Diwali Card Lamps and Murals Blue Orange India Rajasthan 2f

Diwali Card Lamps and Murals Blue Orange India Rajasthan 2f . ... more

by Sue Jacobi

Title

Diwali Card Lamps and Murals Blue Orange India Rajasthan 2f

Artist

Sue Jacobi

Medium

Photograph - Fine Art Photography - Digital Art

Description

Diwali Card Lamps and Murals Blue Orange India Rajasthan 2f .
In the famous Blue City, Jodhpur, I came across this quaintly decorated mansion with curved outer walls, decorated all over with murals. The murals or frescoes represented traditional cultural designs, also known as rangoli or kolams, in a colourful way. As it was already past sunset, the residents of the house took advantage of the soft twilight, to iluminate the entire facade with a series of lamps. It was absolutely magical, a sight to behold! Diwali, the festival of lights celebrated with much joy and enthusiasm all over India, was barely a week away, so, most likely, these lamps would be lit every evening for the next week or two.
Diwali (or Divali, Deepavali, the "festival of lights") is an ancient Hindu festival celebrated in autumn every year. Diwali is the biggest and the brightest festival in India. The festival spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, and good over evil. The festival preparations and rituals typically extend over a five-day period, but the main festival night of Diwali coincides with the darkest, new moon night of the Hindu Lunisolar month Kartika. In the Gregorian calendar, Diwali falls between mid-October and mid-November.
Before Diwali night, people clean, renovate and decorate their homes and offices. On Diwali night, Hindus dress up in new clothes or their best outfit, light up diyas (lamps and candles) inside and outside their home, participate in family puja (prayers) typically to Lakshmi � the goddess of wealth and prosperity. After puja, fireworks follow, then a family feast including mithai (sweets), and an exchange of gifts between family members and close friends. Diwali also marks a major shopping period in nations where it is celebrated.
Diwali is an important festival for Hindus. The name of festive days as well as the rituals of Diwali vary significantly among Hindus, based on the region of India. In many parts of India, the festivities start with Dhanteras, followed by Naraka Chaturdasi on second day, Diwali on the third day, Diwali Padva dedicated to wife�husband relationship on the fourth day, and festivities end with Bhau-beej dedicated to sister�brother bond on the fifth day. Dhanteras usually falls eighteen days after another important festival, Dussehra.
On the same night that Hindus celebrate Diwali, Jains celebrate a festival of lights to mark the attainment of moksha or nirvana by Mahavira, and Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas. Diwali is an official holiday in Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore, Fiji and Pakistan.
Diwali dates back to ancient times in India, as a festival after the summer harvest in the Hindu calendar month of Kartika. The festival is mentioned in Sanskrit scriptures such as the Padma Purana, the Skanda Purana both completed in second half of 1st millennium AD but believed to have been expanded from a core text from an earlier era. The diyas (lamps) are mentioned in Skanda Purana to symbolically represent parts of sun, the cosmic giver of light and energy to all life, who seasonally transitions in the Hindu calendar month of Kartik. Hindus in some regions of India associate Diwali with the legend of Yama and Nachiketa on Kartika amavasya (Diwali night). The Nachiketa story about right versus wrong, transient wealth versus true wealth, ignorance versus knowledge is recorded in Katha Upanishad composed in 1st millennium BC.
Diwali is one of the happiest holidays in Nepal and India, with significant preparations. People clean their homes and decorate them for the festivities. Diwali is one of the biggest shopping seasons in Nepal and India; people buy new clothes for themselves and their families, as well as gifts, appliances, kitchen utensils, even expensive items such as cars and gold jewelry. People also buy gifts for family members and friends which typically include sweets, dry fruits, and seasonal specialties depending on regional harvest and customs. It is also the period when children hear ancient stories, legends, myths about battles between good and evil or light and darkness from their parents and elders. Girls and women go shopping and create rangoli and other creative patterns on floors, near doors and walkways. Youth and adults alike help with lighting and preparing for patakhe (fireworks).
There is significant variation in regional practices and rituals. Depending on the region, prayers are offered before one or more deities, with most common being Lakshmi � the goddess of wealth and prosperity. On Diwali night, fireworks light up the neighborhood skies. Later, family members and invited friends celebrate the night over food and sweets.
The word Diwali is derived from the Sanskrit fusion word Dipavali, formed from dipa ("light" or "lamp") and avali ("series, line, row"). Dipavali or Deepavali thus meant a "row" or "series of lights"). Its celebration include millions of lights shining on housetops, outside doors and windows, around temples and other buildings in the communities and countries where it is observed.
Diwali is variously named and spelled/pronounced in diverse languages of India: 'deepabali' in Oriya, 'deepaboli' in Bengali, 'deepavali' in Assamese, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu; 'divali' in Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi, Konkani and Punjabi; 'diyari' in Sindhi, and 'tihar' in Nepali.
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Uploaded

June 10th, 2015