In the midst of today's hectic lifestyle, Diwali gives an opportunity to pause and be grateful for what we have, to make special memories with family and friends, to laugh and enjoy what life offers us. Though the festival of Diwali has undergone some changes, in due course of time, it has continued to be celebrated since time immemorial. Every year, the festive season of Diwali comes back with all the excitement and merriment.

For the uninitiated, Diwali is a national Indian holiday.  Though its roots have strong ties to religion, the festivity has now been secularized much in the way of Christmas in the West, and is now celebrated by most Indians regardless of faith. 

Diwali literally means “rows of diyas” (clay lamps). It also marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year, and in many parts of India, it marks the return of the Indian mythic figure, Lord Rama of Ayodhya, after his 14-year exile. It is considered a positive time for shopping, starting new ventures, business deals and house warming. On this day, doorways are lit up and decorated with rangoli or traditional patterns to welcome the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. The festival is a symbolic representation of the lifting of spiritual darkness.

The celebration of the Diwali festival stretches for five days. All the days except Diwali are named using the designation in the Indian calendar. A lunar half-month is 15 days. Diwali as a new-moon day marks the last day of a 15-day period. All the five days are as under:

Dhanteras: Dhan means "wealth" and Teras means "13th day". Thus, as the name implies, this day falls on the 13th day of the second half of the lunar month. It is an auspicious day for shopping of gold & silver ornaments, idols and coins

Naraka Chaturdasi: Chaturdasi is the fourteenth day on which demon Narakasura was killed. It signifies the victory of good over evil and light over darkness. This day is also called as Choti Diwali.

Diwali: The actual day of Diwali, is celebrated on the third day of the festival, when the moon completely wanes and total darkness sets in the night sky. Laxmi puja occurs on this third day. Deity Laxmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, is welcomed by offering traditional pujas. The business community places their accounting books in front of the Laxmi deity and offers puja for the wellbeing of the business.

Govardhan puja: Also referred to as Annakut, the fourth day is Govardhan Puja and is celebrated as the day Krishna defeated Indra. For Annakut, a mountain of food is decorated, symbolizing Govardhan Mountain lifted by Lord Krishna. Govardhan puja is a significant event in the villages, where people will worship the holy cows by smearing vermillion and sandal wood paste on its forehead, and offer special prayers for its wellbeing.

Bhai dooj: The fifth day, the last day of Diwali, is marked by Bhai dooj. On this day, sisters offer prayers for the general wellbeing of their brothers. Gifts are exchanged expressing brotherly and sisterly feelings of love and affection.

Diwali is such a wonderful festival, a time of giving and sharing, a time to catch up with people. In other words, it is a time to catch up with the little joys that we keep overlooking for the remaining part of the year.