Festival of lights brightens our lives, drives away darkness

S Vishnu Sharmaa, INN/Chennai, @Svs037

Festival of lights, popularly known as Diwali is celebrated with great fervour across the nation. The special occasion revolves around the idea of driving away the darkness from our lives. Infodea got in touch with the well-known Chennai based astrologer Mahesh Acharya to know more in this regard.

Diwali is a moment when Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess of Wealth arrives in our homes and worshipping her bestows us all that can make our life comfortable, says Mahesh Acharya.

On the astrological lines, festival of lights is a time when three planets Venus, Sun and Moon confluence.

While Venus represents Goddess Lakshmi, Sun and Moon stand for human soul and mind. The merging of these three entities is said to be an ideal time for worshipping Goddess Lakshmi. Traditionally we light a lamp, seeing an owl also is considered auspicious as the bird is said to be the vehicle of Goddess of Wealth.

Speaking on how to Worship Goddess of Wealth Mahesh Acharya says idols of Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha must be placed on an altar after taking up the required cleaning.

Place the kalasam, traditional pot filled with water and cover the perimeter of the mouth of the pot with betel leaves and place a coconut over that.

Place flowers and fruits and then light the lamp filled with ghee or oil.

Lakshmi Ashthotharam or any other stotra related to Goddess of Wealth can be recited. Offering of sweet or any edible item must be done. The coconut must be tied with a red colour thread to cover it and that can be preserved in our home for a period of a year.

Myriad traditions of this country have many versions of Diwali. While celebration in northern part of this nation marks the successful return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after slaying the demon king Ravana, southern part of nation celebrates the festival saluting the slaying of demon king Narakasura. Both of the traditions stand a testimony to victory of good over evil.

There is a custom of cleaning our homes and its surroundings before festival of lights sets in. While the popular notion is lack of cleanliness deters Goddess of Wealth from arriving in our homes, act of cleaning does good to us on the health front.

This is the time when there is a shift in the season, rainy time ends and winter sets in. Rains can clean but also bring in lot of waste, non-removal of that can trigger lot of ailments. Hope this festival brings in lot of good in the lives of us all.