What is the Significance of Lighting Diyas on the day Diwali?

Know Diwali-The Festival of lights

- Tradition of Diwali Pooja
- The Tradition of Rangoli
- Diwali Gift Tradition

- The Tradition of Lights
- The Tradition of Fireworks
- DIWALI CALENDAR 

Deepawali is an exceptionally popular Hindu festival of India which is celebrated by the people of the Hindu community. The festival is celebrated every year either in the month of November or October. Deepawali 2017 will be celebrated on 19th of October.

The significance of Diyas at the time of Diwali is reflected in the fact that the word Deepawali has itself been formed from the word Deep and it means a row of glittering lamps. That makes us even more curious to find out about the extraordinary importance of lighting Diyas on Diwali.

Lights and Deepawali
Each and every household gets decorated with colourful and lovely lights on Diwali! From oils lamps to vibrant electric lights and candles, people never miss on a single chance to make their homes a glowing and lighting place. Traditionally, people celebrate the festival by lighting earthen lamps with cotton wicks. Though, in most parts of the country the tradition of earthen lamps has gradually faded away but it still the concept of lights remains unchanged.

People often are eager to find out on how and why the concept of Diyas came for celebrating Deepawali.

Let's get a clear view on what is the importance of lighting Diyas on the day of Diwali.

An earthen lamp or Diya is synonymous to the festivity of Diwali. Diyas decorate every nook and cranny of the home and make it look as bright as the starts in the sky. To add to the spirit of Deepawali celebration delicious recipes are prepared and people wear new clothes

Legend of Lighting Diyas on Deepawali
The festival of Diwali is celebrated to summon more and more love and prosperity in the house. In a way it also celebrates the triumph of the good over the evil. In Northern India it is celebrated as on this day, the people of Ayodhya have welcomed Lord Rama who have returned from 14 years of exile along with his brother Laxman and wife Sita after defeating Ravana.

During his 14 years of exile, Lord Rama along with Hanumana, Laxman and the army of monkeys had defeated Ravana who had abducted Sita. This battle itself signifies the victory of good over the evil.

Other than that, there is much more to the lighting of Diyas. It is a customary practice in the Hindu community according to which people light diya in their homes every evening. This not only is a customary practice but it signifies the surrender of one's soul to the almighty.

What Does the Oil in Diyas Represent?
The oil that is used to light the Diyas represents all the negative human traits and that includes hatred, jealousy, greed, lust, anger and many more. And, the wick represents our inner self, the soul! The lighting of Diyas symbolises that we need our beautiful mind to clear from these negative things by enlightening our inner self. With the disappearing oil of the Diyas, these negativities from the home get disappeared.

It has a hidden message that enlightening occurs only when we walk on the path of righteousness as Lord Rama did.

What Does Diya Symbolises?
A Diya is symbolic of knowledge! A person who is ignorant will often keep himself in a dark consignment. He will keep in touch with the positivity of the surrounding only when he realises to get access to the knowledge all around that he will understand the need to celebrate his existence.

A Diya symbolises that flame of knowledge will remove ignorance!!

And, a Diya not merely signifies the light that it spreads in the homes but in essence it signifies the one and only way to merge our souls with that of the God. It shows us the path of gaining knowledge and enlightening ourselves.