DIWALI..The FESITIVAL OF LIGHTS

Since Diwali is tomorrow (oct. 17th) I will be busy with puja, many of our families are getting ready for this wonderful day...let me share what my mother has shared with me growing up.....

Why do we celebrate Diwali? It’s not just the festive mood in the air that makes you happy, or just that it's a good time to enjoy before the advent of winter. There are are few mythical and historical reasons why Diwali is a great time to celebrate this great Festival of Lights.


1.Goddess Lakshmi’s Birthday: The Goddess of wealth, Lakshmi incarnated on the new moon day (amaavasyaa) of the Kartik month during the churning of the ocean (samudra-manthan), hence the association of Diwali with Lakshmi.

2. Vishnu Rescued Lakshmi: On this very day (Diwali day), Lord Vishnu in his fifth incarnation as Vaman-avtaara rescued Lakshmi from the prison of King Bali and this is another reason of worshipping Ma Lakshmi on Diwali.

3. Krishna Killed Narakaasur: On the day preceding Diwali, Lord Krishna killed the demon king Narakaasur and rescued 16,000 women from his captivity. The celebration of this freedom went on for two days including the Diwali day as a victory festival.

4. The Return of the Pandavas: According to the great epic ‘Mahabharata’, it was ‘Kartik Amavashya’ when the Pandavas appeared from their 12 years of banishment as a result of their defeat in the hands of the Kauravas at the game of dice (gambling). The subjects who loved the Pandavas celebrated the day by lighting the earthen lamps.

5. The Victory of Rama: According to the epic ‘Ramayana’, it was the new moon day of Kartik when Lord Ram, Ma Sita and Lakshman returned to Ayodhya after vanquishing Ravana and conquering Lanka. The citizens of Ayodhya decorated the entire city with the earthen lamps and illuminated it like never before.

Now on a personal note, I believe since its the festival of light, the meaning of Light for me is removing fear from darkness....light brings hope to those who are in the dark....my mother always said Diwali is the triumph of Good over Evil (light over darkness)....and embarking on this surrogacy journey I will have my light inside of me praying to Mother Lakshmi for hope and praying to Lord Ganesh for Happiness and removing all obstacles ...May this Diwali season bring HOPE to all those on this dark journey and always remember where there is light there is hope.