10 Unique Diwali Rituals in Different Parts of India

Come October, Hindus in India get ready to celebrate the festival of lights, Diwali, or Deepawali. There are colorful lights everywhere, and the busy shopping streets begin to look like fairyland. People also light up their homes with lanterns or diyas (earthen lamps) and fairy lights. Since India is home to many people who follow different religions and speak different languages, each region celebrates Diwali in its own way with its own unique customs.

In North India, Diwali is the day when Lord Rama, his wife Sita, their brother Lakshmana and their faithful companion Hanuman returned to Ayodhya after killing the demon Ravana. On the night they returned, it was a new moon or a new moon, so people lit lamps to light up their homes. People still perform this ritual on the night of Diwali.

But in South India, Hindus celebrate the festival of Diwali as the day on which Lord Krishna killed the demon Narakasura. It is also considered as the wedding day of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi.

Diwali traditions in India are very diverse. But the common thing is that it is a time to rejoice and have a good time.

How is Diwali celebrated in India, which has diverse customs and traditions? Let us know about the Diwali rituals of different communities in India.

1. Worship of Goddess Kali (Eastern India)

In most places, people worship Goddess Lakshmi on the new moon day of Diwali. But in Eastern India, especially in states like West Bengal, Assam and Odisha, people worship Goddess Kali on the new moon day in the month of Kartik by performing Kali Puja. This Puja is also called Shyama Puja and is the second most popular festival in these parts after Durga Puja.

Devotees perform the puja to seek the blessings of the goddess for protection from evil forces, health, wealth, peace and happiness. Devotees perform rituals at night. Devotees offer red hibiscus flowers to the goddess during the puja, as she likes them the most. Other offerings include fish, sweets, rice and lentils.

In West Bengal, the Agambagish, the most respected priest or tantrik of Kali, is worshipped. They meditate in the morgue as part of the worship. They sit in a circle and are surrounded by human skulls, which they collect themselves. They even smell them with their own blood. Such rituals are common in rural areas of West Bengal, especially in places like Hooghly, Howrah and Midnapore.

2. Celebration of the return of Guru Nanak (Punjab)

Sikhs associate Diwali with their fight for freedom. Emperor Jahangir imprisoned the sixth Sikh Guru or Nanak, Guru Hargobind, as he feared the growing popularity and influence of the former. Bandi Chhor Divas is a Sikh festival that commemorates the release of Nanak from the Gwalior Fort. The day coincides with Diwali. Similar to Diwali, Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas by lighting diyas in their homes as well as in Gurdwaras. They also burst crackers, exchange gifts and indulge in feasts.

3. bursting crackers on each other (Gujarat)

People burst firecrackers at each other on the occasion of Diwali in Panchmahal, Gujarat. This unique Diwali ritual takes place in Vejalpur village of Panchmahal and is an age-old tradition.

In some Gujarati homes, people leave the ghee lamp lit overnight. The soot left in the lamps is used the next morning to make kajal which women apply on their eyes. They think it is very auspicious and can bring prosperity.

For tribal residents living in the two provinces of Baruch and Narmada districts of Gujarat, Diwali is associated with good health. Here, it is a 15-day festival, and they burn herbal wood as part of the ritual. They believe that the smoke from this herbal wood can keep them healthy.

4. Govardhan Puja (Madhya Pradesh)

Govardhan Utsav takes place on the next day of Deepawali in Bidavad village of Ujjain district. It is also the day of Inadakshi. Villagers decorate their calves with flowers. Then they lie down on the ground so that the cows can feed on them.

All the people of the village come together to see this sight. They believe that by this ritual the gods will get their prayers answered.

5. Stone Fair (Himachal Pradesh)

It involves stone pelting ceremony, but it is devotional in nature. It takes place in Dhami, Himachal Pradesh. Those who get hit by stones (stones) during the festival are considered lucky. The rituals take place after Diwali. The two factions meet and start throwing stones at each other. The blood of the injured is used to apply tilak on the idol of Goddess Kali in a nearby temple.

