History of Diwali and Religious Mythology
The traces and clues to the history of Diwali are embedded in different interesting and fascinating legends of Hindumythology that are corroborated by various ancient religious scriptures, such as the Puranas. The festival of Diwali is celebrated for five days in India and each day holds its own importance. The first day of Diwali festivities is known as Dhanteras or Dhantryaodashi, which is celebrated on the 13th day of the month of Ashwin. As per the legend, it is believed that on this day, Dhanvantari - the physician of the gods came out of the ocean with a pot of amrit, while it was being churned by the gods and the demons. This is believed to be a momentous day for the mankind. It is also believed that Goddess Lakshmi also originated from the ocean on this day. Hence, the day is considered very auspicious for financial investments.The mystical history behind the second day of Diwali festivities is also quite interesting. It is said that on this day, Lord Krishna along with his wife Satyabhama, vanquished a demon named Narakasura. The third day of the festivities, known as Deepavali, is the most important day of Diwali celebrations as it involves grand revelry. Hindu mythology traces historic origins of Deepavali back to the great epic Ramayana that narrates the life saga of Lord Rama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. As per this epic, the first Deepavali was celebrated by the people of Ayodhya to commemorate the return of Lord Rama along with his wife Sita and brother Laxman from a 14 year long exile. The fourth day has its own mythological history and commemorates the act of Lord Krishna, in which he picked up a hillock named Govardhan situated near Mathura to protect the villagers from insistent rain.For Sikhs, Diwali is particularly important because it celebrates the release from prison of the sixth guru, Guru Hargobind, and 52 other princes with him, in 1619. The Sikh tradition holds that the Emperor Jahangir had imprisoned Guru Hargobind and 52 princes.The people of Jain faith, this festival carries the essence of spiritual upliftment because it marks the achievement of Nirvana or Moksha by Mahavira, the last Tirthankara.