7 families all Hindus but from different parts of India came together for Diwali celebrations. They burst lot of crackers and had sumptuous dinner at the apartment’s clubhouse that they had booked to spend their evening. They all were getting ready to play some family games and as they prepared for the games, kids started asking questions -
why do we celebrate Diwali ?
Tamilian : Diwali is celebrated on Naraka Chaturdashi (which was actually yesterday). It was on this day that the demon Narakasura was killed by Satyabhama (one of Krishna’s wives)
Rajasthani : No !! that is Chotti Diwali, actual Diwali is today. Diwali was the day when Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya
UPite : Yes Rajasthani is right, actual Diwali is today but the actual reason is - this was the day when the Pandavas returned back from their exile
Keralite : no this is all wrong, the Tamilian is right !
Atheist : for the record, Jains and Sikhs also have some other reason to celebrate Diwali.
Confused kids then asked - why do we worship Goddess Lakshmi on this day ?
Almost everyone : Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth, we do her puja so that she bestows us with prosperity
Bengali : not just Goddess Lakshmi, we do Kali puja as well
Ok but will Goddess Lakshmi guarantee prosperity ? we spend so much on flowers, sweets, etc to make her happy, do these rituals guarantee good returns ?
Rajasthani: There is no guarantee, teachers and parents prepare you well for the exams but getting good grades is up to you. These rituals gives you hope for a better future, you still need to work hard and be confident that Goddess Lakshmi will ensure the events will turn out to be the best for you
Ok, why do we take Oil bath on Diwali before sunrise?
Majority : no we don’t do such a thing.
Appa, why did you torture me then ?
Tamilian : As per our tradition, this ritual is equivalent to taking bath in Ganges. Now, Please don’t ask why we do this only on the day of Diwali ! you can do it daily as well. Btw, we use sesame oil for bath and it has properties that help us, you can google to find out more
Why do we clean our house for Diwali ?
Keralite: Forgot ?? we expect Goddess Lakshmi to come to our house, we need to ensure she is happy. Remember cleanliness is Godliness
Why not do it on all days ?
Punjabi: Indeed we should do it on all days and we do clean ever day but on Diwali we clean every little corner and then decorate with Lights + Rangoli to make it more special. Now kids ..can you all go home and sleep please !!!
Tired after bursting crackers and asking endless questions, the kids went to sleep and the adults settled down for the game of cards (gambling). They all were having a gala time, in fact these folks were enjoying the loses as well. Meanwhile, some rocket took a detour and crashed into the transformer outside the apartment and the power went off
14 adults were all stuck in the clubhouse that was pitch dark, suddenly there was this sound of kiss and a tight slap. Within seconds the place was again well lit, maybe the electrician had switched on the generator. They all looked at each other, no one spoke a word, one of them wrapped up the game and they all went to their respective homes ! except two the rest spent the night thinking … was it my spouse ?
Happy Diwali to all in advance and play safe in everything that you do !
why do we celebrate Diwali ?
Tamilian : Diwali is celebrated on Naraka Chaturdashi (which was actually yesterday). It was on this day that the demon Narakasura was killed by Satyabhama (one of Krishna’s wives)
Rajasthani : No !! that is Chotti Diwali, actual Diwali is today. Diwali was the day when Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya
UPite : Yes Rajasthani is right, actual Diwali is today but the actual reason is - this was the day when the Pandavas returned back from their exile
Keralite : no this is all wrong, the Tamilian is right !
Atheist : for the record, Jains and Sikhs also have some other reason to celebrate Diwali.
Confused kids then asked - why do we worship Goddess Lakshmi on this day ?
Almost everyone : Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth, we do her puja so that she bestows us with prosperity
Bengali : not just Goddess Lakshmi, we do Kali puja as well
Ok but will Goddess Lakshmi guarantee prosperity ? we spend so much on flowers, sweets, etc to make her happy, do these rituals guarantee good returns ?
Rajasthani: There is no guarantee, teachers and parents prepare you well for the exams but getting good grades is up to you. These rituals gives you hope for a better future, you still need to work hard and be confident that Goddess Lakshmi will ensure the events will turn out to be the best for you
Ok, why do we take Oil bath on Diwali before sunrise?
Majority : no we don’t do such a thing.
Appa, why did you torture me then ?
Tamilian : As per our tradition, this ritual is equivalent to taking bath in Ganges. Now, Please don’t ask why we do this only on the day of Diwali ! you can do it daily as well. Btw, we use sesame oil for bath and it has properties that help us, you can google to find out more
Why do we clean our house for Diwali ?
Keralite: Forgot ?? we expect Goddess Lakshmi to come to our house, we need to ensure she is happy. Remember cleanliness is Godliness
Why not do it on all days ?
Punjabi: Indeed we should do it on all days and we do clean ever day but on Diwali we clean every little corner and then decorate with Lights + Rangoli to make it more special. Now kids ..can you all go home and sleep please !!!
Tired after bursting crackers and asking endless questions, the kids went to sleep and the adults settled down for the game of cards (gambling). They all were having a gala time, in fact these folks were enjoying the loses as well. Meanwhile, some rocket took a detour and crashed into the transformer outside the apartment and the power went off
14 adults were all stuck in the clubhouse that was pitch dark, suddenly there was this sound of kiss and a tight slap. Within seconds the place was again well lit, maybe the electrician had switched on the generator. They all looked at each other, no one spoke a word, one of them wrapped up the game and they all went to their respective homes ! except two the rest spent the night thinking … was it my spouse ?
Happy Diwali to all in advance and play safe in everything that you do !
