दिवाली के 5 दिन, 5 कहानियाँ

Key dates

मुख्य घटनाएँ

1. दिन 1धनतेरस — राजा हिम के बेटे की कथा, धन्वंतरि; 2016 से राष्ट्रीय आयुर्वेद दिवस
2. दिन 2नरक चतुर्दशी / छोटी दिवाली — नरकासुर से 16,000 राजकुमारियों की मुक्ति
3. दिन 3दिवाली — राम का अयोध्या लौटना, लक्ष्मी पूजा; जैन: महावीर निर्वाण; सिख: बंदी छोड़ दिवस
4. दिन 4गोवर्धन पूजा / अन्नकूट — 7 दिन तक पर्वत उठाने की कथा
5. दिन 5भाई दूज — यम और यमुना की कथा

What the sources say

Facts & sources

• Diwali comes from Dipavali, 'a row of lights'. The five-day festival begins two days before the new moon (amavasya) with Dhanteras and ends two days after it. It is likely a fusion of ancient harvest festivals.
• Dhanteras legend: King Hima's 16-year-old son was fated to die of a snakebite on the fourth day of his marriage. His bride piled ornaments and gold and silver coins at the door, lit lamps and told stories all night. Yama came as a serpent, was dazzled, sat on the heap all night and left silently in the morning.
• Dhanvantari, the god of Ayurveda, is said to have emerged from the Samudra Manthana with a pot of amrita. India observes Dhanteras as National Ayurveda Day, first held on 28 October 2016.
• Naraka Chaturdashi (Chhoti Diwali): Narakasura, the evil king of Pragjyotishapura near present-day Assam, held 16,000 princesses captive. One source says Krishna killed him, another says Krishna and Satyabhama did. In Bengal, 14 diyas are lit for the 14 forefathers on Bhoot Chaturdashi.
• The third day is the main Diwali and the darkest night. It marks Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman reaching Ayodhya after 14 years of exile. It is also Lakshmi Puja, and Lakshmi is believed to visit the cleanest house first.
• Jains mark Mahavira's nirvana. Their tradition says lamps were first lit in 527 BCE, when 18 kings proclaimed them in his memory. Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas, the release of Guru Hargobind from Jahangir's prison at Gwalior Fort.
• Govardhan Puja / Annakut: Krishna lifted Govardhan Hill on his little finger, and after seven days of storms Indra accepted defeat. The Guinness record for the largest Annakut, over 3500 dishes, was set on October 27, 2019 at BAPS Atladra Mandir in Gujarat.
• Bhai Dooj (Yamadvitiya) is linked to a legendary meeting between Yama and his sister Yamuna. Another belief says Krishna visited his sister Subhadra after killing Narakasura. In 1905, Tagore drew on this ritual for rakhi ceremonies between Hindus and Muslims, held to protest the Partition of Bengal.

Source: Diwali (Wikipedia) and the texts it cites. Legends are told as legends.