Regional variations within India

Posted by preeti Diwali 10/09/2010 02:05:00 PM

The celebrations vary in different regions:
In South India

• In South India, the festival is called Deepavali.
• In Southern India, Narakasura vadha is the main day, with celebrations involving bursting firecrackers at dawn after lakshmi puja.It is celebrated as Narakachaturdashi in Karnataka,
• Deepavali is one of the seven most important festivals of Andhra Pradesh. It is very popular with children who celebrate Deepavali because of the excitement of bursting firecrackers.
• The main festival in Karnataka is on the first day - Narakachaturdashi and third day - Balipadyami, with no celebration on the second day of "Amavasye". The festivities begin a day, during which water is stored (following the tradition, since running water was not available with ease, and it had to be carried from nearby ponds and lakes) for the next day's oil bath in the early hours of the morning.The third day is Bali Padyami celebrating Vamana's victory over 'Mahabali'.
• In Tamil Nadu and Kerala it is celebrated as Deepavali. People celebrate this by lighting deepams, bursting firecrackers, wearing new clothes and sharing sweets.it comes as one of the biggest festivals in Kerala too, like Onam, Vishu.In Tamil Nadu, the "row of lamps" are lit a few days after deepavali for a series of days called "Karthikay deepam".

In Andhra Pradesh
In North India, Diwali is usually celebrated during the evenings with fireworks and diyas. However, in Andhra Pradesh, the festivities start out at the crack of dawn and carry on well into the night. The state sure knows how to celebrate! Most people make the trip to the local temple along with their families to seek the blessings of their respective Gods. The night sky is soon lit up with a scintillating array of fireworks and crackers notch up the noise level by a few decibels.. In Hyderabad, there is a unique tradition of bathing a buffalo on Diwali day. Another custom involves decorating homes with paper figures.Sales of expensive silk saris, jewelry and ornaments, household goods go up. From the poor to the rich, everyone indulges in shopping for the biggest shopping spree of the year. Sweets, which are an integral part of any festival in Andhra Pradesh, are prepared in homes as well as bought from shops for exchange.
In Gujarat
From aaso vad Agyaras (11th day from full/no moon) to dev Diwali people lit the diyas (now uses lamp series also) to decorate the house, which protects them from evil spirits as believed.
In Maharashtra
n Maharashtra, Diwali starts from Vasubaras which is the 12th day of the 2nd half of the month of Ashvin. This day is celebrated by performing an Aarti of the cow and its calf- which is a symbol of love between mother and her baby.The next day is Dhanatrayodashior Dhanteras. This day is of special importance for traders and business people.The 14th day of Ashvin is Narakchaturdashi. On this day, people wake up before sunrise and bathe after rubbing scented oil on their body (they also bathe using Utna).Then comes Lakshmi- poojan. It occurs on Amavasya i.e. no moon day. The dark night is illuminated by lamps and at dusk crackers are burst. New account books are opened after a pooja. The Bombay Stock Exchange performs a token bidding called Muhurta bidding. Bhaubeej – it is the time where in the bond of love between a brother and sister is further strengthened as the sister asks God for her brother/s long and successful life while she receives presents from her beloved brother/s.
In Orissa
Deepavali is celebrated with great joy. Rows of oil lamps, candles adorn the thresholds of all houses. Crackers are burst, sweetmeals are relished and distributed. Some people also worship goddess Kali and some goddess laxmi . Tarpanam is done in the early morning of deepavali. All the members of the household gather together just after dusk. A rangoli of a sailboat is made on the ground. The boat has seven chambers. Over the drawing of each different chamber several items are kept - cotton, mustard, salt, asparagus root, turmeric and a wild creeper. Over the central chamber are the offerings meant for prasad. Perched over the prasad is a jute stem with a cloth wick tied around the edge. It is lit at the beginning of the puja. All members of the family hold a bundle of jute stems in their hands, Lighting their respective bundles from the flame on the rangoli, they raise them skywards chanting:
"Bada badua ho, andhaara re aasa, aluwa re jaa. Baaisi pahaacha re gada gadau tha."
In Bengal
Kali Puja is light-up night for Kolkata, corresponding to the festival of Diwali (pronounced Dipabali in Bengali), where people light candles in memory of the souls of departed ancestors. The Goddess Kali is worshipped at night on one night during this festival. This is also a night of fireworks.
In Goa and Konkan
Diwali begins in Konkan and Goa on the day of Naraka Chaturdashi.The houses are cleaned and decorated with Kandil, lamps, mango leaves, and marigold flowers. The utensils are made to shine, filled with water, and decorated for the holy bath the following morning. On this day, paper-made effigies of Narakasura, filled with grass and crackers symbolising evil, are made. Festivities continue til Tulsi vivah and lamps are lit every evening. Celebrations include Lakshmi puja on the Diwali day,Krishna puja or Govardhan puja and cattle worship on Balipratipada day, Bhaubeej, and Tulsi vivah. In Konkan diwali is called "Chavdis".
Mela
Girls and women dress attractively during the festival. They wear colourful clothing and new jewelry, and their hands are decorated with henna designs.
Among the many activities that take place at a mela are performances by jugglers, acrobats, snake charmers and fortune tellers. Food stalls are set up, selling sweet and spicy foods. There are a variety of rides at the fair, which include Ferris wheels and rides on animals such as elephants and camels. Activities for children, such as puppet shows, occur throughout the day.
In other parts of the world
Diwali is celebrated in various parts of the world, particularly those with large populations of Indian and Hindu origin. These include countries such as Australia, Fiji, Guyana, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
In Nepal, Diwali is known as "Tihar" or "Swanti". On the first day (Kaag tihar), crows are given offerings, considering them to be divine messengers. On the second day (Kukur tihar), dogs are worshipped for their honesty. On the third day, Laxmi puja and worship of cow is performed
In Trinidad and Tobago, communities all over the islands get together and celebrate the festival. One major celebration that stands out is the Diwali Nagar, or Village of the Festival of Lights.
In Malaysia, Diwali is known as "Hari Deepavali," and is celebrated during the seventh month of the Hindu solar calendar. It is a federal public holiday throughout Malaysia.
In Singapore, the festival is called "Deepavali", and is a gazetted public holiday.The Hindu Endowment Board of Singapore along with Singapores' government organizes many cultural events around Deepavali time.
In Sri Lanka, this festival is also called "Deepavali" and is celebrated by the Tamil community. On this day, it is traditional for people to wear new clothes and exchange gifts.
In Britain, Hindus and Sikhs celebrate Diwali with great enthusiasm and in most ways very similarly to as in India. People clean and decorate their homes with lamps and candles. A popular type of candle used to represent this holiday is a diya. People also give each other sweets such as laddoo and barfi.
In New Zealand, Diwali is celebrated publicly among many of the South Asian diaspora cultural groups.An official reception has been held at the New Zealand Parliament since 2003.
In Australia, Diwali is celebrated publicly among the people of Indian origin and the local Australians in Melbourne.This 10 Hour Festival is depicting India through 50 Stalls, 10 Food stalls and an 8 hour cultural programme with Dj, Children's rides and spectacular fire works over the last 7 years.
In the United States, with increasing Indian population, Diwali is assuming significant importance year after year. Diwali was first celebrated in the White House in 2003 and was given official status by the United States Congress in 2007. Barack Obama became the first president to personally attend Diwali at the White House in 2009.In 2009, San Antonio became the first U.S. city to sponsor an official Diwali celebration including a fireworks display and 5000 people in attendance.