in the sugar and allow to cool
• Divide the mixture into some equal portions and allow to stand for 5-7 hours
• Roll the ladoos into the ball shape on the palm of your hand
• You can store ladoos in an airtight container for up to 1 to 2 months

Kaju Burfi:

Ingredients:

• Cashew nuts : 1 cup
• Sugar : 1 cup
• Water : ½ cup
• Cardamom powder : a pinch

Method of Preparation:

• Grind cashew nuts to make powder
• Add sugar in water and keep on boiling to make sugar syrup
• After boiling it, add cardamom powder and cashew powder. Stir continuously until it becomes little thick
• Pour the mixture on a plate which is greased with oil or ghee and spread it to make a layer
• Allow the layer to cool and cut it into desired shapes

Diwali is the five day festival that begins on the 13th day of the dark half of Ashwin and ends on the 2nd day of the bright half of Kartik. The main day of celebration varies region to region. Diwali is celebrated under several names such as Dhan Teras, Lakshmi Puja, Yamadeepdaan, Balindra Pooja and Kojagari Diwali.

Diwali Celebrations:

Diwali is celebrated irrespective of caste, creed and religion. It is celebrated with same vigour and pomp in Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism. It is celebrated in all parts of India. In North India, people celebrate the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhaya after defeating Ravana. In Gujarat there is elaborate Lakshmi Pooja to honour Goddess Lakshmi. In Bengal, Kali, Goddess of Time is worshipped with awe and reverence. In South India, Diwali is observed to commemorate the triumph of Lord Krishna over the demon Naraka.

Volumes can be written on Diwali celebrations as Diwali is celebrated in different ways in different locations. Here we present a brief summary on the jubilations of Diwali:

Every house is made clean and tidy few before the Diwali day. Generally all houses are white washed during this period and all the wearied out things are thrown away or sold off.

Elaborate Diwali shopping is done where everyone buys new clothes and accessories. Women buy new jewelleries and men buy traditional dresses.

On the day of Diwali people get up early in the morning and have ritual or holy bath with oils and scents. They don new clothes and women prepare choicest dishes for family and friends.

In the evening, light small oil lamps or “diyas” are placed around the home. All the lights are turned on. Special lightings are also employed to enliven the spirit of Diwali.

Lakshmi pooja is performed with utmost devotion to seek the blessings of the Goddess of Wealth. The Deity of Lakshmi is embellished with flowers. Fruits, sweets and dishes are offered to the Goddess. Aarti is performed with prayers to bestow health, wealth and happiness to all.

Gifts and sweets are exchanged with close friends and family. Fireworks are exploded and games of cards are played for fun.

Here are the facts that edify the historical and mythological importance of Diwali:

