All About Deepavali 2011 Celebrations

By Author: Ackley Cooper Shaw
Total Articles: 211
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The spirit of deepavali or diwali as it is more commonly known is already in the air. After the end of navratras (nine nights) in which Lord Rama slays the Demon King Ravana, the country gets busy with the next festival to celebrate which is Diwali . So, let’s get a quick insight into what is Diwali and how do people celebrate it.

About Diwali Festival

Diwali festival has different meaning for different people. In Northern part of India it symbolizes the arrival of Lord Rama back in Ayodha after a 14 year exile and victorious over the Demon King. While the historical aspect takes a backseat in today’s world, the fervor and the excitement continues to be the same.

Houses get a makeover, new clothes are the norm and the whole country seems to burst like diwali fireworks into a plethora of offers. From home appliances to commercial products everything comes with a “diwali offer” tag. Companies come up with special corporate gifts and personal gift hampers for the occasion. From basket to dry fruits to a set of crystal glasses, from Rs 101 to infinite amounts, the gifts are as varied as the decorations ...
... are. Lights in all hues, blues, red, white, green, yellow; blinking lights to static ones; in shapes as varied as litchis and flowers, they all deck up each and every house in the neighbourhood.

On the day of the festival many houses will also sport the traditional diyas (oil lamps)especially as part of the rangoli decoration. Housing societies burst into a flurry of cultural activities, from rangoli competitions to the best decorated block. Every nook and corner comes up with a small stall that sells crackers, rangoli powder and puja related articles. Long before the actual; advent of the festival entire cities start to look all decked up and beautiful. Such is the pull of this festival that everyone puts differences aside and plunges into celebrations.

Every year scores of competitions and in house programs get organized by clubs, hotels and roatry organizations. Such organizers ensure that the celebrations happen in a structured manner and the firework displays happen at a larger scale. They hold competitions for every age group and for all groups, women, children and even the men as they indulge in their card games. Oh! Yes, card games are an important part of this festival. It is considered auspicious to gamble during this time as gambling will usher in the blessings from Laxmi, the Lord of wealth, as it is believed that spending money will usher it in faster.

Decked up malls with beautiful Rangolis and decked up offices with beautiful lighting make it a pleasure to just drive down the roads as you disregard the stress of traffic lost in the admiration of all those wonderful decorations. Yes Diwali, the festival of lights, lives up to its name every year and brings joy, happiness and prosperity to every household.

Deepavali 2011

Diwali falls on a new moon night between mid-October and mid-November. Diwali in 2011 falls on 26th October.

Author's Bio: Ackley has penned down different write-ups on indian festivals.In this article he briefly describes many things about diwali festival.