The history of Diwali, or to put it correctly, Deepavali, is replete with legends. And these legends are moored to the stories of Hindu religious scriptures, mostly the Purana(s). Though the central theme of all legends point out to the classic truth of the victory of the good over the evils, the mode of their presentation and the characters differ. Likewise the religion itself, the origin of Deepavali is dated back to a period when history was probably not used to be written. Still by some mystery the traditions of this epical celebration continue to be transpired from one century to another. And during this relentless course of journey it has continued to illuminate the path of thousands to attain the ultimate good and complete ecstasy. The epic: According to Ramayana, Diwali commemorates the return of Ram, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and the eldest son of King Dasharath of Ayodhya, from his 14-year exile with Sita and Lakshman after killing the Ravan, a demon king. The people of Ayodhya illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas (oil lamps) and fireworks to celebration of the return of their king. Continuing the story of Rama, this festival commemorates Lord Ram's return to his kingdom Ayodhya after completing his 14-year exile. Twinkling oil lamps or diyas light up every home and firework displays are common all across the country. This celebration took place on the night of the new moon of Ashwin (October-November). The tradition and the timing continued to be followed even these days. But it is just one aspect of this legendary festival. Though the four-day long festival centers round the new moon night, the night of lamps, each of the four days has an interesting story to tell of its own. The Day of Narakchaturdashi: This is actually the pre-Diwali day and the beginning of the four day long festival. The day is associated with the legend of the demon Naraka. This holy day marks the vanquishing of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama. According to Puranas Naraka, the son of Bhudevi, acquired immense power as a blessing from Lord Brahma after a severe penance. He soon unleashed a reign of terror in the kingdom of Kamarupa, harassing the lestial beings with his invincible might. Unable to bear the tyranny of the demon, the celestial beings pleaded with Lord Krishna to save them from his torture. But Naraka could not be easily killed as he had a boon that he could face death only at the hands of his mother Bhudevi. So, Krishna asks his wife Satyabhama, the reincarnation of Bhudevi, to be his charioteer in the battle with Naraka. When Krishna feigns unconsciousness after being hit by an arrow of Naraka, Satyabhama takes the bow and aims the arrow at Naraka and kills him instantly. Later Lord Krishna reminds her of the boon she had sought as Bhudevi. The slaying of the Naraka by Sathyabhama could also be taken to interpret that parents should not hesitate to punish their children when they stray on to the wrong path. The message of Naraka Chaturdasi is that the good of the society should always prevail over one's own personal bonds. This Narakachaturdashi day is dedicated to lights and prayers heralding a future full of joy and laughter.Day of Amavashya: Bali was the king of the nether world and his mighty power had become a threat to the gods. In order to curb his powers Lord Vishnu in the guise of a dwarf - a vaman - visited him and begged him to give him only that much land which he could cover with his three steps. Known for his philanthropy King Bali proudly granted him his wish. That very moment that dwarf transformed himself into the all-powerful Lord Vishnu. With his first step Lord Vishnu covered the entire heaven and with the second step the earth and asked Bali where to keep his third step. Bali offered his head. Putting his foot on his head Vishnu pushed him down to the underworld. At the same time for his generosity Lord Vishnu gave him the lamp of knowledge and allowed him to return to earth once a year to light millions of lamps to dispel the darkness and ignorance and spread the radiance of love and wisdom. Another version is that when Lord Vishnu in the guise of Vaman, sought three feet of land from the very generous king Bali Chakravarthy, Bali had to surrender his head as Vamana had conquered the earth and the sky in His two strides. Lord Vishnu banishes Bali into the nether world of Pathal by keeping his third stride on Bali's head. Later, pleased by his generosity, Lord Vishnu grants him a boon and he in turn requests the Lord to guard his palace at Pathal Loka. Meanwhile, the Goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Lord Vishnu, is unable to bear the separation and her grief affects the functioning of the entire