Diwali Tour to Explore Unity in Diversity

Introduction

Diwali, or the Festival of Lights, is celebrated with great pomp and splendor all over India. At this time of year, people all across India celebrate Diwali by lighting up the streets and their windows. Light from lanterns and earthen lamps is shared among everyone, to keep the darkness at bay. Diwali celebrations vary according to regions in India due to the country’s rich cultural diversity.

In Northern India, the mythological story of Lord Rama, his wife Sita, brother Lakshman, and Hanuman all return to Ayodhya on this day after defeating Ravana. Diyas, clay lamps, are lit on Diwali night since the night they returned was Amavasya, a moonless night. For their part, South Indians celebrate the day they believe Lord Krishna vanquished the evil Narakasura. Legend has it that Vishnu and Lakshmi tied the knot on this day. Diwali will be celebrated on Monday, October 24th, 2022. All you ought to do is book a cab with Chiku Cab and just go visit one of the below-given states to learn and enjoy their cultural festivities.

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Celebrations of Diwali are held in a variety of ways and styles in various states showing our unity in diversity. Discover the various Diwali traditions practiced in India where you can plan a trip to experience the bright festivities with outstation cabs managed by Chiku Cab.

• The story of Diwali is the fight for independence for the Sikh people. Because of his growing fame and power, Emperor Jahangir had to have the sixth Guru, Nanak, locked up in prison. The Hindu holiday of Diwali and the Sikh festival of Bandi Chhor Diwas celebrate his liberation from the Gwalior Fort. Diyas are lit in homes and gurudwaras, crackers are set off, gifts are exchanged, and a feast is held to commemorate Bandi Chhor Diwas. Now do a car booking online with Chiku Cab and visit the gurudwaras near you on this day.

• The Hindu celebration of Kali Puja is one of the most well-known in the world. While the rest of India celebrates Diwali on the Amavasya Tithi, the new moon in Kartik is a time of honoring Goddess Kali in the eastern states of West Bengal, Odisha, and Assam. Shyama Puja (Kali Puja) is the second most celebrated Hindu festival in Eastern India, after Durga Puja.

Kali Puja is done to ask the goddess for help in warding off negative influences and for her blessings on achieving success in life’s many endeavors. Red hibiscus flowers, which are thought to be her favorite, are used in the puja, which is carried out at night by devoted followers. She is also provided with the likes of rice, lentils, and sweets, but fish is one of the staples of her diet.

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• Did you know that residents of Gujarat’s Panchmahal region frequently shower one another with fireworks? One of the most distinctive and long-standing Diwali customs in the Panchmahal village of Vejalpur involves the hurling of burning firecrackers toward one another.

During Diwali, some homes in Gujarat leave a Diya lit with ghee burning all night. The excess wax from the diyas is used the next morning to make kajal. Some people think this tradition can bring good fortune to the family. Witness these traditions by booking a taxi from Chiku Cab –the best cab booking app in India.

The Narmada and Baruch districts in Gujarat are home to a sizeable tribal population who celebrate the festival of lights as a symbol of prosperity. A 15-day event is held in their honor,  during which time herbal wood is burned. They say the smoke from burning medicinal wood keeps them well. The belief that “hard work brings prosperity and hard labor requires good health” is symbolized by this practice, which is also performed as part of the special Diwali ceremonies of this culture.

• Bidawad village in Ujjain district celebrates the Govardhan festival on Enadakshi, the day after Diwali. The villagers put flowers on the calves, and then lie on the ground so the cows can trample them. A fast of five days precedes this ritual. The whole town turns out to watch because they think it will convince the gods to hear their prayers and grant all their wishes.
• In Dhami, Himachal Pradesh, a stone-pelting event known as “Pathar Ka Mela” is celebrated as a devotional celebration, and getting hit during the festivities is seen as a good omen. Stone-throwing contests between rival local factions take place annually after Diwali, with the injured parties’ blood being used to decorate a temple’s statue of Kali with tilak.

It was popularly thought that Dhami was a place where human sacrifices were made to the goddess Kali. A queen of the local princely kingdom, however, found the practice offensive and had it banned. As a substitute for human sacrifice, stone pelting was instituted and has continued to this day.

• Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region’s tribal groups celebrate “Diwali” with their own distinctive Diwali rites. First, farmers marry their crops to an idol of Lord Narayana in the fields. Following this, people begin hoarding grains for future use. Livestock owners in the tribal community of Bastar celebrate Diwali with hooch on the first day of the festival. For the duration of the three-day Diwali celebration, farmers and their livestock are showered with flowers, drums are played, and the harvest is worshipped.

Sindhis also refer to Diwali as “Diyari,” although their celebrations are distinct from those of the tribal peoples of Chhattisgarh. During the special Diwali rites, raw milk is used to purify silver and gold coins in honor of the goddess Lakshmi. Then, they take the coins and tap them gently on their teeth while singing “Lakshmi Bayi, danatvaai” after the puja (When Lakshmi arrives,  poverty departs).

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• Kariya Kathi is a ceremony held in Odisha to pay respect to ancestors during the Diwali holiday. During the ritual, devotees’ light jute stems are on fire to send a message to their forefathers. They pray for the favor of their ancestors, who they believe are still around in spirit form after their earthly bodies expired.

• Dhanteras, or Dhanatrayodashi in Marathi, is a day of celebration during Diwali that is unlike any other in the rest of India. On this day, the ladies of Maharashtra light diyas in honor of all the men in their families, wishing them health, happiness, and long life. The Hindu god of death, Lord Yama, is honored by the burning of specially kneaded flour diyas at a festival known in the state as Yamandeepdaan. Search car rental near me and enjoy roaming the streets of Mumbai and Pune in a hassle-free manner.
• Goa’s celebration of the ‘Festival of lights is unlike any other. Diwali is celebrated in Goa with the name Narkasur Chaturdashi. Throughout legend, Narkasur served as the ruler of Goa. Aside from being arrogant and evil, he also had access to extraordinary powers. Lord Krishna killed Narkasur at dawn.

Narkasur effigies are made from scraps of paper, grass, and other materials, then stuffed with fireworks and paraded through the streets of Goa. After that, on the night before Diwali, the men burn the effigy. As such, it is the start of the festival honoring light and the end of the reign of darkness and evil.

• It is customary for people in Karnataka to take an oil bath on the evening of the first day of Diwali. People think that after killing Narakasura, Krishna bathed in oil to remove the blood from his body. Some people believe that covering themselves with coconut oil will wash away their sins. In coastal Karnataka, Diwali is also a day of devotion to King Bali, and this ceremony is known as Balipadyami. As part of the ritual, farmers feast and sing in and around their paddy fields.

Conclusion

Experience these one-of-a-kind Diwali ceremonies by booking a car rental to take you to all these places. Team Chiku Cab wishes everyone A Happy And Prosperous Diwali!

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