1. Lord Rama’s Victory on Demon Ravana: It was this day (the new moon day of Kartik) on which Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana in Lanka. The citizens of Ayodhya celebrated the return of their beloved king Rama by decorating and illuminating the entire city with earthen lamps.
2. Lord Krishna Killed Demon Narakasura: Naraka Chaturdasi is observed on the day before Diwali. It was on this day the powerful demon king Narakasura was killed by Lord Krishna and 16,000 gopis of Vrindavan were rescued from the captivity of Narakasura.
3. Mata Lakshmi’s Birthday: Mata Lakshmi incarnated on the new moon day of Kartik during the churning of the milk ocean also called samudra manthan. Hence Diwali is the celebration of Mata Laksmi’s birthday welcoming Her in everyone’s house and life.
4. Pandavas Return from exile: The great epic Mahabharata describes the exile of Pandavas. They were banished to forest for 12 years in forest followed by a year of exile incognito as a result of defeat in the hands of Kauravas in gambling. It was this day of Kartik Amavashya the Pandavas returned to Hastinapur, there own land. Pandavas return was celebrated by their subjects who loved and revered them by lighting diyas and holding joyous celebrations.
5. Lord Vishnu rescued Lakshmi from Bali: Lord Vishnu in his fifth incarnation as Vamana rescued her consort Goddess Lakshmi from the prison of demon King Bali. Thus, Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped on Diwali.
6. Coronation of Vikramaditya: On this day of Diwali the great King of Hindus Vikramaditya was coronated. People celebrate this as one of the historic event as Diwali.
7. Red-Letter Day for Sikhs: The third Sikh Teacher, Guru Amar Das institutionalized Diwali as on one of the most important day for Sikhs. On this day all Sikhs would gather to receive the Gurus blessings at Goindwal. The foundation stone of ‘The Golden Temple’ was laid on Diwali in 1577. The day is also special as the Sixth Guru Hargobind was released along with 52 kings. The Muslim Emperor Jahengir, imprisoned the Guru and 52 kings in 1619 and the release is celebrated as ‘Bandi Chhorh Diwas’.
8. Special Day for the Arya Samaj: Maharshi Dayananda Saraswati, one of the greatest reformers of Arya Samaj attained nirvana on the day of Diwali. Aryans celebrate Diwali to remember Maharshi contribution to the society.
9. Special Day for the Jains: Diwali is the day of nirvana of Mahavir Tirthankar who is the founder of modern Jainism.
10. Special Day for Christians: Diwali was made special for Christians as in 1999 Pope John Paul II performed a special Eurchist in an Indian Church where the altar was decorated with Diwali lamps. Pope had a ‘tilak’ marked on his forehead and his speech was bristled with references to the festival of light.
11. The Harvest Festival: Diwali is the harvest festival in India. The agrarian society of India jubilates this day for this reason. Diwali falls around the months of October or November, which is also known as the season of Kharif when the crop of fresh rice is widely available.
12. Hindu New Year day: Diwali enhances the festive mood of Hindus by marking the advent the Hindu New Year. This day all the business men change their diaries, marking as a new fiscal year for their business endeavours.

No matter whatever is the reason, whatever be the legend, the festival of lights Diwali is celebrated with much enthusiasm and zeal in all over the India and abroad irrespective of caste, creed and religion.

Diwali has lot of spirit in it. Real celebration of Diwali is knowing the spirit and significance. Otherwise Diwali will be a ritual. Unfortunately, many people do know what Diwali is. They consider it as the day assigned to burn crackers. Yes! Diwali is the day to burn crackers, but it is not merely to burn crackers. One has to contemplate on the history and ideology behind Diwali.

Diwali and Ramayana

Diwali is very much related to Hindu epic, Ramayana. Ramayana is the story of Lord Rama. Lord Rama is known for His virtues and righteousness. Here is the brief story of Lord Rama.

Lord Rama, being a king, went to forest to keep the word of His father Dasharatha. This shows Lord Rama’s obedience and respect towards His father. Lord Rama went to exile accompanied with his younger brother Lakshman and wife Sita. They lived under trees and caves eating fruits and nuts in the forest for fourteen years. This shows the tolerance and simplicity of Lord Rama.

During the exile the demon king Ravana of Lanka abducted Sita. He kidnapped Mother Sita and troubled Her by testing Her chastity. When no negotiations worked Lord Rama had to fight fiery battle in the southern part of the Indian sub-continent with Ravana. Ravana was defeated miserably. Lord Rama finally got Sita back. He returned to Ayodhaya (North India) along with Hanuman and the Vanar who helped Him in achieving success. The day was the new moon day of Kartik. All the residents of Ayodhaya were jubilant to see their beloved king Rama back. They celebrated the day by keeping the lighted lamps in rows, calling Deepawali or Diwali.

The Real Diwali

The real significance of this story is to ponder on the qualities of Lord Rama. Diwali is welcoming Lord Rama. This means attaining the qualities of Lord Rama by knowing the greatness of sacrifice, obedience and righteousness. It is appreciation of Lord Rama by following in His path.

Burning crackers signify the burning the Ravana within. Ravana is the personification of lust, greed, envy and illusion. These qualities should be burned away by the light of knowledge and wisdom. Diwali is the light of knowledge and wisdom. Diwali shows the lighted path for attainment of peace, prosperity and ultimate salvation for the man.

Significance of Diwali:

Diwali signifies the victory of good over the evil both within and without. Lights or lamps symbolize knowledge, wisdom and eternity. The spirit of Diwali is “Tamasoma Jyothirgamaya ..”, “Let me go or advance from the darkness to the light”.