universe. Brahma and Lord Shiva offer themselves as guards and plead with Bali to relieve Vishnu. It is on this day of Amavasya Lord Vishnu returns to his abode and Goddess Lakshmi is delighted. That is the reason it is believed that those who worship Goddess Lakshmi on this day would be bestowed with all the riches. According to another version it was on this day Goddess Lakshmi emerged from Kshira Sagar when the Gods and demons were churning the sagara for Amrutha Bhandam. Padwa: The day following the Amavasya is "Kartik Shuddh Padwa" and it is only on this day that the King Bali would come out of Pathal Loka and rule Bhulok as per the boon given by Lord Vishnu. Hence, it is also known as "Bali Padyami". This day also marks the coronation of King Vikramaditya and Vikaram-Samvat was started from this Padwa day. Govardhan-Puja is also performed in the North on this day. As per Vishnu-Puran the people of Gokul used to celebrate a festival in honor of Lord Indra and worshipped him after the end of every monsoon season but one particular year the young Krishna stopped them from offering prayers to Lord Indra who in terrific anger sent a deluge to submerge Gokul. But Krishna saved his Gokul by lifting up the Govardhan mountain and holding it over the people as an umbrella. Govardhan is a small hillock in Braj, near Mathura and on this day of Diwali people of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar build cowdung hillocks, decorate them with flowers and then worship them. Diwali - the origin Diwali, a diminutive form of Deepavali, etymologically means a row of lights ('Deep'- light and 'Avali'-a row). Hence it is festival of lights. Marked mainly by four days of celebration it certainly illumines the country in its brilliance and brightens all with its joy. Diwali is a pan-Indian festival. It is celebrated on a grand scale in almost all the regions of India and is looked upon mainly as the beginning of New Year. As such the blessings of Lakshmi, the celestial consort of Lord Vishnu, are invoked with prayers. Even people of Indian origin in countries like Kenya, Thailand, Trinidad, Siam, Sri Lanka and Malaya celebrate this festival but in their own ways. Diwali is a time to lit up 'diyas' in and around the house, and kindle the dark, moonless night-sky with dazzling display of fireworks. It is a time for rejoice, time to go berserk. It is also a time to put on new things, time for exchanging gifts and greetings and wishing each other. It is time for the children to seek the blessings of the elderly and for the elderly to bless the children profusely. Diwali is also time of transition from darkness unto light - the light that empowers us to commit ourselves to good deeds and which brings us closer to divinity. And hence it is time to keep at bay all parochial interests and fling open all the doors of our mind so that it is a-washed thoroughly by the lights of joy and righteousness. In each of the simple traditions and rituals at Diwali there is a tale of significance and credo. Apart from the celebration of Rama's return to Ayodhya, historically too, the origin of Diwali can be traced back to ancient India, when it was probably an important harvest festival.Diwali that is the 15th day of the month of Kartik is a holiday and is celebrated with fervor and gaiety. Being a New Year day all financial transactions remain closed on this day. Lord Ganesh, the elephant-headed god, the symbol of auspiciousness and wisdom, is also worshipped in most Hindu homes on this day. In North India on the day of the Diwali the children emerge, scrubbed clean to get into their festive attire, and light up little oil lamps, candles and agarbathis the wherewithal for setting alight crackers and sparklers. On this day there is a traditional practice, specially in Maharashtra, of taking bath before sunrise with oil and "Uptan" (paste) of gram flour and fragrant powders. In South India the day is celebrated in a unique way. People wake up before sunrise prepare blood by mixing Kumkum in oil and after breaking a bitter fruit that represents the head of the demon King that was smashed by Krishna, apply that mixture on their foreheads. Then they have an oil bath using sandalwood paste. The illumination of homes with lights and the skies with firecrackers is an expression of obeisance to the heavenly for the attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace and fame. According to one belief, the sound of fire-crackers are an indication of the joy of the people living on earth, making the gods aware of their plentiful state. Still another possible reason has a more scientific basis: the fumes produced by the crackers kill a lot of insects, found in plenty after the rains. The tradition of gambling on Diwali also has