Deepawali

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Celebrated on Chaturdasi thithi in the month of Thula , Deepawali reminds us of more than  one great event related to our ithihasas. 

We celebrate the home coming of Sri Rama, Sri Lakshmana and Sri Sita along with their vanara guests.  

We also remember the home coming of the Pandava brothers after their vana vaasa and agnyata vaasa. 

People from some States celebrate Deepawali for three days as Lakshmi puja.

People from some other states celebrate as Naraka Chaturdasi. 

Narakasura was an asura who was born of Sriman Narayana and Ma BhuDevi. His boon was her could only be killed by his own mother and none else... As Asuras act always after getting powerful boons, he harassed people in every way. 

Sri Krishna and Ma Satyabhama went to the battlefield together and it was Smt. Satyabhama who slew him. She is an amsavatara of ma BhuDevi. 
It shows Bhagawan delivers justice without any bias.

A dying Narakasura had a change of heart and requested Bhagawan that the day of his death ( death of darkness and the beginning of knowledge /light ) be celebrated with fanfare. 

In the South, on this day, people have an oil bath before sunrise. On other days except Deepawali, we should have an oil  bath only after sunrise. 

We wear new clothes or fresh clothes, do puja, burst crackers and share sweets with people around us. 

Crackers or vedi/vettu are those  traditional made crackers one finds used in some temples as part of the prarthana.

Ma Lakshmi resides in the oil that we use this day. 

Also ma Ganga is in everyone's home this day early during Brahma Muhurta.

Open any water tap and she's there this day. Call out to her with loving bhakthi, she will cleanse us of all miseries! 

So an oil bath this day (18 Oct. 2017 Wednesday) before sunrise brings us the blessings of our divine mothers. 

asato mā sadgamaya
tamasomā jyotir gamaya
mrityormāamritam gamaya
Oṁ śhānti śhānti śhāntiḥ

May Bhagwan shower his infinite grace on all of us!


May the darkness within and without be driven away and may the light of gnana take its place!

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