Diwali or Deepawali is also known as the Festival of Lights. It is an incredibly large spiritual and very important celebration in India and around the world. It is the festival when families get together and light lamps. Moreover, they follow it with prayers to the divine. Basically, Diwali represents light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.
In the spiritual teachings of ISKCON, it remains significant to illuminate the Supreme Lord Vishnu. He is the source of light and the protector of the universe too.
What is Diwali date in 2024?
Diwali in 2024 is on Thursday, November 1, 2024. In reality, the date changes every year because Diwali is according to the Hindu lunar calendar. The main day of Diwali is known as Amavasya or the new moon and occurs on the 15th day of Kartik month.
This holy day has immense purity and comes just after 20 days of Dussehra. Since it is the day when Lord Rama comes back to Ayodhya after defeating the Demon King Ravana as a significator of divine victory. Lord Rama is an avatar of Shri Krishna. Therefore, Shri Hari’s presence takes precedence in our religious celebrations.
Significance of Diwali
Diwali has a very huge spiritual importance, especially for the devotees of Krishna. It is much beyond than an event to happiness. It is an opportunity to cleanse the soul, seek mercy of Shri Krishna, and invite his grace into our lives.
This tradition of lighting lamps is an ISKCON teaching that shows the soul journey in pursuit of Lord Vishnu. A lamp is merely a desire to remove the darkness of ignorance and fill your life with the light of divine wisdom. So, honour the sustainer and preserver of the universe as the crucial source of this light through Lord Vishnu. His energy is there to protect you from spiritual harm and guide you toward an eternal connection with him.
Story of Diwali
The story of Diwali is deep symbol and full of lessons. This is one the most popular stories of Lord Vishnu, an avatar of Shri Rama. After his 14th year exile, he along with his wife, Sita and brother, Lakshmana returned Ayodhya. It was the time when he defeated the Demon King Ravana, who displayed ego and material desire.
It was a joyous night when Ayodhya’s people lit rows of oil lamps to welcome back their Lord. It marked the return of righteousness and divine love, which had characterized life in this place. This story reminds us how Lord Vishnu protects his devotees and ensures that good triumphs over evil.
How To Celebrate Diwali Spiritually and Religiously
- Offer Prayers to Shri Hari: Begin your Diwali celebrations by offering prayers and reciting Damodarshtakam or chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra. This helps to focus the mind on the Supreme Lord.
- Light Diyas: One light that beautifies every house is an oil lamp. This is taken as a symbol of the soul’s potential desire for enlightenment with the knowledge of the Lord Vishnu. These lights are offered as a mark of devotion and gratitude.
- Charity and Offering: Diwali is the best time to offer charity. ISKCON preaches that service to others pleases Lord Vishnu. Giving food to the poor, making donations in temples, and doing service to other needy people is all done in the light of devotion.
- Fasting and Meditation: Fasting on Diwali day, on the day of Lakshmi Puja, cleanses the body and soul. Meditation on Lord Vishnu takes you further away from the worldly life.
Worshiping Shri Krishna During Diwali
Diwali is way more than time to celebrate. It is an opportunity to deepen our spiritual touch with Lord Vishnu. ISKCON devotees explain that the main essence of Diwali is to connect hearts and minds to the teachings of Lord Vishnu. He is the supreme protector, sustainer, and guide watching all of us. Seeking his blessings on this very special day for peace, prosperity, and protection from all kinds of darkness and material.
The divine characteristics of Lord Vishnu can be meditated through this way and help expand one’s consciousness. As a simple act of kirtana or singing his holy names, especially on the day of Diwali, earns tremendous spiritual merit. Chanting 16 rounds of Shri Hare Krishna Mahamantra:
“Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare,
Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare”
It invokes the presence of Lord Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu.
Rituals and Spiritual Practice During Diwali
Diwali is a festival that is high in rituals and spiritual practices. This all is with an aim of invoking the grace of Lord Vishnu. They remind us that the festival can be nothing but a celebration without being transformed from inside.
1) Lakshmi Puja with Lord Vishnu: On Diwali, while the goddess Lakshmi is worshipped as the consort of Lord Vishnu to get wealth and prosperity. The basic philosophy is that if one is truthful to Lord Vishnu, then one indeed reaps the fruits of true prosperity.
It would be a reminder in the Lakshmi Puja to use the wealth for the service of the Supreme Godhead and his creation. In the act of reciting Vishnu prayers with Lakshmi Puja, the practice is perfectly consistent with devotion to spirituality.
- Diyas (Lamps): It is the lighting of diyas on Diwali that is a great tradition. These lamps are symbolic representations of divine knowledge which remove ignorance from our lives. Each diya shows the eternal light of Lord Vishnu. It guides us through the petty fights and other challenges of life, as expressed in the ISKCON teachings.
- Home and Heart Purification: Cleaning house is a mark of purification not only of the space but also of our hearts and minds for Diwali. It simply suggests that we have to get rid of all the impurities-a false sense of ego, anger, or desires-from our lives. In a way, while we clean our homes during the festival season, we must also purify our hearts to receive the blessings of Lord Vishnu.
- Bhoga-The Offering of Food to Lord Vishnu: With the ‘festival of lights’, it also has the foundation of offering Bhoga to Lord Vishnu before cooking all the food items. ISKCON teaches its followers to make a few special items of bhoga such as sweets, and offer the same to the deity with love and devotion.
This act of giving understands that all the gifts and abundance of life are through Lord Vishnu. By sharing the same with others, we are glorifying his presence in every concern of life.
- Donation: Charity on Diwali makes the soul more powerful. It does not mean just donating, but a method of worship that expresses devotion and self-control. It allows everybody to know of one’s ability to make spiritual progress. As it helps us forget material things and serve the divine. Giving to temples, feeding hungry people, or helping others who need it are ways of distributing God’s grace to the world.
Conclusion
In the ISKCON tradition, Diwali is something more than rituals and festivities. It is an opportunity for the devotees to immerse themselves within the love and grace of Lord Vishnu. Lighting lamps, offering prayers, and donations can really deepen our connection to the Supreme Godhead.
Let us remember that it is to seek the blessing of Lord Vishnu and surrender to his divine will. It makes the true light of Diwali and not in the lamps we have lit, but in the divine wisdom and love that Lord Vishnu brings into our lives.
Wish you a Diwali when Lord Vishnu comes closer to your life and makes his ultimate guide on your spiritual path.