a legend behind it. It is believed that on this day, Goddess Parvati played dice with her husband Lord Shiva and she decreed that whosoever gambled on Diwali night would prosper throughout the ensuing year. Other Traditions: Apart from the epical attributions Diwali is regarded as a pious day for other reasons as well.To the Jain's, Deepavali has an added significance to the great event of Mahaveera attaining the Eternal Bliss of Nirvaana. It is on the same day of Amavasya Swami Dayananda Saraswati, that leonine sanyasin who was one of the first to light the torch of Hindu Renaissance during the last century, passed into Eternity. Swami Ramatirtha who carried the fragrance of the spiritual message of Hindu Dharma to the western world, also passed into eternity. The lights kindled on this day also mark the attempt of their followers to immortalise the sacred memories of those great men who lived to brighten the lives of millions of their fellow beings. The passage of these great men have indeed brought the national-cum-spiritual tradition of Deepavali right up to modern times. Enjoy your fireworks, follow these simple precautions Fireworks have been an integral part of Diwali celebration since long though crackers came to be associated later. While using fireworks, be sure to follow the safety rules below. Remember, common fireworks are explosives and must be handled with care and respect to prevent injury and property damage. Finally do not let your folly mar the mood of the festival. Remember: Each year a number of people across the country suffers burns, loss of eyesight, burst eardrums and other minor or serious injuries sometimes even leading to death, and also property is damaged because of fireworks. Here are some 'do's and don'ts ' of fireworks safety: Do's : Always keep an adult by the side to supervise the use of all fireworks. Check the area before igniting fireworks to be sure all flammable and combustible materials are removed. Follow all safety precautions issued with the fireworks. Use a candle or an agarbathi to ignite the fireworks. They burn without an open flame and provide a greater, safer distance between your hand and the fireworks. Open flames from lighters and matches can cause additional fire hazards. Have a fire extinguisher or bucket of water at hand to extinguish an incipient fire. Also keep burn ointments handy. Have a safe landing zone for aerial fireworks. Consideration must be given to wind direction and the ignitability of everything in the landing zone. Don'ts Never ignite fireworks while holding them. Put them down, then ignite them and walk away. Never confine fireworks being ignited. Don't put fireworks in any container to ignite. Never assume an ignited fireworks, that fails to explode, is safe to approach. Many people have been injured by a delayed explosion. Any malfunctioning fireworks should be abandoned. Never mix anything with the contents of the fireworks or make fireworks at home. Don't put others in danger at your personal risk. Never ignite aerial fireworks where overhead obstructions (trees, eaves, wires, etc.) may interfere with trajectory into open air space. Never ignite aerial fireworks near an opening to a building. An open garage door or window could allow aerial fireworks to fly into the structure and cause a fire. Never use fireworks inside or in a vehicle. Obey the law. Use fireworks outdoors, but not on the public thoroughfare. Light only one item at a time, and put used fireworks in a bucket of water. Keep a fire extinguisher nearby. Read and follow the directions on all fireworks, and never point or throw them at another person Don't let small children handle fireworks; make sure there is adult supervision. Keep your distance from those setting off fireworks. Always read and follow label directions. Have an adult present. Buy from reliable sellers. Use outdoors only. Always have water handy (a garden hose and a bucket). Never experiment or make your own fireworks. Light only one firework at a time. Never re-light a "dud" firework (wait 15 to 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water). Never give fireworks to small children. If necessary, store fireworks in a cool, dry place. Dispose of fireworks properly by soaking them in water and then disposing of them in your trashcan. Never throw or point fireworks at other people. Never carry fireworks in your pocket. Never shoot fireworks in metal or glass containers. For big fireworks the shooter should better wear eye protection and never have any part of the body over the firework. Stay away from illegal explosives. Finally have a safe and happy time of Diwali fireworks. Fireworks & Safety at Diwali CABBAGE 'N CARROT BHUJIA Ingredients : 4 tablespoons oil 1 tablespoon whole black mustard