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(])iwafi or (])eepawafi is a one of the major Indian festivaL (])iwafi comes from the Sansk.rit wora Ii(])eepavafi" which mean ({jlrray of fights ". ({(])eepawafi" can 6e 6rokn in two wordS, (])eepa ana avaif, (])eepa means ({Light of(])harma" ana avai[ means lijl continuous time". In 6usiness, it is 6eginning a new accounting year. rveryone worships goaaess LaR.Jhami ana Lora qanesha on (])iwau. jlccording to another theory it may have originatea as a harvest festivaf, marRjng the Cast harvest of the year 6efore winter. Some part of India, (])ipawafi marR.J the 6eginning of :New rtear.

Legends

0./ (j)iwau

<Many CegendSare associatea with (])iwau. Some of them are as fo[rows: 1. In :Northern India it is the homecoming of 1(ing CJ(amaof jl yoahya after a 14-year e:>.jCe the forest. crhepeopCe of jlyoahya (the capita[ of his in Rjngaom) weCcomeaCJ(ama 6y fighting rows (avafi) of Camps (aeepa), thus its name, (])eepawafi, or simp{y shortenea as (])iwau.
2. Southern India marR.J it as the aay LoraXjishna

aefeatea the aemon

:Nara~sura.
3.

In western India it is aCsoin honor of the aay 1(ing CBafiwent to ruCethe nether-worY 6y the oraer of 'Vishnu.

4. In eastern India, 1(afi Puja is fight-up night for 1(o[ftata, corresponding

to the festiva[ of (])iwafi (pronouncea (])ipa6afi in CBengafi),where peopCe fight canaCes in memory of the souCs of aepartea ancestors. 1Jie qoaaess 1(afi is worshippea at night on one night auring this festivaL 1Jiis is aCso

a nigfit offireworkJ, witfi [dea[youtfi 6urning sparltfers ana crackrs tfirougfiout tfie nigfit

(j)iwafi is ceCe6ratedfor five days:

(j)fiantfieras or (j)fiantraoaasfii Jrarakffiaturaasfiiorcfioti(j)iwau LakJfimi Pooja , qoverafian Pooja ana jlnnaltut, rBfiaiya (j)fioof

(j)fiantfieras
erliefirst day of (j)iwafi is ca{fed (j)lianteras. erlie word Wlianteras' -'dlian' wea{tli) and 'teras' tlie 13tli day on wliicli wea{tli in tlie form of go[d' or si{ve~ coins are worsliipped'. CBefore(j)liantrayodaslii peopfe cfean tlieir liouses from top to 60ttom and mak 6eautifu{ designs on tlie ground ca{fed 'rangofi'~ erliewomen prepare liofiday sweets and savory foods. CBefieving tliis day to 6e auspicious) women purcliase some go[d' or siever or at feast one or two new utensifs. erlie liouses are usua{ry cfeaned; waslied and may6e even painted'. On tliis auspicious day peopfe worsliip Lord qaneslia and offer liim variety of Ladoo. '!:]3liajans"-devotiona{songs- in praise of Lord qaneslia are sung. }l notlier {egend is on tliis day tlie deatli god rtamaraj is worsliipped'. rtama peopfe mak f{our diyas} to figlit in front of tlieir liouse.

1Varakchaturcfashi
Cfioti (j)iwafi or Cfiatunfasfii. It is tfiefourteentfi {unar aay (tfiitfii) of tfie aarft fortnigfit of tfie montfi of 1(artift ana tfie eve of(j)iwaCi. On tfiis aay Lora 1(risfina aestroyea tfie aerflOn:Naral?Slsurana maae tfie worU free from fear. On tfiis aay it is tradltiona{ to waRs up earCyana perform tfie 6atfiing rituaL jl paste of gram f{our, turmeric, utfiana, oi{ ana armona paste is ru66ea on to tfie weary arms, fegs ana 60ay of tfiefa miCymem6ers.

:Nara(asur was a wicRsa kjng. Jiis am6ition was tfiat no one sfiou{a ever aefeat fiim. So fie turnea fiis capita{ into afortress. Wfien 1(risfina fieara a60ut tfie wicRsa aeeas of:Nara(asur fie aeciaea to aestroy fiim. rBut Satya6fiama, 1(risfina's wife, tooft tfiis tasft upon fierself. 1(risfina wouU onCy 6e fier fieEper.In tfie earCyfiours of tfie 14tfi aay of tfie aar(fiafj of jlsfivin, Satya6fiama kj{fea :Nara(asur ana fi6eratea tfie women from fiis prison. rrfiey went fiome ana expressea tfieir joy 6y figfiting ramps. On tfiis occasion we are reminaea of tfie struggfe 6etween gooaana eviL It signifies tfie victory of gooa over evi{ ana figfit over aarftness. It's important to figfit dlya on outsiae main entry-aoor.

