Know their need first. Gifting things that are useful to them can make them happy. Some of the things that are useful are comfort chairs and furniture, comfort shoes, jackets, suits and baskets etc.

Give them books of their favorite author. Books such as Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana and Srimad Bhagvatam can be Holy Gifts for the occasion of Diwali.

Gift a nice dinner set to them. The set should feature all the needs of the elderly. This can be an ideal gift for Diwali.

For elderly women the kitchen items and accesories can be great gifts for Diwali.

You can also think of gifting the decorating items for their personal rooms like showpeices and photoframes of Lakshmi, Ganapahi and Saraswati. Art piece can also be a beautiful gift for Diwali.

Good quality clothes for elderly with latest trend can also be gifted on the auspicious occasion of Diwali. Dhoti-Kurta for men and traditional sarees for women can be a perfect gift.

You can gift gold and silver jewellery suitable for elderly. This can make your mother very happy as the jewellery is all time favorite for women folk.

Gift your parents their favorite movie star movie CDs or favorite muscians or singers song CDs. This gift they will remember for ever.

Mobile phones, iPods, MP3 players and digital cameras are other options that you can think of gifting them. See that all these suits their taste and need.

Some of the other gift items are suitcases, shawls, blankets, good quality canes and wrist watches etc.

Do not forget to give a box of sweets and eatables with a smile on your face. This will definately make them happy for the Diwali.

Jewellery is all time favorite of girls. Gift her pendants, rings, hangings, bangles etc. Other accesories like latest bindis, make up kits etc can be gifted. See that these are of latest trend so that other girls appreciate. This can be a very nice gift for girls for Diwali.

For girls who are traditional you can gift them rangoli design books, mehandi design books, recipes or cook books. This will be the need-of-the time for them and the girls like them very much.

For the girls who are technology savvy you can gift them iPods, MP3 players, flash players, video games the latest CDs or music DVDs.

For girls who are sportive you can gift them sport shoes, sport accessories and kits.

Watches, digital cameras, perfumes, hand bags, diaries, cooling glasses, pair of sandals, craft kits, mind elevating books, comic books, chocolates …. All these can be nice gifts for the occasion of Diwali.

Gifts for Teenager Boys:

Teenager boys are very particular about latest technology and sports. But you should know the boy’s interest before gifting him.

Consoles, iPods, MP3 players, flash players, video games, head phones and the latest CDs or music DVDs are gifts that you can think of gifting any teenager boy.

For sportive boys, basketball hoop, footballs, skateboards, sports cycle, sports shoes, sport coats, hats, hoodies and sport jeans can some of things that you can thing of gifting.

Other amazing gifts can be muscial guitars, digital note books, low budget labtops, wallets, stylish pens etc.

Jewellery: Gifting jewellery is the safe option as every women loves jewellery. As the occasion is Diwali you can gift your wife with gold pendants featuring Lakshmiji or Ganapathi. You should also know the kind of jewellery she prefers and gift her accordingly.

If your buget agrees you can gift her diamonds and precious stone jewellery. Now-a-days light delicate jewellery are very popular and see if you can gift her a nice set of such jewellery this Diwali.

Wardrobes: Women are very fond of designer sarees and outfits. Know her favorite colour and style and gift a nice saree this Diwali. This can be a perfect gift.

Shringar Items: On the occasion of Diwali your wife might spend considerable time for decorating herself. So you can please her by gifting items such as bangles, cosmetics, nail paints, lipsticks, makeup kits, perfumes etc.

Generic gifts such as purses, hand bags, pair of footware, jewellery box, body lotions, moisturizers are some of the ideas that you may thing of gifting.

You can surprise your wife with gifting tickets of movies, concerts, musicals or events. This can spice up your Diwali too.

If she is fond of books you can gift her good books of her favorite writer. Gifting recipe books can also be thought of if your wife loves cooking.

Art peices, aromatic candles, decorative showpeices and kitchen appliances can be sensible gifts for the occasion of Diwali.

