Let there be LIGHT, within !

Rhucha Kulkarni
Oct 30, 2024
4 min read

Updated: Oct 31, 2024

Diwali is a festival that celebrates light and is known as the "Festival of Lights". The name Diwali comes from the Sanskrit words deepa, which means "lamps", and avali, which means "row". It is a time of cheerful glow as we let more light into our lives, by lighting up our homes with decorative lanterns, oil lamps, diyas, and candles. But is Diwali about mere external "lighting up", or is there a deeper meaning - more internally purposeful?

What does Diwali signify?

Diwali symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. It marks several occasions, depending on the location.

· In northern India, Diwali celebrates King Rama's return to Ayodhya after he defeated Ravana by lighting rows of clay lamps.

· Southern India celebrates it as the day that Lord Krishna defeated the demon Narakasura.

· In western India the festival marks the day that Lord Vishnu, sent the demon King Bali to rule the nether world.

· Another story behind the celebrations is the return of Pandavas to Hastinapur, from the Mahabharata.

But whatever be the occasion to celebrate, Diwali holds a deeper meaning for everyone. The lights that we light outside our homes symbolize the inner light that protects from spiritual darkness. As a result, this several days long festival is considered the harbinger of good fortune from outside, and a beacon of positivity from within.

Let’s celebrate Diwali - find the LIGHT within !

A lot of activities lead up to Diwali festival, with people engaging in cleaning their homes, purchasing gold, lighting up one’s home, and celebrating the festive days. How Diwali is celebrated varies across locations, the festival usually consists of different day-wise events - Narak Chaturdashi (Choti Diwali), Lakshmi Pujan (Badi Diwali), Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj.

Here’s relooking at these festive occasions, from a more intrinsic perspective!

· Perform a Great Diwali Cleansing (Cleaning): Cleaning our homes is an intrinsic part of daily Indian household chores, but Diwali calls for something “extra”. We indulge in a deep cleaning, reaching into the nooks and crevices, to gather and do away with the long-drawn dust and grime ! When we spend so much time (and often money), on the external cleaning, let’s ask ourselves, “Are we cleaning our internal being?” Internal cleaning is about cleansing one’s thoughts – getting rid of the negative thoughts and replacing them with positive and hopeful thoughts, which are full of light!

· Identify the Narakasura in You (Naraka Chaturdashi or Choti Diwali): While we celebrate Krishna’s destruction of Narakasura by ‘killing’ make-believe idols, perhaps it is time to address the Narkasur within us! Known to terrorize both humans and Gods, can we pause and reflect, “Who are the demons within us?” What are our thoughts, emotions and behaviors, and reactions that are not serving us right? What habits are causing us more harm than good? And much more to reflect, and ‘kill’.

· Invoke a Prosperity Mindset (Lakshmi Pujan or Badi Diwali): Homes come to life as we welcome Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of Prosperity and seek her blessings. It is about time we invoke prosperity, in the right sense, into our souls! We can begin by asking ourselves, “How does prosperity look to you, how can I invoke it?”. Clearly defining what prosperity means will help manifest the positive thoughts and actions to bring it to life. Diwali is an auspicious time to invoke the right mindset for prosperity and growth.

· Acknowledge your Acts of Courage (Gowardhan Puja or Annakut): The day following Diwali commemorates Lord Krishna’s act of lifting the Govardhan Hill to protect the inhabitants of Vrindavan from torrential rains. This is a celebration of an act of valor. When we relook at this event from an inside-out lens, it is perhaps about acknowledging and celebrating our actions of courage and appreciating ourselves. Let’s reflect, “At what instances did show courage and move mountains?”. Reminding oneself of one’s positive achievements through tough times through self-talk and journaling is a powerful tool to increase self-belief, self-trust, and self-confidence.

· Show Compassion to your Support System (Bhai Dooj): This day honors the bond between brothers and sisters, it is believed to celebrate the bond between Lord Krishna and his sister Subhadra, and also Lord Yama, the god of death, who visited his sister Yamuna. Brothers and sisters visit each other to share affection and love, and pray for each other’s wellbeing. This is the time to look from inwards to outwards; to extend compassion and kindness for those who hold our hands on our journeys. Ask yourself, “How are you thankful for the people in your life?”. Research*2 by Ed Diener and Martin Seligman proves that connecting with others in a meaningful way helps us enjoy better mental and physical health and speeds up recovery from disease. So, what better day to start tapping into the Compassion bucket and harnessing emotional wellbeing benefits?

Nowadays, Deepawali may have taken on the form of more ‘external activities – lots of social gathering, gifting, decking up and decorating, shopping, etc. What is important to remember amidst all this glitz and glitter, is the core essence of the festival by turning inwards…

Let’s celebrate the Victory of the Light Within, and overcome the darkness Within…

Only when we kindle our “Light Within”, can we radiate powerful Glow outside!