Lakshmi Pooja
%e new moon nignt, ''amavasya'; of jlsnvin, is a 6ig cefe6ration, k,nown as La:(mi Pujan. On tnis day qoddess La[0nmi emergedfrom tne ocean of mi[k, ca[l:edtne 1(sneer Sagar. Sne 6rougnt witn ner, wea[tn and prosperity for mankjnd. %e :New "fear is usnered in witn a specia[ pooja dedicated to La[0nmi. %e new 6usiness year 6egins for nortn Indians. Snopf?sepers and mercnants worsnip tneir account 600[0 and tneir mercnandise, during a ceremony k,nown as 'Cnopda Poojan; worsnip of tne 600[0. La[0nmi is reveredfor sne can 6ring prosperity in tne newyear. On tne dark,new moon nignt, tne entrances to a[[ nomes are fit up witn diyas and decorated witn rangofi patterns to wefcome La[0nmi, tne radiant consort of Visnnu and tne gOddess of wea[tnand [ustre. %is is a[so a time wnen tne new 6usiness year 6egins it is said tnat (J)iwafi is tfie 'rrime to snop or start new ventures'~ Peop[e fignt firecracf?srs. CDresses:CEveryfamiEy mem6erwears traditiona[ outfits, fif?s woman - sari, gir[s - sa[war k,urta or [ananga, 60ys - snerwani, and men - dnoti k,urta.

Pooe!: On (J)iwafi, a typica[ tnafi nas rots of fOOdfor e:(1. Puri - fried 6read made of wneat f[our. 2. Sa6ji - !Mi~d vegeta61:ecurry. 3. 1(ofta - a disn made of paneer. 4. 0:am Curry - yam coof?sd witn garam masa[a. 5. 0:ogurt raita - yogurt witn smarr dumpfing. 6. (J)aiRpn - grated daiRpn witn fime and cni[Ey. 7. Cnutney - coriander witn tomato and cni[Ey. 8. !Mafpua - sweet fried 6read made witn fwur and mi[k, 9. adoo- a sweet made of f[our. 10. (j(asgu[[a- a sweet made of dry mi[Rv

qoverdlian Pooja and .JInnakut

In Vedas on tfiis day Lord Indra) LordVarun and Lord)'lgni etc are worsfiipped on tfiis day. 'Tfiere is a [egend during (j)wapar rtugfi a[[ a60ut it .'Tfiat Lord Indra got angry 6ecause peopfe stopped worsfiipping fiim. So) Sfiri 1(risfina pickd up mount qoverdfian on fiis pinRje. Por )'lnnaltut a mountain of food is decorated sym60fizing qovardfian mountain rifted 6y Lord1(risfina. In qujarat) it is cefe6rated as :New rtea'0 as Vi/tram Samvat starts on tfiis day. Por )'lnnaltut a mountain of fOOd is decorated sym60 fizing qovardfian mountain rifted 6y Lord 1(risfina. )'l[[ tempfes are decorated witfi f[owers) diyas and rangofi. 'Tfiis day) every tempfe offers tfiousands of variety of fOOd to tfieir god: r.Everytfiing is vegetarian) and made even witfiout onion and garfic.

(]3fiai'va (j)fiooia
~ :J

On tfiis aay sisters worsfiip tfie goas for tfieir 6rotfier's prosperous ana fiappy rife. '1Jiis aay is a specia{ aay for 6rotfiers. Sisters usua{fy ao tfie puja) 6efore tfie 6rotfiers reave for tfieir praces of stucfy or worft Tfie ''aarti'' is peiformea 6y waving tfie ramp in front of tfieir 6rotfiers ana tfien appfying tfie "tiral(~ rBrotfiers usua{fy offer generous gifts or money to tfieir sisters. '1Jiis ceremony afso tak.s prace 6etween cousins.

Many years ago) in tfie 'Vedic era) rtama (rtamraj, tfie Lora of aeatfi) visitea fiis sister rtamuna (rtamy ana sfie put tfie auspicious ti{af(on fiisforefiead; tfiey ate ta{k.a ana enjoyea togetfier ana eJ(cfiangea specia{ gifts as a tok.n of tfieir rovefor eacfi otfier ana rtamraj announcea tfiat anyone wfio receives tirakfrom fiis sister on tfiis aay wi{{ never 6e tak.n away. tfien it 6ecame a tradition for tfie 6rotfier to go to fiis sister's fiouse to cere6rate . aauj