The best gift, however, is your love and concern. More than a substance, the feelings behind are important. The above items can undoubtly show your love towards her but if you can gift her your smile and soothing words that can be a real gift for any occasion leave alone Diwali.

Gift Ideas for Husbands:

Before selecting a Diwali gift for your husband keep certain things in mind like his hobbies, taste and interests.

For husbands who like to dress up gifts like T-shirts, trowsers, waist coats, belts, tiepins and watches can be decent gifts. If he is traditional bent then traditional clothes like kurtas, shervanis, dhotis can be good gifts.

On the occassion of Diwali, men jewellery is the best gift. You can gift him silver coins, lockets, braclets, pendents and rings featuring Ganesha and Lakshmi.

Perfumes of his choice are one of the auspicious gifts that you can gift your husband.

For techy savvy husbands there are number of gifts that you can choose, for example: mobile phone, laptop, electronic diary, etc. This can also include wallet, briefcase, laptop case etc.

For music lovers you can gift favorite music Cds. Gifting Diwali music Cds can make the occassion wonderful. This can also include iPod, flash player and MP3/MP4 player.

If your husband is fond of books you can gift him mind elevating books for this Diwali. Take care of his taste and select the book as book means a lot for a booky minded husband.

If your husband is creative and artist you can gift him a nice art peice or paintings and photoframes to surprise him on Diwali.

Men too like sweets, chocolates and flowers as much as women do. On festival occassion these can be very special. So do not hesitate to gift him the pack of his favorite sweets.

Before selecting a gift for child:

• Make sure that you are gifting according to the requirements of the age and sex of the child.
• See the gift is a new one which means you have not gifted such a thing before. Children are very sensitive to repetitions.
• Examine the mindset of the child, for example the nature and interest of child. Also think of the effect of the gift on him or her.
• Take care of the quality of the gift. Being children they can toss up the gifts. Give good quality, longing gifts.
• See that your gift is useful and applicable to the child. Do not give the gift for which the child has to wait to use.
• Give the gifts personally so that the child gets a personal touch and feeling of contentment.

Here are few gifts ideas for Diwali:

Crackers: Crackers are the first and the best gifts on Diwali. They are very much appreciated by children especially boys and teenagers. The crackers should be gifted according to the caliber of the child.

Jewellery: For girls, shringar items like bangles, necklaces and jewellery items can be good gifts. Other gifts like embroidered bag, silver items like Lakshmi coins and Ganesha coins can fascinate them.

Eatables: Cookies, cakes, chocolates and milky sweets are all time favorite to children. Gifting the best flavor available will be the best gift for Diwali.

Books: For a intellectually-bent child, books can be a welcome gift for Diwali. Books such as ‘Ramayana for Children’ and other epic books can be a seasoning for the occassion.

DVDs and Videos: Children movie videos and DVDs are now-a-days very popular gifts for children. Children music videos are also appreciated as good gifts.

Games: Video games and Cds are liked by every child. Even electronic toys are very popular these days. Other traditional toys made for Diwali, for example Diya toys or Bell toys can also be gifted.

Make sure that you gift these with a smile so that you get the child’s million dollar smile in return.

Happy Diwali !!!

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.

For children Diwali is synonym to fireworks and candy. It is important, however, to teach children about Diwali and its true meaning. Their spirit should be continuously renewed and they should be feeded with the positive approach to life and the celebrations of life.

Children should know when exactly Diwali is celebrated and what is its significance. Narrating the story of Lord Rama’s Victory and the legends of Mahalakshmi can excite them. They should be taught the right moral that is the triumph of good over evil.

Involve children in cleaning and decorating home. Teach them to keep their rooms clean and tidy. Decorating their rooms on the occassion can make them feel special about the festival.

You can involve them in preparing Diwali sweets. Special preparations of their choice can make them remember this Diwali for a long time in their lives.

Gifts like new clothes, toys and candies can enthuse them. You can buy quality fireworks for children but take care of their choice and make a balance. See that the children get the crackers suitable to their caliber.

