Diwali Decoration Lights

Posted on August 11, 2007 in Diwali Gifts

Celebrating Diwali With Lights

Diwali or the ‘festival of lights’ which is a major Hindu festival is celebrated with great passion all over India. Diwali is conventionally known as the ‘festival of lights’ since hundreds and thousands of small oil lamps or diyas illuminate the majority of Hindu households. The burning of these diyas are regarded to be the illuminated conduit of a person’s manifestation of happiness and also a way of showing one’s gratitude to God for possessing sound health, opulence, wisdom, financial stability and peace in one’s life.


‘The festival of lights’ is commemorated with great zeal and passion all over India. In reality the festival of Diwali ushers in unalloyed happiness and brilliance in a person’s life with the hope of discerning light amidst darkness, attaining contentment and instilling love amidst detestation and aggression. The custom of lighting the diyas on Diwali holds great significance since in Hindu folklore the light suggests righteousness and vivacity. In urban areas candles and flashy electric bulbs are used in place of the traditional diyas or earthen lamps. The word Diwali is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Deepavali’, which implies a row of lamps. This is the reason as to why the lamps form an intrinsic part of the festival. During Diwali, tiny oil lamps carved out of clay are lit and positioned in rows. The lamps are available in diverse sizes and models, differing from the intricate Rajasthani types to the simple earthen lamps of clay. The rows of lamps illuminate the house on either side of the doorway. The rows of lamps are arranged in this manner to direct goddess Lakshmi to every house and these diyas are a prominent feature of houses of both the mighty and the humble. Lights also imply the triumph of light over darkness.


Aromatic candles are decorative lights that are extensively used nowadays to illuminate houses during Diwali. They are obtainable in various forms and designs. Placing lighted candles in a glass pot full of water so that it remains afloat and embellishing them with flower petals is a popular activity on Diwali day. Diwali lanterns and lamps that are used as decorative lights to adorn households are available in numerous forms and are made from diverse materials for example clay, glass, brass and marble. These Diwali decoration lights add grandeur to the place where they are utilized. Diwali decorative lights adorn the balconies of houses, are wrapped around a tree or displayed as a series of bulbs. They make the atmosphere vibrant with their dazzling brilliance.


Roots in legends

The practice of lighting diyas and candles together with decorative lights is rooted in Hindu mythology. The most well-known of these legends concern Lord Rama.


Lord Rama who was a distinguished warrior King was banished from the kingdom by his father Dashratha, the King of Ayodhya after being provoked by his wife to do so. Rama’s wife’s Sita alongwith his younger brother Lakshman, accompanied him in his exile. After vanquishing the demon Ravana Lord Rama returned to his kingdom in Ayodhya at the end of his 14 years of exile. The victory of Lord Rama over Ravana signified the triumph of good over evil and people welcomed him back home by lighting rows of clay lamps and since then Diwali is celebrated to mark the triumph of good over evil.

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