Lord Krishna’s queens were no helpless damsels confined to the palace. They were trained in all battlefield skills and even assisted him in war. It is believed that Satyabhama, Krishna’s wife, accompanied the Lord on the campaign against Narakasura, the demon king of Pragjyotishpur. She assisted him on the battlefield, which resulted in Krishna’s victory on Diwali day.
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Swami Ram Tirth, honoured by millions of Indians, was not only born on the day ofDiwali but also took ‘sanyas’ (renounced the world) and finally took Samadhi (passed on) on this day.
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Swami Dayanand Saraswati, founder of Brahma Samaj, attained supreme liberation on this Day.
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Bhagwan Mahavir, the great Jain saint and prophet, attained ‘Nirvana’ on the day ofDiwali.
Firecrackers are an ancient Chinese invention, which caught the popularity bug, asquickly as fire!
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Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth who is so ardently worshipped on Diwali, doesn’tlike loud noise, liquor, or gambling? Being the Goddess of beauty and peace, she likesa serene environment, not the loud bang of crackers.
As money is just another form of Lakshmi, she doesn’t approve anyone playing withmoney on the day dedicated to her. The peace-loving Goddess also abhors drunken behaviour, dirt, and darkness.
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Diwali does not mean Festival of Lights but ‘Row of Lights.’
Sikhs and Jains also celebrate Diwali.
Typically, Diwali is a five-day festival.
Diwali does not coincide with New Year in South India. People from Tamil Nadu, Andhra and Karnataka celebrate their New Year’s Day in April.
Diwali day is public holiday in Fiji, Singapore, Trinidad and Tobago and festivities are held for about two weeks, including Lakshmi Pooja.