Wish you all a very Happy and Safe Deepavali!
For my readers who are wondering what Deepavali is all about, here is a quickie - It's an Indian festival of lights, and is one of the major festivals in India. For more information, I urge you to go to the Wikipedia definition of Deepavali.
Though this is a religious festival and different regions in India have a different meaning to Deepavali, this festival has more of a spiritual meaning to it. Read on...
While Deepavali is popularly known as the "festival of lights", a more appropriate significance is "the new year of luck and wealth".
Central to Hindu philosophy is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman. Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Deepavali is the celebration of this Inner Light, in particular the knowing of which outshines all darkness (removes all obstacles and dispels all ignorance), awakening the individual to one's true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality. With the realization of the Atman comes universal compassion, love, and the awareness of the oneness of all things (higher knowledge). This brings Ananda (Inner Joy or Peace).
Diwali celebrates this through festive fireworks, lights, flowers, sharing of sweets, and worship. While the story behind Deepavali varies from region to region, the essence is the same - to rejoice in the Inner Light (Atman) or the underlying reality of all things (Brahman).
Content Source: Wikipedia.org
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