Darkness here means ignorance that manifests as envy, enmity and hatred amongst one another. These are the detrimental traits in a human being and they are also reflected in human society. Human society can be peaceful and worthy if the fellow beings live in harmony, imbibed with the moral values of human behavior. Diwali is the festival that brings joy to the heart of everyone with profound philosophy of light, peace and happiness in the human society.

Diwali Celebrations:

Diwali is celebrated irrespective of caste, creed and religion. It is celebrated with same vigor and pomp in Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism. It is celebrated in all parts of India. In North India, people celebrate the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhaya after defeating Ravana. In Gujarat there is elaborate Lakshmi Pooja to honour Goddess Lakshmi. In Bengal, Kali, Goddess of Time is worshipped with awe and reverence. In South India, Diwali is observed to commemorate the triumph of Lord Krishna over the demon Naraka.

Volumes can be written on Diwali celebrations as Diwali is celebrated in different ways in different locations. Here we present a brief summary on the jubilations of Diwali:

• Every house is made clean and tidy few before the Diwali day. Generally all houses are white washed during this period and all the wearied out things are thrown away or sold off.
• Elaborate Diwali shopping is done where everyone buys new clothes and accessories. Women buy new jeweleries and men buy traditional dresses.
• On the day of Diwali people get up early in the morning and have ritual or holy bath with oils and scents. They don new clothes and women prepare choicest dishes for family and friends.
• In the evening, light small oil lamps or “diyas” are placed around the home. All the lights are turned on. Special lightings are also employed to enliven the spirit of Diwali.
• Lakshmi pooja is performed with utmost devotion to seek the blessings of the Goddess of Wealth. The Deity of Lakshmi is embellished with flowers. Fruits, sweets and dishes are offered to the Goddess. Aarti is performed with prayers to bestow health, wealth and happiness to all.
• Gifts and sweets are exchanged with close friends and family. Fireworks are exploded and games of cards are played for fun.

To celebrate Deepavali in a healthy manner, purchase eco-friendly crackers. Bursting eco-friendly crackers prevents the environment from pollution. It reduces the sound pollution as well as air pollution.

In India, we use some types of traditional crackers. Nowadays, people have started purchasing crackers which are made by using modern and more advanced technologies.

Here are some details about the most frequently used types of crackers in India :

• One Sound Crackers
• Chorsa Garlands
• Chorsa Electric Crackers
• Giant Electric Crackers
• Flower Pots
• Chakkars
• Twinkling Stars
• Fancy Rockets
• Serpent Eggs
• Atom Bombs
• Deluxe Crackers
• Fancy Rockets
• Color Fancy Novelties
• Paper Caps
• Pencils

Not only families, friends and well-wishers but, office accessories have also made a great impact on Diwali festival sales and purchases. They occupied a good share in direct as well as online market of Diwali gifts. As all of us know that Diwali is the most prosperous festival for offices, companies, factories, shops and for all other types of organizations, managements are very enthusiastic in purchasing new accessories for their offices and for their staff.

Special Office Accessories For Diwali 2008 :

Pen Stands :
Pen stands are the most common accessories in any type of office. In Institutes, shops, publishing companies and each and every organization, pen stand is the essential accessory. You can order and buy special pen stands for Diwali through online shops. You can see a lot of varieties such as Ganesha pen stand, colorfully designed pen stand, pen stand with a modern painting and etc, in online shopping websites.

Wall Hangings :
Wall hangings are one of the most general goods in an office. You can select your favorite type and get that with in few hours. Through online shopping, the shopping is done in a very sophisticated way. Branded accessories within affordable prices.

Key Holder :
Key holder is the common thing in reception hall of an office. Not only buying for youself, you can send gifts for your office associates of other countries through online shopping. Modern art, God images and paintings, and colorful designs make every key holder a versatile accessory.

Clocks :
Various types, shapes and designs of clocks make your office rooms more perfect. Diwali seasonal sales offer great discounts and concessions for online shoppers.