seeds 1 dried red chilli 1 cabbage, finely sliced 350 grams carrots, coarsely grated 1 green chilli, cut into thin strips and seeds removed 1/2 teaspoon sugar 4 tablespoons chopped, fresh coriander 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice Preparation : Heat oil in a frying pan, saute mustard seeds and dried red chilli 1 minute Add cabbage, carrots and green chilli. Reduce heat to low, stir-fry the vegetables for about 30 seconds. Add sugar and coriander, stir fry for another 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add lemon juice. Remove red chilli before serving. VEGETABLE AND POTATO FRITTERS Ingredients : 2 cups (250 grams) chickpea flour (besan) 1/2 cup (60 grams) selfraising flour 2 tablespoons cornflour 3 tablespoons rice flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 large potato, coarsely grated 1 large carrot, coarsely grated 1 large onion, chopped 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric 3 spring onions, finely chopped 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1-1/2 cups (375 ml) oil 1 cup (250 ml) water, approximately Preparation : In a bowl, combine chicpea, self-raising flour, cornflour, rice flour and baking powder. Add potato, carrot, onion, chilli, cumin, turmeric, spring onions, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the oil and enough water to mix to a thick batter. Stand for 5 minutes/ Heat remaining oil in a frying pan over moderate heat. Drop batter, 1 tablespoon at a time, into the oil and fry on both sides until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper. Serve hot, with chutney, chilli sauce or tomato sauce. PAKORAS Ingredients : Use any vegetable you choose such as thinly sliced potato or eggplant, cauliflower broken into florets, spinach leaves, or chopped onion Basic Batter 250 grams chickpea flour (besan) 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder water Preparation : Sift chicpea flour, baking powder, turmeric, coriander and chilli into a bowl. Gradually stir in sufficient water to mix to a thick batter consistency. To make pakoras, dip vegetable pieces into batter, deep fry in moderately heated oil until golden brown, drain on absorbent paper. THATTAI Ingredients : Parboiled Rice - 1/2 kg. Dhalia Split (Pottukadalai) - 200 gm. Coconut Powder - 3 cups Red Chilly - 10 Salt - to taste Gram Dhal - 1 tsp Vegetable Oil - To deep fry Preparation : Soak parboiled rice for 1 hour and grind them along with coconut powder and red chilly into coarse paste. Dough should be thick. Grind dhalia spit into fine powder and sieve. Add dhalia split powder to the rice paste. Soak gram dhal for an hour. Add gram dhal and salt. Knead well. Make small lemon sized balls, flatten them into small rounds using a greased polythene paper and deep fry. Drain and store in an airtight container. NAN KHATAI Ingredients : 150 gms Maida 120 gms Butter 85 gms Powdered sugar 50 gms Fine sooji 1 tsp. Vanilla A few Almonds / cashew nuts Preparation : Cream the butter till it looks like fluffy and light. Add the sugar and mix well. Add vanilla, then add the maida and sooji. Make a smooth dough. Form into small rounds and cut across in the center. Place a piece of cashew nut on the top. Bake on a greased pan at 150 C for about 25-30 Mts. KAJU BARFI Ingredients : 2 cups cashewnuts soaked in water for 2 hours 1 cup powdered sugar 1 tbsp. Ghee 1/2 tsp. cardamom powder Silver Varak for decoration Preparation : Drain and blend the cashew nuts to a fine paste. Use as little water as possible when blending. In a heavy saucepan put sugar and paste. Cook on a medium heat. Keep on stirring continuously till a soft lump is formed. Add ghee and cardamom powder and mix well. Spread on a clean greased work surface. Roll lightly with a rolling pin, to a desired thickness. Apply the silver varak. Cool and cut into diamond shaped burfis. PASTRY POORIS Ingredients : 4 cups (500 grams) plain or wholemeal flour, sifted 120 grams ghee Extra ghee for frying cold water Preparation : Place flour in a bowl, rub in ghee. Add enough water to mix to a soft, pliable dough. Knead until smooth. Cover with a damp cloth for an hour, and then knead again until the dough does not stick to the hands. Roll out thinly, cut out circles in the size required. In the center of each piece, place a quantity of whatever filling you are using. Wet the edge of the pastry all round with water, fold in half, press the edges down. Melt extra ghee in a frying pan, add pooris 1 to 3 at a time, cook on both sides until golden brown. MOTICHUR LADOO Ingredients : 2 cups gram flour (besan) 2 cups clarified butter (ghee) 3/4 cups sugar 2 tbsp. almonds, finely chopped 1/2 tsp. cardamom powder 1/4 tsp. edible saffron color Preparation : Method 1.Mix gram flour with just enough water to make a thick batter. Add color. 