Why Do We Light Diyas On Diwali? Deepavali Significance

Diwali, the festival of lights is one of the most important Hindu festivals and it is celebrated with much joy and happiness but this year, it is going to be a bit different. Diwali is also known as 'Deepavali'. The word 'Deepavali' consists of two words. 'Deep' means light and 'vali' means a row. So, 'Deepavali' means 'a row of lights'. The festival of lights signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair. 

On Diwali day, we decorate our homes with lights and diyas. In Hindu tradition, the lighting of a Diya is an important part of prayer and it signifies purity, goodness, good luck and power.  The festival of lights falls on the day of Amavasya or new moon day (15th day of Karthik Masam).  So, the presence of light means the non-existence of darkness and evil forces.  Evil spirits and powers are thought to gain strength and become aggressive when there is no light. So, diyas are lit to weaken those evil forces in every corner of the house.

The Diya has a deeper meaning. The oil in the diya symbolises the dirt in the human mind such as greed, envy, hate, lust etc. The cotton in the diya is symbolic of the soul or the atma. When the oil is burnt by the wick, the diya provides illumination. Therefore the illumination of the diyas means that one should be get rid of greedy and materialistic thoughts. This frees us from all kinds of grief, leading the path to enlightenment and to connect with God. One must learn to love and serve others unconditionally.

As per Indian tradition, on Ashwin Purnima, which is a full moon day, 15 days before Diwali, it is suggested that one should buy diyas. One should soak the diyas in water until they are saturated and then they are ready for the Diwali puja.

We 'SakshiPost' wish a very happy Diwali.