There are a lot of hullabaloo about firecrackers used in Diwali among Indian media and western media. Some believe that firecrackers should be banned in Diwali. But can the firecrackers be banned on Christmas, on New Year and on wedding celebration? Does cracking fire crackers Christmas or on New Year hold any significance? Bursting firecrackers on Diwali hold various definite significance. Let us dig deep into the significance of celebrating Diwali.
What is the essence of Deepawali celebration?
Diwali comes after celebrating Dushhera which means demolition of the ten vices present within us. The ten vices includes :- lust, anger, greed, attachment, jealousy, ego, hatred, deceit, stubbornness, and laziness. It is the celebration of the homecoming of Lord Ramchandra, Goddess Sita and lord Laxman. It is also the coronation of Hindu Goddess Laxmi and God Narayan.
Also Read: Forest Fires Of Indonesia
On Diwali we clean the every nook and corner of our mind. We finish the old Sanskaras ( habits). We implement new ways of thinking, new ways of living and new Sanskaras. By cleansing mind and using new Sanskaras, we settle our own Karmic account. We give blessings, gifts, and pure wishes to everyone. We prepare sweets in God’s remembrance. We make a promise that every word we think and speak will be filled with love and respect. When we do all this, divinity and purity of the soul emerges. This divinity reminds us that :- I, the soul, am giver to everyone and I need nothing from people and objects. When we do all this, we invoke Shri Lakshmi ji in our life.
What does invocation of Shri Lakshmi ji signify?
The spiritual significance is that the word Lakshmi denote Lakshya which means purpose of life ( mann Ka Lakshya). The purpose of our life is to give. In our every Karma we need to be giving, giving and giving. Whenever we are continuously giving, our soul gets contended.
Why do we draw Swastika in diwali?
Swastika – ‘ Swa Ka Astitva’ means to identify the self.
Swastika consists of four quadrants. Each quadrant reveal the journey of I, the soul. It is about who I was, who I became, where I was, where I am today and where should I go next. Each quadrant reveal the different yugas i.e Satyug, Treta yug, Dwapara yug and Kalyug.
Any auspicious beginning is made by drawing a Swastika. It is the symbol for the remembrance of the identity of I, the soul, am giver and bring Satyug. When we remain in the awareness of this self identity while doing every work, everything we undertake will be successful.
Why do we light diyas?
Diwali is celebrated in the month of Kartika, on new moon day, the day of total darkness. It is therefore we ensure that every corner of the home is lit. Diwali is also called Deep- mala i.e rosary of diyas.
The clay of Diya represents our body which is made up of five elements i.e. Earth, fire, air, water and space. The wick represents the soul. But the wick needs to be lightened. How is it lightened? By adding ghee. Ghee represents knowledge of the soul. The knowledge is that I am not this body, I am a soul. Love, peace and happiness are my original Sanskaras. When this ghee of knowledge is added, the flame starts glowing from the wick.
If there is a challenge in life comparable to strong winds or a storm, the flame starts flickering. We need to immediately add ghee into the Diya which means we need to use the knowledge of the soul ( become soul conscious).
When one Diya is lit which means when one soul creates the power to give. The other soul who receive this power also gets the power to give. One Diya lightens the second one. The second Diya lightens the third one and very soon the whole planet will have many Diyas glowing and Diwali is on the planet.
Why do we give gifts?
We give blessings to each other. The real gift which we can give to each other are pure wishes and blessings because there can’t be a better gift than them.
The gift voucher includes “ you will always and always receive from me- only pure thoughts, pure feelings and blessings”.
Should crackers be banned?
There are various interpretations and reasons for bursting crackers on Diwali.
The first reason is the celebration for the homecoming of the Lord Ramchandra and Goddess Sita after completing the fourteen years in exile.
This is the painting produced by artist Sita Ram, under the auspices of Governor General of Bengal Warren Hastings depicting celebrations and fireworks in Ayodhya.
The second reason is that during this period in the Northern Hemisphere, the season changes and winter comes. People tend to hibernate during winter and cease doing any activity. To awaken people and remind them that they do not hibernate and stay vibrant, crackers are burnt.
The third reason is that the crackers are the symbol of the destruction of the vices. And after destruction, everything becomes pure, smooth and a new way of life begins.
In all ways, it is evident that crackers are the part of the Diwali celebration in India.
The reason that the pollutants during this season of the year ( Diwali period) gets aggravated and not get dissipated is due to the Subsidence Temperature Inversion. Subsidence inversions are common over the northern continents in winter (dry atmosphere) and over the subtropical oceans; these regions generally have subsiding air because they are located under large high-pressure centers. Therefore, the pollutants stay for a longer period in the atmosphere and thus causes health hazards. Also a suitable decibels for crackers should be fixed because many birds, pets, animals and infants get panic attack due to high noise of the crackers.
To avoid health hazard, green crackers need to be invented and produced. Banning crackers would leave many people unemployed. Therefore research must be done to produce green crackers and the skill should be imparted to the manufactures of crackers.
In this way the culture and also the employment would be preserved.
Visit our store at http://online.ensemble.net.in