In ancient days, human sacrifices were made to Kali at Dhami. But a queen of the local princely state did not like this ritual and banned it. Instead of human sacrifice, people started the ritual of stone pelting as an alternative, and it continues to this day.

6. Marriage of crops (Chhattisgarh)

In the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, the tribal community celebrates ‘Diwali’ as “Diyari”. The rituals are quite unique. The festival begins with a formal wedding of the crops. It takes place in the fields in front of the idol of Lord Narayana. After this people store the grain. On the first day, those who have cattle in Bastar, they are given liquor. During the 3-day Diwali festival, tribals decorate their cattle with flowers and drums. They also worship the harvest as a symbol of Goddess Lakshmi.

Sindhis also celebrate Diwali as “Diyari”, but in a different way from the tribals of Bastar. They worship Lakshmi, and during the ceremony, they use raw milk to purify gold and silver coins. After the puja, they take the coins and pat them gently on their teeth, and sing, “Lakshmi aai, daanat vai” (when Lakshmi comes, poverty goes away).

7. Calling the Ancestors (Odisha)

During Diwali, people in Odisha celebrate the festival of Kauriya Kathi. It is a ritual to honor ancestors. As part of the ceremony, they burn the jute stems to create a fire. This is a sign of calling the ancestors. They then pray for the blessings of their ancestors, who live in heaven after their death on earth.

8. Lighting a lamp for Lord Yama (Maharashtra)

Dhanteras is the first day of Diwali. Its other name is Dhantrayodashi. Usually on this very auspicious day people worship Goddess Lakshmi and Ganesha and buy gold and silver. But in Maharashtra, women light a diya or diya in the name of each male member of the family and wish them a long and prosperous life. The name of this ceremony is Yamandeepdan. Special dough lamps are lit in honor of Yama, the Hindu god of death.

Folklore says that a young prince was destined to die only 4 days after his marriage. But his wife kept him awake that day by lighting a lamp at his door. Yama tried to enter the prince’s room in the form of a snake. But he felt sorry for the young wife who had lit lamps to seek his mercy. Hence that day came to be known as Yamandeepdan. Even today people keep lighting a lamp throughout the night to honor Yama.

Thakar is one of the Scheduled Tribes in the forest areas of Maharashtra. For their Diwali celebrations, they make lamps out of dried pieces of Chibra, a fruit. They use cow dung to light diyas and worship the grain which is placed in a cane basket in the form of Goddess Lakshmi. They also perform folk dances to the beat of the dhol.

9. Burning the effigy of Narakasura (Goa)

In Goa, people celebrate Narakasur Chaturdashi during Diwali. According to mythology, Narakasura was the ruler of Goa. He was wicked, arrogant and possessed of supernatural abilities. Lord Krishna is believed to have killed him just before dawn.

Local people make effigies of Narakasura using waste paper, grass etc and fill them with firecrackers. After parading the effigies in the streets of Goa, they are burnt on the eve of Diwali. It marks the end of the era of darkness and evil. 10. Offering food around paddy fields (Karnataka)

On the first day of Deepawali, Kannada people take oil bath. It is said that after killing Narakasura, Krishna took a bath with oil to clean the blood stains from his body. Devotees also apply coconut oil on their bodies to wash away their sins.

10. Offering food around paddy fields (Karnataka)

In coastal Karnataka, Diwali is an occasion to honor King Bali. The ceremony is Balipadyami. It is an important day for farmers who feed around their paddy fields during the ritual.

Some people gamble on Balipadyami, as it is believed that Shiva and Parvati played dice on this day. Parvati defeated Shiva, while Muruga won the game of dice against Parvati. Then Ganesh defeated Muruga in a game. So on this day the whole family gambles with enthusiasm.

Diwali 2022 begins with Dhanteras on 22 October and ends with Bhai Dooj on 27 October. Lakshmi Puja, the most auspicious day of the 5-day festival, is celebrated on 24 October as Diwali.

On October 24 (Monday), the Muhurta for Deepawali Puja will be held in Chennai from 7.05 pm to 8.12 pm.