Deepavali or Diwali, which is also known as 'the festival of lights', is the Indian festival that brings a series of festivals with it. This festival includes lightings, crackers, colorful rangoli making, social gatherings to exchange greetings and sharing sweets with your loved ones.The people of all age groups and classes celebrate Deepavali throughout India with equal zeal and enthusiasm. Deepavali festival falls on the day of 'Amavasyaa' usually in the month of October or November. On this day, people light tiny earthen lamps to illuminate their homes with bright light and create lovely designs all around their home with colorful rangoli art.

                                It is the glorious occasion that is not restricted to one day, but extended to a five-day celebration. The celebrations commence on Aswayuja Bahula Chaturdashi and culminate on Kartika Shudha Vijaya. The first day of this festival is called 'Dhan Trayodashi' or 'Dhanteras', wherein people worship Goddess Lakshmi and purchase utensils made of silver. The second day of Deepavali is called 'Narak Chaturdashi', which is popular as 'Chhoti Diwali'. The third day of Deepavali, which is also called 'Badi Deepavali,' is the main day of the celebrations of the festival. People perform Lakshmi Puja (worship of divine Goddess Lakshmi) on this day and offer prayers to her, to bless them with wealth and prosperity.

                              The fourth day of Deepavali is devoted to Govardhan Pooja (worship of Lord Govardhan Parvat). The fifth day of the Deepavali is Bhai Dooj, the time to honor the brother-sister relationship. Bursting crackers, social gatherings, exchange of greetings, sweets and gifts with loved ones are also part of the festival. During the festival, people following Hinduism offer prayers, and worship their favorite deity. Worshipping of Goddess Lakshmi, worship of Lord Ganesha, worship of Mother Kali, worship of Lord Chitragupta and worship of Govardhan Parvat is considered very auspicious for the occasion.



Like every other Hindu festival, stories from Mythology are associated with Deepavali too.
                              The most famous legend behind the celebrations of Deepavali is about the prince of Ayodhya Nagri - Lord Shri Ram. The king of Lanka, Ravana, kidnapped Ram's wife - Sita from the jungle, where they were staying as per the instructions of King Dashratha, father of Lord Ram. In order to freed Sita from Ravana's custody, Ram attacked him. This was followed by a war, in which, Ram defeated Ravan and released Sita from his custody. On the arrival of Lord Ram along with his wife Sita, people of Ayodhya decorated their homes as well as the city of Ayodhyaa by lighting tiny earthen lamps all over, in order to welcome their beloved prince Shri Ram and Devi Sita.

                                Another famous story behind the celebrations of Deepavali is about the demon king Narakasur, who was ruler of Pragjyotishpur, a province to the South of Nepal. After acquiring victory over Lord Indra during a war, Narakasur snatched away the magnificent earrings of Mother Goddess Aditi, who was not only the ruler of Suraloka, but also a relative of Lord Krishna's wife - Satyabhama. Narakasur also imprisoned sixteen thousand daughters of Gods and saints in his harem. With the support of Lord Krishna, Satyabhama defeated Narakasur, released all the women from his harem and restored the magnificent earrings of Mother Goddess Aditi.

Ingredients:

Grated coconut - 2 cups
Jaggery - 2 cups
Cardamom - 5
Refined flour - 1/2 cup
Refined oil - 250 gm

Preparation:

1. Take a pan and put jaggery and 1/4 cup of water into it.
2. Heat this on a low flame and let the jaggery melt.
3. To this, add coconut and cardamom and stir constantly until it thickens.
4. Remove from flame and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.
5. Now, make it into small balls and keep aside.
6. Next, mix the flour with 1/2 cup of water and make into a paste.
7. Dip these balls into flour paste and deep fry.
8. Coconut sweet ball is ready.

Ingredients:

White gram dal - 500 gm
Water - 1 litre
Sugar - 1 Kg
Jalebi colour (orange) - 5 drops
Coconut oil/refined oil - 1 Kg
Salt to taste

Preparation :

1. First, finely grind the white gram dal with little water and add salt and make a smooth batter of semi-thick consistency.
2. In a pan, heat sugar and add water into it.
3. Now, add jalebi colour and remove from flame when it thickens.
4. In a thick bottom vessel or kadai, heat oil and squeeze the prepared batter into the oil through a thin layered cloth.
5. While squeezing the batter, first make three rounds and a flower shape on top.
6 Deep fry them until they are golden and crisp all over, but not brown.
7. Remove jalebis from kadai and drain these on kitchen paper.
8. Now, immerse these jalebis into the warm sugar syrup and leave it for at least 4-5 minutes, so that they soak in the syrup.
9. Take them out of syrup and serve hot.

Ingredients:

Carrot - 500 gm
Milk - 1 litre
Sugar - 500 gm
Ghee - 4 tbsp

Preparation:

1. First, peel and grate the carrot.
2. In a thick bottom vessel, boil milk until it reduces to more than half its quantity.
3. Now, add the grated carrot to the milk and cook until the carrots are soft.
4. To this, add sugar and stir well.
5. When it starts thickening, add ghee.
6. Remove from fire when the content leaves the sides of the vessel and pour evenly on a greased vessel.
7. Carrot Halwa is ready.

Ingredients:

Cashew nuts - 2 cups
Sugar - 2 cups
Ghee - 1 cup
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
Silver foil

Preparation:

1. Soak cashew nuts in water for 4 hours and grind it into a thick paste.
2. Boil sugar in a vessel with 1 cup water and prepare a thick syrup.
3. Now to the syrup, add cashew nut paste and stir continuously on a low flame.
4. Add ghee and cook until the content leaves the sides of the vessel.
5. Now, remove from flame and pour this evenly to a greased vessel.
6. Cover with silver foil and allow it to cool.
7. Serve after cutting into diamond shape pieces.

 

Ingredients:

Milk - 3/4 litre
Refined flour - 1 cup, heaped
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Soda powder - 2 pinch
Ghee - 100 gm
Sugar - 3 cups
Water - 3 cups
Cardamom - 6, crushed
Saffron - 2 pinch
Rose essence - 1 tsp

Preparation:

1. Boil milk in a vessel until its quantity reduces to 1/2 cup. Remove from flame and allow it to cool.
2. Now, add 1 tbsp sugar and soda powder to it; mix well and make it smooth.
3. To this, add flour slowly and make a fine dough. Keep it aside for 1 hour.
4. Apply some ghee on the hands and make small balls from the prepared dough.
5. In a pan, heat ghee and fry these jamuns on a low flame.
6. Next, boil 3 cups of water with 3 cups sugar, cardamom, and saffron. Filter it and add rose essence in it.
7. In this syrup, put the jamuns.
8. Serve jamuns after 3-4 hours.