Teach them to greet everyone Happy Diwali and show the various ways in which people celebrate Diwali. Ask them to share candy, sweets and crackers with their friends and other children. This trait will help them to socialize in future.

While burning crackers keep an eye on them. Give them proper instructions to burn the crackers. Allow them to use their potential at the same time see that they do not get hurt.

Encourage them to enlighten themselves on the occasion of Diwali. Reinforce the idea of Diwali by teaching children how to take part in prayer services. Show them how to perform a puja. Tell them to meditate on the auspiciousness. All these act just like seeds which take the form of yeilding trees later in their lives.

So Happy Diwali to Childrens and Parents!!!

Greeting cards are customary during the season of Diwali. Business men send Diwali cards to their clients and customers which are known to be the means to foster a close relationship with them. If you can prepare the greeting cards with your own hands then you can add feelings to your creativity. In this article we give simple steps to prepare a greeting card for Diwali.

Materials needed:

Heavy stock paper: Any manila folder or mail envelop will work
Embroidery threads or ribbons
Photographs featuring Diyas or Diwali
Pencils, pens, erasers etc.
Paints of different colorus, red and yellow are must
Scissors
Glue sticks

Method to prepare:

Measure the size of final layout to determine the width and height. 7” x 11” is an ideal size. Cut the card paper accordingly and fold the paper into a card.

Leave half an inch border on all sides and paste embroidery threads or ribbons for the decoration. The size of this designed rectangle may vary as per your design visualization.

Now decorate the inside of the rectangle with colours and photographs. Big picture of ‘Diya’ looks ideal and you can decorate red and yellow colours. You can also paste the photographs featuring Lakshmiji and Ganesha. Photographs of crackers can also show your enthusiam on the card.

Write “Happy Diwali” or “Shubh Deepawali” on the motif. Adding a short message can also make your card ideal. Write your message on the inside of the card in presentable hand writing. You can also take a computer printout of the writing part. Varieties of designs can be selected from computer that add flavor to your greeting card.

Lakshmi Pooja Vidhi or Procedure:

Primary thing before starting Lakshmi pooja is neatness and cleanliness. It is said that Lakshmi resides in the places which are clean and tidy. So the first step for the pooja is to make your home and pooja room neat and clean. It is equally important for you to be neat and clean and don new, fresh clothes.

Draw some rangoli designs for the decoration in the frontyard. Rangolies not only make the event grand but also welcome Goddess Lakshmi into your home.

Take a red colour cloth and spread it at the sanctified puja place. On the cloth place the Deities or laminations of Lakshmi Narayana, Ganesha and Saraswati. On the side of cloth spread 9 mounds of rice and keep suparis on the top of the rice mounds which indicate nine planets or Navagraha devatas.

Kalasha Stapana:Place a pot filled with water or rice in front of Deities and adorn with betel leaves. Keep a coconut on the top of the filled pot. Dress the pot with red cloth and tie it around the pot. Mark ‘Swastik’ on the pot that represents prosperity and purity. This pot is called Kalash or Purna Kumbh and it represents the Universal power or Supreme Deity.

Decorate the Deities with flowers, fruits and turmeric-vermillion powder. Place Diwali thali before the Deities. This thali should contain few golen or silver or simply rupee coins. These coins are meant as representation of Goddess Lakshmi.

Now start the puja by taking water on your left hand and sprinkle on head to purify yourself. Take sankalpa by calling out your and your family’s name. Request that this pooja is to please Goddess Lakshmi and Narayana. Lit ghee lamps and offer incense.

Ganesh Pooja:Do Ganesh puja now. Offer some flowers and akshata to Ganesh idol and place supari. Meditate on Lord Ganesh and chant Ganesh sloka or offer prayer to Lord Ganesha to alleviate all hurdles in the path of devotion to Lakshmi and Narayana. Similarly pray to Goddess Saraswati to give proper intelligence to worship Lordships with attention and devotion.

Do Kalash puja by offering akshata, sweets and fruits. Follow the same puja procedure for Navagrahas. Sprinkle water towards 4 directions which represent purification of 4 dishas of the Universe.