2.Heat clarified butter (ghee). Through a sieve, gently place batter drops into the hot ghee. Fry till pink and drain out. 3.Continue till all batter is used. Reserve the fried drops as boondis. 4.Heat sugar with 3/4 cup water and make a sticky syrup of one- thread consistency. 5.Add fried boondis, almonds,cardamom powder and mix well. 6.While still warm, shape the syrup-coated boondis into round ladoos, and leave till dry. BARFI Ingredients : 4 cups (1 litre) milk 1/4 ci[ (60 grams)sugar 1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds 20 grams pistachio nuts 20 grams silvered almonds Preparation : Place milk in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, simmer for 40 minutes or until milk has a porridge-like consistency, stirring frequently. Add sugar, stir over heat until dissolved. Add cardamom, pistachios and almonds. Pour into a greased lamington pan and cool. Cut into diamonds to serve. MOONG DAL HALWA for 2 Ingredients : Moong Dal - 1 cup Milk - 1/2 cup Sugar - 1 cup Saffron - a generous pinch Mawa (Khoya) - 3/4 cup Ghee - 1 cup Almonds (or any nuts) - 10-20 Preparation : Wash and soak the moong dal for 6 hours. Grind coarsely using little water. Set aside. Prepare one string sugar syrup by using 1 cup sugar and 1 1/2 cups of water. Keep aside. Soak saffron in hot milk, crumble mawa (khoya) into fine granules. Blanch almonds in boiling water for 5 minutes. Cool and peel them, slice them. Set aside. Heat ghee in a thick bottomed pan, add the ground moong dal paste. Keep stirring over a low flame till the dal turns brown. Add sugar syrup and saffron milk, stir well till they are thoroughly incorporated and the halwa is dropping consistency. Add mawa and cook till it dissolves. Garnish with sliced almonds. Serve hot. GHATHIA Ingredients : 1/2 kg. Wheat Flour 11/2 cups. Water 1 1/2 tsp. Ajwain 2 tbsp.. Oil Oil for frying As required Salt according to taste Preparation : Method 1.Sieve the wheat flour and rub the oil into it.Then add the salt, Ajwain and mix well. Make a well in the center, add enough water and knead into a stiff dough. Heat oil in a kadhai, to smoking point. Roll out the dough into big size Chapati and cut it into long strips. Now put these long strips into the hot oil. Remove from the oil when crisp and golden brown in color. Drain on tissue paper , cool and store in airtight containers. POTATO SAMOSAS PASTRY Ingredients : 2 cups(500 ml) plain flour 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 30 grams ghee, melted 4 tablespoons plain yoghurt OR POTATO SAMOSAS FILLING Ingredients : 60 grams ghee 1 small onion, chopped 500 grams boiled potatoes, cut into 1 cm cubes 2 green chillies, finely chopped and seeds removed 1 teaspoon garam masala (dried mixture of cinnamon, green cardamom, clove) Oil for deep frying Preparation : To make pastry: Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add ghee and yoghurt, stir until combined. Knead until dough is smooth. To make filling: Melt ghee in a frying pan, saute onion 2 minutes. Add potatoes and chillies, saute 3 minutes. Stir in garam masala, allow to cool. Take walnut-size pieces of dough, roll out on a floured surface, making thin rounds the size of a saucer. Cut in rounds in half, fold each half into a cone shape, seal sides of cone with water and fill with potato mixture. Seal open end with water. Deep fry samosas in moderately hot oil until golden brown, drain on absorbent paper. Diwali is special, and so should be its Recipes. The Pujas apart Diwali is basically celebrated as a New Year day for the Hindus world over. And the customs of wearing new garments and gears and exchanging gifts and greetings have come to be associated with Diwali, probably because of this of New Year celebration. Accordingly most of the traditions of a New Year celebration are all present. The occasion sees the spring-cleaning and white-washing of houses; decorative designs or rangolis are painted on floors and walls to greet the new year. New clothes are bought and family members and relatives gather together to offer prayers, distribute sweets and to light up their homes. In today's world when pressing everyday problems are narrowing down our world of relationships, the celebration of this day has its own importance in continuing to maintain the love between brothers and sisters. Thus Diwali is the day of food-sharing, gift-giving and reaching out to the inner most depths of the hearts. In fact, Diwali on the whole has always been the festival with more social than religious connotations. It is more of a personal, people-oriented festival than anything else, when enmities are forgotten, families and friends meet, enjoy and establish a word of closeness. New Year - gifts and gears