Ever Wondered Why Diwali Is Celebrated 20 Days After Dussehra?

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Diwali is a big thing in India! Diwali is not only celebrated in India but it is celebrated even in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Malaysia, Fiji, Guayana, Surinman and recently in the Sindh province of Pakistan.

One among the beliefs, which is related to Diwali is that it signifies the victory of light over darkness, hope over despair, knowledge over ignorance and good over evil.

The celebration of Diwali extends for 5 long days, but the main day of Diwali accidentally coincides by the darkest new moon night. Most of the temples celebrate Diwali by organising maha aartis and lighting the temple with thousands of diyas.

Diwali is one among the most important festivals for the Hindus in India. It starts with Dhanteras, which is followed by Naraka Chaturdasi on the second day.

The third day is celebrated as Diwali, where fireworks are burst by one and all. Forth day is Diwali Padva, which is dedicated to a husband-wife relationship and the festival ends with Bhai-Dooj, a day which is dedicated to brother and sister relationship.

There is a ritual followed where people worship God on the eve of Diwali to bring luck, prosperity, and wealth to the family. Goddess Lakshmi, God Ganesha, God Kubera, Hanuman, Goddess Kali and many other deities are worshipped on this day. People from different states and castes worship the gods and perform pujas in their own way.

One among the popular questions, which everyone is concerned about is why is Diwali celebrated 20 days after Dusshera? Let us give you an answer to this!

Importance Of Dusshera

According to the Hindu beliefs, Dussehra is said to be the auspicious day when Goddess Durga destroyed demon Mahishasura. The festival of Dussehra is celebrated to remember power, courage, and braveness of Goddess Durga. The festival is celebrated for 9 long days, where nine different forms of Durga are worshipped on each day.

Many people keep fasts during Navratri, while a few others celebrate the festival by playing garba, Durga puja, and many other traditions. Dussehra is celebrated in different ways in different states of India.

Importance Of Celebrating Diwali

Diwali is observed exactly after 20 days of Dussehra on the new moon day, typically in the month of October or November. This year, Diwali will be observed on 19th October 2017.

On the day of Diwali, it is believed that Lord Ram won his battle against the demon Ravan, which took place for ten long days.

He returned with his wife - Sita, brother - Lakshman, and Hanuman after 14 years of exile. After Sita was returned to Lord Ram, the celebration took place in Ayodhya in glory and courage of Lord Rama.

Celebration In Ayodhya

To celebrate the return of Lord Rama (the incarnation of Lord Vishnu) to the kingdom after a long period of time, people in Ayodhya celebrated Diwali by bursting fireworks and crackers. On this day, many pandals also enact the drama to show Lord Rama's win against the demon, Ravan.

The Reason Behind Why Diwali Is Celebrated 20 Days After Dussehra

Diwali falls on the last day of the Ashwini month, which is also known as the darkest new moon day. This transition from Dussehra to Diwali typically takes 20 days, when the moon actually starts its waning phase.

Another mythology says that it took 21 days for Lord Rama to walk from Sri Lanka to return to his own kingdom, Ayodhya, along with Sita and the others.

You Can Also Check The Google Maps

If you check the google maps, you would notice that if you travel by car, you may need 82 hours to travel from Sri Lanka to Ayodhya, whereas, the walking time from Ravana's place to Ram's kingdom is said to be of 20-21 days. Well, we're speechless after getting to know about this strange fact.

Wishing everyone a very happy and safe Diwali!