A Peek through the Curtain into our Festivities
November marks a very important and beautiful occasion in Hindu culture and mythology, widely celebrated all throughout India annually- Diwali, the famous Indian festival of lights! It's that time in the month when the skies are lit up with the joyful bursts of energy, light and colors of firecrackers and sparklers, decorated oil lamps adorn the doorsteps and homes of families echoing with prayers and spirit of family gatherings, and people recount the story of Lord Rama, his devoted wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana and their humble and awaited return to their kingdom of Ayodhya after an arduously long and grueling 14-year exile in the dense forests far away from home. Diwali comes on different Gregorian calendar dates each year, primarily following the Hindu lunisolar calendar, and this year it was on November 8th!
This day marks their homecoming, and people all around the country light oil lamps to welcome them home. The lights also hail the victory of Lord Rama over the tyrannic demon king of Sri Lanka- Ravana, who had abducted Rama's wife when she was alone in the woods in the home they had built for themselves during their exile, when Rama had followed a golden deer that had fascinated Sita so much, and as such had gone to capture it for her.
What they did not know was that the deer was an accomplice of Ravana who had taken that form so as to lure Rama away from their makeshift home, leaving Sita alone and vulnerable, prone to danger and easy to attack. What follows after the abduction is Rama's grief and misery over not protecting her, his alliance with Sugreeva, the king of the monkeys (the vanara army), finding a loyal and loving devotee in Hanuman, the impromptu construction of the floating stone bridge from the tip of the Indian peninsula to Lanka (the Ram Setu, which still exists today) and their war against the kingdom in order to save Sita and bring her back home to Rama. This story is none other than sage Valmiki's Ramayana.
Essentially, Diwali is an occasion reminding us of the triumph of good over evil, and the victory of light over darkness. Though in a broad sense, the story follows this timeline, it is indeed intriguing that every region in India has different regional cultural understandings and significance associated with Diwali, and the story of Rama and Sita has many widely varied contexts and differences, each with its own uniqueness and divinity.
If you look at South Indian interpretations, like in Tamil culture, Diwali commemorates the victory of Lord Krishna over the demon Narakasura, who was said to torment the heavens and the Earth, and Krishna wages war against Narakasura and ultimately ends up slaying him, freeing the world from his poisonous tyranny. Many other versions of the story also point to an interesting detail of Krishna's wife, Satyabhama, going to war with Krishna and also being the one delivering the fatal blow to Narakasura (Naraka Chaturdashi). People begin this auspicious occasion with a traditional oil bath, typically with sesame oil before dawn, as it is believed that the goddess Ganga resides in the water before sunrise, giving this practice its symbolism and ceremonial importance. The rest of the day follows donning new clothes and spending time with family and friends while celebrating with sweets, snacks and firecrackers.
Another interesting take to Diwali is observed in Himalayan culture, in the mountains of Uttarakhand, where surprisingly, Diwali is celebrated 11 days after the country has completed its festivities- they call this Budhi Diwali or Igas Bagwal. The history and folklore behind this time difference is that news of Rama's return to Ayodhya reached these mountains only 11 days later, and this timing has been preserved in their mythology and culture for generations. It is important to know that other villages in the Himalayas also have much more delayed celebrations, and they have their own distinct identities as well. Budhi Diwali has its own unique cultural identity, with people celebrating with local food delicacies and folk songs, and the Bhailo ritual where burning bundles of wood are swung around instead of loud firecrackers in the sky.
It's so wonderful and thought-provoking that one festival has so many different variations, unique interpretations and regional cultural understanding that are celebrated in one country united in diversity. Diwali is one such occasion, one that is not one but a tapestry of stories, illuminated by the hues of each culture to its own. There is so much lesser-known lore about what happens after the main events that the Ramayana depicts. Two years ago, I read a book called The Forest of Enchantments by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, and the book took us through the whole story in Sita's perspective. It mentions a tragic incident after the troupe returned to Ayodhya, and slightly before that too. Sita was made to go through a 'trial of fire', through which she had to establish her purity after her abduction, before Rama could take her with him to Ayodhya, and even after its smooth proceeding and their return to Ayodhya, rumors spread like wildfire about Sita's chastity and how it was supposedly violated by Ravana with Sita's approval. Eventually, caught tightly between his responsibilities as a king and a husband to Sita, Rama exiles pregnant Sita away from the kingdom, after which with a heart heavy with the burden of being betrayed and turned away by away her own husband whom she believed would protect her before anything else, be it even his ego. Eventually, she finds refuge in Valmiki's ashram, which becomes the birthplace of her children, Lava and Kusha.
There is a lot of debate around whether the later part of the story including Sita's banishment and later life was included in the original ancient narrative of the Ramayana, or if these were later additions to the tale, or if this part of the story is indeed true. However, it also reminds us that these eternally living stories that have been preserved across centuries may have gone through many different adaptations and interpretations over time, and perhaps, the images of the gods and goddesses we have created may have more to them than meets the eye. Diwali is one of those times to cherish in harmony the many multitudes of perspectives and storytelling of our oldest texts and mythology. It's amazing how the histories and folklore behind our cultural festivities have so many different shades, some of which may still be waiting to be discovered, isn't it?
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