Portfolio Bags :
Portfolio bags are all in one containers for a professional employee of an organization. Nowadays, every company is presenting portfolio bags to their employees.

Select Your Favorite Item and Make Your Professional Life More Sophisticated

When is Bhai Dhooj ?
Bhai Dhooj is celebrated twice in a year – one after Holi and another after Diwali. Bhai Dooj after Diwali is celebrated on the second day (Dwitiya / Vidiya) after the full moon in Aswayuja (Ashwin) month. In 2008, Bhai Dhooj falls on 30th October, Thursday.

Bhai Dooj Puja – Important Ritual of Bhai Dooj :
Bhai Dooj puja is the most important ritual and custom during Bhai Dooj. Bhai Dooj puja is a common tradition or ritual for unmarried as well as married women. Application of Teeka or Tilak (Vermilion Dot) is the popular and most significant event on the day of Bhai Duj. Sister applies a Teeka or Tilak on brother’s forehead.

On Bhai Dooj, sister pray to the God for the happy and prosperous life of her brother.

How To Perform Bhai Dooj Pooja ?
To perform Bhai Dooj Puja, you need to make sure that you have Bhai Dooj Thali or not. Bhai Dooj Thali contains cocnut, batashas, sweets, fruits, seven types of paans, roli and rice. Sister prepares some special recipes for her brother. She lights the Bhai Dooj Puja lamp and performs a small pooja. After that, she applies tilak or tika on her brother’s forehead and gives him mithai (sweet), recipes and coconut.

In some regions, sister is given gifts by her brother. The range of the gifts depends on brother’s economic status as well as his love and affection towards his sister.

Bhai Dooj Puja – A ritual to unite brothers and Sisters:
Bhai Dhooj puja makes brothers and sisters reunite. As the festival is celebrated by married women also, sister visits the brother’s house and strengthens their affectionate bonds. Bhai Dooj exhibits the genuine family culture of India

Store Crackers Safely:
Keep the crackers in a closed box, out of reach of children and animals. Keep them away from all the sources of heat.

Wear Cotton Clothes:
Don’t wear loose clothes which can catch fire easily. Long dresses are also unsafe. Wearing cotton clothes prevents you from fire.

Light one at a time:
Light one cracker at a time. Lighting more than one cracker at a time may confuse you and there is a possibility for an unfortunate incident.

Keep Children Away:
When you light the crackers, keep the children away. Make sure that when children light the crackers, even one adult is there with them.

Safegaurd Your Ears: Hearing the constant sound of crackers above 85 dB may harm your inner ear. Make sure that you give yourself a break every 15 minutes. Wear cotton swabs in your ears for safety.

In unavoidable cases wear noise control devices such as noise attenuators or noise cancelling headphones and mufflers to safegaurd yourself from hazardous sounds.

List of Do’s and Don’ts:

Do’s:

• Purchase fireworks from an authorized or licensed fireworks agency or shop
• Store the fireworks in a closed container
• Keep the fireworks away from the sources of heat and also keep them away from toddlers
• Organize a community to handle the fireworks rather than individual handling of crackers
• Use a long candle or ‘Phooljhari’ to ignite fireworks
• Maintain the distance between your body and the crackers
• Always keep a bucket of water. In case of any injury, water can serve you better

What To Do – In case of Injury (Injury Management):

• In case of any burn or cut, splash tap water on the burn until the burning sensation reduces
• In case of finger or toe burns, try to separate them with dry and sterile dressings and take the victim to the hospital
• See weather the victim is taking breath properly or not. If not, open the airway of victim. If necessary , start rescue breathing
• Cover the area of the burn with a moist and sterile bandage. Don’t use blanket or towel to cover the burn
• Take the victim to hospital as soon as possible for proper medication.

Don’ts:

• Don’t light crackers while holding them
• Don’t ignite crackers in a crowdy, congested and narrow places
• Don’t ignite the crackers inside the house
• Don’t allow the children to ignite the crackers without an elder accompanying with them
• Don’t keep the crackers in a tin or in a bottle for an extra sound effect
• Don’t examine un-burst crackers. Leave them and ignite a new one

A Happy and Safe Diwali