Why Diwali Festival is celebrated
Indians celebrate each and every festival with great enthusiasm where Diwali is one of the major Hindu festival which is celebrated on the no-moon day i.e. on Amavasya according to Hindus. Diwali festival is celebrated to commemorate the victory of good over the evil. This festival is celebrated for five days, where the 3rd day is celebrated as the Festival of lights Diwali in the Hindu month of Ashwin, that comes in October or November of every year.
Diwali festival teaches us the Indian old age culture to defeat ignorance that subdues humanity and to drive away darkness that engulfs the light of knowledge. Even in today’s modern generation Diwali festival is celebrated with rich and glorious past of India.
There are many mythical and historical reasons for why Diwali festival is celebrated not only for Hindus but also for all others to celebrate this great Festival.
Mythological reasons:
1. According to the mythological review Lord Vishnu when he was in 5th form of Vaman-avtaara rescued Goddess Lakshmi from the prison of King Bali on this auspicious day i.e. on Diwali. So for this reason people worship goddess Larkshmi during Diwali festival.
2. People celebrate Diwali festival for the victory of good over evil where Lord Krishna Killed demon Narakaasur on the preceding day before Diwali festival and rescued 16,000 women from his prison. So this festival is celebrated as victory festival.
3. According to the great epic ‘Mahabharata, Diwali festival is celebrated on the return of pandavas after the 12 years of vanvas- the exile of their defeat in the hands of the Kauravas at the game of dice. On the day of karthilk Amavashya, when pandavas returned to their kingdom, people who loved them celebrated the day by lighting the earthen lamps as Diwali festival.
4. Diwali has another epic of Ramayana for its celebrations as Lord Rama, his wife Sita and Laxmana returned to Ayodhya on new moon day of Kartik after killing Ravana who took away Sita mata when they were in Vanvas. So people of Ayodhya decorated the entire city with the earthen lamps and celebrated as Diwali with great enthusiasm like never before. And Lord Rama is crowned as the king of Ayodhya.
Historical Reasons:
1. Diwali festival has a historical event as the greatest Hindu King Vikramaditya was coroneted on the day of Diwali festival.
2. Diwali festival day is a very special day for the Arya Samaj people. One of the greatest reformers of Hinduism and the founder of Arya Samaj, Maharshi Dayananda attained his nirvana (heaven ) on the day of new moon day of Kartik i.e. on the day of Diwali.
3. Even Diwali is a special day for Jains sinve the founder of modern Jainism Mahavir Tirthankar also attained his nirvana on the day of Diwali.
4. Sikhs also celebrate Diwali as a special day where on the day of Diwali in the year 1577, at Amritsar their laid a foundation stone for the Golden Temple. And another historic reason for Sikhs to celebrate this Diwali festival is when the sixth Sikh Guru Hargobind and other kings were released who were held by Jahengir a Mughal Emperor of Gwalior.