Lakshmi Narayana Abhishekam:Now concentrate on Lakshmi and Narayana. Perform Panchmitra abhishekam to the Deities of Lakshmi and Narayana. Panchmitra is the mixture of 5 liquids: ghee, milk, sugar, honey and curd. Perform milk bath to silver and gold coins. Wash them with water and apply gulal and flowers. Break the coconut and offer sweet recipe to the Deities. Chant Lakshmi mantra or sloka or stotra and offer prayers to welcome Her in your home. Reciting stotras of Lakshmi Ashtottaram or Lakshmi Shatanamavali will be beneficial.

Now pray to Narayana. It is said that unless Narayana is pleased Lakshmi cannot stay in that home. Lakshmi is also called Chanchala or restless. She remains stable at the place where Her husband Narayana remains stable. So pray heartfully to Lord Narayana to bless with devotion and purity to retain Lakshmi in hearts and homes.

Aarti:Next is the time for Aarti. Light the diya or camphor for Aarti. Ring the bell and sing the Aarti from the book of “Lakshmi ji ki Aarti”. Similarly perform Aarti to Narayana by singing “Jai Jagadeesh Hare”.

After performing the Aarti keep Thali at a safe place. Recite Kshama Prarthana Stotram to ask forgiveness for any mistake that you might have done unknowingly during the pooja procedure.

Leave the place for some time. After that take the Aarti, panchmitra, coconut and prasad.

As it is the time for crackers rush out to play crackers!!! Happy Diwali!!!

The Legends for Dhanteras 2009:
Dhanteras as Yamadeepan: Once upon a time there ruled a King called Hima. He ruled whole earth and was very influential. He had a son whose horoscope said that the prince will die on the thirteenth night of Kartik at the age of sixteen by snakebite. The prince was married early and when the newly wed princess learnt this truth, she prepared a strategy to save her husband from the clutches of death. On that dangerous night she accumulated huge collections of gold, silver and diamonds that dazzle and put them at the enterance of the house. She lit thousands of tiny lamps whose reflection got multiplied by gold and silver. She started telling the stories for the pleasure of prince.

When Yama, the Lord of death came in the guise of snake, he got blinded by the the glitter of the light in the home. He waited at the threshold and started listening to the stories narrated and the songs sung by the princess. By doing this the time of death surpassed and the sun broke in marking the dawn. As a result Yamaraj had to leave the place and the prince was saved from death. Since then the ritual of ‘Yamadeepan’ is observed on the occassion of Dhanteras so as to commemorate Lord Yama and get his blessings.

Dhanteras as Lord Dhanvantari Appearance Day: Vedas describe the story of appearance of Lord Dhanvantari on the day of Dhanteras. Dhanvantari is known as the physician of the gods who appeared with Ayurveda for the welfare of the mankind. The story is as follows:

Once Sage Durvasa cursed Lord Indra, the king of demigods, for his pride and arrogance. Subsequently, Indra lost his heavenly kingdom and was defeated by demons. Seeing havoc all over the heaven and the pitiable condition of Indra the head of sages, Sage Brihaspati recommended that demon and devatas should perform Samudra Manthan (Churning of Milky Ocean). The sage emphasised that it was needed to get back Goddess Lakshmi so that all can live happily. Both the parties agreed and the grand event of Samundra Manthan commenced. Many valuable gems were produced by the churning. On the thirteenth day Dhanvantari appeared and brought a pot of the extraordinary elixir. Thus this day is celebrated in honour of Lord Dhanvantari.

Dhanteras Celebrations:
On the day before Dhanteras the house is made clean and tidy. On the night of Dhanteras the first lamp of Diwali-’Yama Diya’ is lit and kept on the threshold. Women in the house offer prayers to Lord Yamaraj to protect them. They worship Lord Dhanvantari for health, wealth and prosperity. They purchase a new utensil, gold or silver jewlery or any precious metal as a sign of good luck on the day of Dhanteras. Sweet made of corainder seeds and jaggery is the special dish of the day.