From Kali Puja To Bandi Chhor Diwas: India's Many Ways Of Celebrating Diwali

Diwali, or, as in some expressions, Deepavali, the festival of lights, is today more than just a religious observance. Its ethos has transcended the confines of any ritualistic definition. Like most festivals in this subcontinent, it has acquired a deep cultural and metaphysical significance, becoming an indelible part of everybody’s life. The celebration also heralds a season of autumnal bliss, which is highly cherished by a population already blighted by either scorching heat or incessant rainfall in the preceding months.

Although Diwali is celebrated in various ways in different parts of this country, other than the lights and the celebration of victory over evil, there are further attributes that are quite ubiquitous to this festival irrespective of the region. The distribution of sweets and sweet dishes, the bonding of friends and family, the donning of traditional new dresses, etc. are certain things that are hard to miss. This inclusivity explains the broad-heartedness of the people across the subcontinent, who like to share their joys with their kith and kin.

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The historicity or the exact origin of this festival is still a matter of conjecture. Today, we know the many traditional accounts and stories associated with its celebration. Let us now see how Diwali is celebrated in different parts, although this would barely scratch the surface.

The Western periphery

In India, a common thread cannot be drawn for an entire region, because everything here changes within the span of a few kilometers. There are numerous communities and an equally wide range of creeds and belief systems. But a picture can be drawn of a few important instances. ‘Vasu Baras’ (or Govatsa Dwadashi) is an important ceremony in Maharashtra (and in other states also), which is a part of the Diwali festivities. It worships the cow as a divine gift and honors it as an important symbol of a prosperous household. Ameya Samant, a Mumbai-based professional, elucidates, “Vasu Baras is celebrated in our housing society every year, where the residents bring a calf idol and worship it with various offerings.”

A large number of Jains are also found in Western India, in states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, etc. For the Jains, Diwali monumentalizes the ‘parinirvana’ of Mahavira (the 24th Tirthankara). But in these states, Diwali is also celebrated like in other parts of India by lighting diyas, bursting firecrackers, and worshiping the Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha. For the Gujarati business community, Diwali includes a ceremony called ‘Chopda Pujan’, which involves worshiping their account books. The next day of Diwali generally marks the beginning of the Gujarati New Year.

The Eastern seaboard

For some communities of Eastern India, especially the Bengalis, ‘Deepabali’ is the time when Kali Puja is held. Just like the Durga Puja, Goddess Kali is also venerated in more or less similar terms, although rituals may differ. Goddess Kali is another manifestation of the mother goddess, but her appearance makes her one of the most striking figures in the pantheon of Hindu gods and goddesses. Anybody who has witnessed Bengal’s Durga Puja would experience a similar kind of atmosphere during the Kali Puja festivities. There are grand pandals with exquisite artworks, decorative illuminations, gatherings of people, food, etc. Manish Panda, a Kolkata-based vlogger, says, “Kali Puja and Deepabali are occasions to go out again with family to check out the pandal decorations.”

The Kali Puja ceremony generally follows several Shakta traditions and Tantric practices depending on the place or people. There are some distinctive customs also, like the ‘Bhoot Chaturdashi’ on the preceding night, when lighting of fourteen diyas and consumption of fourteen kinds of ‘shaak’ (leafy greens) are observed. The Kali Puja festivities also include ‘Shyama Sangeet’, which is a distinctive tradition of devotional music in Bengali honoring Goddess Kali (Shyama is her other name). But at the same time, Deepabali is also observed in Eastern India with all its common aspects of Dhanteras, Lakshmi Puja, etc.

The Northern part

While discussing Diwali in North India, we must remember that the term ‘North India’ should be loosely followed, as the Diwali celebration in its most common form is celebrated in many places throughout India. Across several states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, etc., the occasion is traditionally associated with the homecoming of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana.

However, in Punjab (and in other places too), Diwali is also celebrated as ‘Bandi Chhor Diwas’ (roughly, liberation of prisoners day), observed by the Sikh community. This day is commemorated as the occasion when the sixth Sikh guru ‘Guru Hargobind’ was released from Mughal captivity, along with others. Therefore, it is celebrated with much fanfare and by reciting the holy Guru Granth Sahib, lighting diyas, and various other things. Kunal Malhotra, a Punjabi writer, expresses, “Bandi Chhor Diwas is a festival rooted in both tradition and history.”

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The Southern side

While many people in North India commemorate Diwali as the homecoming of Lord Rama after defeating Ravana, in the south, especially in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, etc., certain regional traditions hail Deepavali as the occasion when Lord Krishna, along with his wife Satyabhama, annihilated the demon ‘Narakasura’. Thus, it is associated with another avatar of Lord Vishnu. In many places, the devotees get up before sunrise and take their baths after applying oil to their bodies, followed by seeking blessings of the elders, temple visits, lighting lamps, etc. As award-winning author Manu Bhattathiri says, “Deepavali is a unique festival both in my native Kerala and in Bengaluru, where I currently reside.”

Concluding Thought

There is one aspect common to Diwali in many places in India: the bursting of firecrackers. While it is quite enjoyable, there is also an environmental aspect to this celebration. Too many firecrackers become detrimental to the air quality and also cause severe noise pollution. While the celebration must continue, we should also be environmentally and socially responsible. After all, it is also the festival of hope and must continue to be just that.

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