Dust your house and clean those lamps... make some sweets big and small... light a lamp each for happiness, health, knowledge and wealth... a lamp in prayer and one each wishing good for all... line them up or create a rangoli... put together all this and you have a happy Diwali.

It’s that time of the year wherein each house in every locality is lit up with earthen lamps to celebrate the victory of good over evil, moving from darkness to light. Yes... Diwali, the festival of lights, is here. The five day celebration begins on October 24 bringing people together in the hope of a new tomorrow. Mornings are filled with pujas and rituals followed by lighting of lamps as night falls. And who can forget those noisy and colourful crackers.

Significance of the five days (October 24 - 28)

First Day - Dhanatrayodashi:
The day is marked with puja being offered to goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and wealth. It is the thirteenth lunar day of Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight) in the Hindu calendar and falls in the month of October / November. People purchase precious metals like gold, silver, etc., on this day.

Second Day – Naraka Chaturdashi:
According to one story, Narakasur, a demon king ruling Pragjothishyapur, gained a boon from Brahma that he shall die only in the hands of a woman. With the boon he became a cruel king and held high disregard for gods and women. He defeated Lord Indra and stole the earrings of Aditi (the heavenly mother). Satyabhama, Krishna’s wife, was enraged when she heard of the injustice done to Aditi, who was her relative. With the permission of Krishna, Satyabhama waged a war against Narakasura. After a few days of commencing of the war, Narakasura took an aim at Krishna, hurting him lightly. Krishna fainted and this made Satyabhama furious. She doubled her attack on Narakasura and finally killed him. Her victory freed Narakasura’s prisoners. To mark the Demon’s death, Krishna smeared Narakasura’s blood on his forehead and returned along with Satyabhama to his kingdom. The entire city celebrated their victory by lighting lamps.

Third Day - Diwali:
Houses are cleaned and special puja is offered to Goddess Lakshmi seeking her blessings.

Fourth Day – Balipadyami / Govardhan Puja:
King Bali is worshipped. According to legend, when Vishnu was born as Vamana (the dwarf), he crushed Bali into pathala (netherworld).

Bali’s grandfather Prahlada pleaded Vishnu to pardon Bali and he was made the king of Pathala. Vishnu granted a boon that people on earth would remember Bali on that day and worship him. Hence the name Balipadyami. Govardhan Puja is celebrated in northern India in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The festival signifies the incident of Lord Krishna lifting Govardhan Mountain to protect people and animals of Vrindavan from rains sent by Lord Indra.

Fifth Day - Yama Dwithiya:
Legend says that it was on this day Yamuna River and her brother Yama were re - united after a long separation. Yama and Yamuna are worshipped as a mark of the relationship shared by a brother and sister.

Moving from darkness to light:
Every tradition associated with Diwali has a unique meaning and purpose. And hence even lamps are synonymous with Diwali. It symbolises overcoming darkness with light. Even the no - moon day during Diwali looks bright with lamps glowing in houses across the country.

Age - old traditions get a modern touch with changing times. Previously used earthen lamps have now been replaced with designer lamps and those with multiple spouts. Apart from lamps, hanging lanterns of different shapes, materials and colours have also flooded the markets.

One place attracting Mysoreans for their lamp shopping for the past few years is the Deepa Soundarya expo organised by Ramsons Kala Pratishtan at its Pratima Gallery in front of Zoo. The expo houses lamps made of earth, brass, white metal and floating candles. Lanterns of different shades and sizes decorate the walls. Traditional lamps or contemporary designs, this place has something to offer everyone.

Feast on sweets:
Sweets are an inseparable part of any festival. While innumerable lamps are a treat to the eyes, the taste and aroma of sweets is a feast for your taste buds. Laddoos, burfis, kheer, halwa etc., all prepared with abundant dry fruits are hard to resist during Diwali. Sweet shops across the city are busy with preparations to woo customers with their speciality of sweets. Chocolate manufactures are not lagging behind as they come up with special boxes with assorted chocolates making it an ideal gift option.

Lighting the night sky:
Bursting of crackers is not unique to Diwali celebrations. However, over the years, it has become an integral part of the festival. Cracker stalls set up at specially designated locations in city do brisk business from a few days prior to the festival until it is over.

Crackers may be fun to watch and play with but one must not forget the harmful effects it has which environmentalists are trying to draw our attention to. The amount of noise and air pollution caused by bursting of crackers, not to mention the injuries they cause, dampen the festive fervour. “Nowadays people usually prefer crackers which make less noise like flower pots, sparklers etc. Demand for noisy ones is gradually going down,” says Raju, a resident of Bogadi who has been selling Diwali crackers for the past five years.

Taking care of our four - legged friends:
“Animals can hear sounds much louder than human beings. Hence the bursting of loud crackers proves to be a torture on their ears,” says city’s Vet Dr. C. S. Arun. Signs of fear may include shaking, trembling, excessive drooling, barking, howling, trying to hide and refusing to eat food. Some pets may also lose bladder or bowel control or experience temporary diarrhoea. “Pet owners should be with their pets during such times. Their company and comfort matters a lot,” Dr. Arun adds. All pet owners and public in general need to take care to ensure that their joy does not become another life’s (animal’s) pain. Here are few steps we can take to help our four - legged friends:

• Exercise your dog sufficiently before fireworks start and once back home, give it a filling meal. A tired pet with full stomach will be less anxious.
• Once the fireworks start, make sure your pet is inside the house. Accustom your dog to have cotton in the ears and during the festival put sterilised cotton buds in the pet’s ears to lessen the noise. Keep first aid ready. Also keep the curtains down, doors closed and play some soothing music to drown out the sound. You can keep your dog distracted by playing with him / her.
• Some people leash their pets if they make a lot of noise when crackers are burst. This may lead to the pet injuring itself while trying to break free. It is also important to not punish the pet for being afraid. Comforting your dog when it is scared too is not advisable. Instead act normal. Reward your dog when he / she is calm.

• If your dog runs for its bed, below a cupboard or bed, allow it to hide.
• If your pet is nervous, very old or has heart problem, speak to your vet prior to the festival and so that they can prescribe a light sedative for the pet. Remember to give the sedative before the loud noise begins as it needs time to take effect.
• Keep crackers out of reach of pets so that they don’t lick or sniff them.
• Other pets like rabbits and birds also need your care. Move smaller pets indoors or inside the garage. Cover the bird’s cage so that the loud noise is blocked.
• Ensure that horses, cows, buffaloes and donkeys are stabled and away from noise while fireworks are let off.

More than pets, stray animals are worst affected during Diwali. While most of the times it is due to the light and noise of the fireworks, sometimes people tend to harm these animals by tying crackers to them or throwing lit crackers on them. If possible, allow stray dogs to hide in your garden. Keep food and water at their reach and don’t light crackers near the animals. If you come across any injured animal then call for an ambulance.

Most importantly, educate yourself and others about the harm caused by crackers on animals. Teach kids that hurting animals with crackers for fun is not good.

It is a festival to celebrate the victory of good over evil which brings light to your house. Make it safe for yourself and those around you. HAPPY & SAFE DIWALI.

By M. S. Apuurva
Courtesy: Star of Mysore