Our Festivals
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Meaning, Significance, Support of Sanatana Dharma
The Hindu calendar, called Panchanga, is filled with so many festivals that it leaves one wondering why there are so many!
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These festivals serve to remind the devotee to stay close to the Goddess, to live with discernment and wisdom, to act according to the principles of Dharma, and to to stay in Truth. In Sanatana Dharma (universal truth and right action) we have many, many beautiful festivals to remind us of these principles.
They help remind us:
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Hey! Hey! Come Back! Don’t go so far away!
Diwali
Diwali is one of the most favored Hindu holidays. The celebration is a reminder to share our love and shine our light on humanity, nature, and the world at large.
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The name "Diwali" is derived from the word deepavali, which means a "row of lights, or lamps."
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On Diwali, we celebrate by lighting lamps and placing them all around the house and temple.The spiritual significance of lighting the lamps is to remind us of the importance of sharing our own Inner Light that is inherent in all of us.
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In India, Diwali is a five day festival, with the third day, which is darkest new-moon night in the Hindu Lunar calendar in the month of Ashwin (October-November), being the most festive. It is on this evening that the Lakshmi Puja is performed and the lamps are left on all night long to invite the Goddess into homes and temples. The specific day is Ashwin, Krishna Paksha, Amavasya.
The Lalita Chandika Temple follows the Bengali tradition where Diwali is preceded by puja to Goddess Kali, who takes away our darkness to make room for the light to shine!
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Celebrants light lamps and candles in memory of the departed ancestors. Then, Goddess Kali is worshiped. In some places Kali is worshiped all night long!
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Let's take this time to dissolve our darkness and increase our higher intellect. This is what is meant by the victory of good over evil.