For ages wise people have pondered on the question what is more important wealth or intelligence? People have spent lifetime on searching the answer to this very tricky question.    Both wealth and intelligence have almost similar usages in human life; If not used wisely both can turn out to be destructive. Both are disastrous when used imprudently. Many feel that intelligence always remains with a person which can help in real trouble; but, we have seen numerous examples of intelligent people who are helpless in troubled times without money. Intelligence also wipes out just like the wealth when someone is in real trouble. It only leaves a person left with his empty, dull and wild inner mind.

There is an interesting story why Goddess Laxmi is invoked with Lord Ganesha on Diwali day, read on:

According to the scriptures (scared writings) Goddess Lakshmi grew very proud about her supremacy in wealth and power. While having a conversation with her husband, Lord Vishnu, She kept boasting about herself in terms about her supremacy, claiming that she is the only one worthy of worship. She is the one who bestows everyone with money and wealth. On hearing her non-stop self-praise and boasting, Lord Vishnu felt she needs little humility and modesty and she must get rid of her feeling of superiority. Very calmly, Lord Vishnu said that in spite of having all the qualities, a woman remains incomplete if she does not bear children. Motherhood is the ultimate joy that a woman can experience and since Lakshmi did not have children, she cannot be deemed to be complete. On hearing this Goddess Lakshmi became extremely disillusioned.

With a heavy heart, Goddess Lakshmi went to Goddess Parvati (Lord Shiva’s wife and mother of Ganesha and Kartikeya) to seek help. Since Parvati has two sons, Goddess Laxmi expressed her desire to adopt one of her sons to experience the joy of motherhood. Parvati was reluctant to let Lakshmi adopt her any son because it is known that Lakshmi does not stay in one place for long. Laxmi is fickle by nature; Goddess Paravati felt that how would Goddess Laxmi nurture her son? Whether Laxmi would be able to give time to her child? But, Lakshmi assured Parvati that she would take care of her son in every possible way and bestow him with all the happiness in the universe. Parvati grew sympathetic towards Laxmi, Goddess Parvati let Goddess Laxmi adopt Ganesha as Her son.

Goddess Lakshmi became extremely overjoyed and said that she will bestow Ganesha with all her accomplishments and prosperity. Thereafter, those who worship Lakshmi for wealth must first worship Ganesha to seek her blessings. Those who will worship Lakshmi without Ganesha will not blessed by the Goddess. Hence, Lakshmi is always worshipped along with Ganesha on Diwali.

The rationalization of this story is universal: gaining wealth without intellect will only result in misusing the wealth. So, one must first acquire the intelligence to spend the wealth in the thoughtful and correct manner. Therefore, Lakshmi and Ganesha are worshipped together.

HAPPY DIWALI TO ONE AND ALL!!!

Traditionally, Diwali began as an important harvest festival. But, there are different legends pointing to the origin of Diwali. For some, it is the celebration of the marriage of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, with Lord Vishnu. While, some believe that it is Goddess Laxmi’s birthday, as Lakshmi is said to have been born on the new-moon day of Kartik; Bengalis celebrate it to worship Kali maa who is considered as the black goddess of strength. On the other hand, few people worship Ganesha—the elephant-headed god who is also symbol of auspiciousness and wisdom on Diwali. Some worship Laxmi, Ganesha and Saraswati – Goddess of wisdom. The Jain community celebrate Diwali to worship Lord Mahavira because he attained the eternal bliss of nirvana. For devotees of Rama, he returned to his Kingdome after his 14-year-long exile and killing the demon-king Ravana. So, worshippers of Lord Rama celebrate joy and happiness. In short, Diwali is a festival of Illuminations for travelling from dark to light.

It’s a five days celebration and each day of Diwali has its own significance.

The first day of Diwali is called Dhan Teras (Dhanvantari Triodasi), and it marks the beginning of the Diwali festivities. On this day, Lord Dhanwantari is believed to have come out of the ocean with Ayurveda, the science of medicine, for the benefit of mankind. A huge amount of buying, specifically gold, silver and precious stones, ornaments, new clothes and utensils is done on this day. In Gujarat, this day is religiously held more important than the actual Deepawali day, people worship Lakshmi, Kuber (the Hindu God of riches) and Ganesha Pooja on this day.

The second day Narak Chaturdashi is celebrated to wash off sins which we create knowingly or unknowingly. On this day, you can say sorry to all those whom you have hurt, and also ask for pardon from the Gods. The most important ritual of the Naraka Chaturdashi is, people wake up early in the morning before sunrise, apply ubtan (made up of sesame oil, herbs, flowers as well as some vital elements) on their body and take holy bath which is called Abhyang Snan. This ritual signifies washing away of sins. In this way one can get relief from all past sins.

The third day of Deepawali, marks the worship of Goddess Laxmi.  It is believed that on Laxmi Puja day she is in her most generous mood to fulfil the wishes of her devotees. Amavasya also tells the story of Lord Vishnu who, in his dwarf’s incarnation vanquished the tyrant Bali and banished him to hell. Bali is allowed to return to earth once a year to light millions of lamps and dispel darkness and ignorance while spreading the radiance of love and wisdom.

The fourth day of Diwali is celebrated as Padwa and Govardhan Puja. On this day, Govardhan Pooja is performed. Many thousands of years ago, Lord Krishna saved people from dangerous downpour caused by God Indra. Therefore, people perform Govardhan Pooja. And, Padwa is one of the auspicious days to make beginning of any good work. It is one of the Sade Theen Muhurtha, Three and half days called Sade Teen in Marathi and Muhurat means auspicious time. They are Chaitra Shukla Paksha Padyami (Prathama) – Ugadi / Gud Padwa, Vaisaka Suhkla Paksha Tritiya – Akshaya Tritiya/Akha Teej Aaswayuja (Ashwin) Shukla Paksha Dasami – Vijaya Dasami / Dussera and the Half Muhurat is on this Diwali day Padwa, also called Bali Padyami / Bestu Varsh (Gujarati New Year).

The fifth day of the Diwali is called Bhau Beej, dedicated to brother-sister relation. There is legend that Yamaraja, the Lord of Death, visited His sister – the river Yamuna on this day. He gave Yamuna a boon that whoever visits her on this day shall be liberated from all sins; they will achieve moksha (liberation). From then on, brothers visit their sisters on this day to inquire about their welfare, and many faithful people bathe in the holy waters of the Yamuna River. This day is also known as Bhai Fota among Bengalis, when the sister prays for her brother’s safety, success and well being. This day marks the end of the five days of Diwali celebrations.

Wishing you all A Very Happy Diwali and a Happy New Year!!!

Abundance is a beautiful word; it gives a feeling of completeness. The Universe responds to what we are feeling. Abundance is not related only to money. It is a about feeling of contentedness with all the goodness life has offered. The word abundance encompasses health, relationships, standard of living, profession, entertainment, affection, and status. On Dhanteras Hindus thank Goddess of abundance by doing her pooja.  The festival of Dhanteras falls in the month of Kartik which usually comes in October/November.

This auspicious day is celebrated two days before the festival of lights, the Diwali. Dhanteras holds special significance for the business community due to the customary purchases of precious metals on this day. On Dhanteras, business premises are refurbished and decorated. They are cleaned up; the entrances are decorated with flowers and mango leaves garlands. They are decorated even with motifs, Rangoli designs to welcome the Goddess Laxmi.  Small footprints are sketched with rangoli powder to signify her long-awaited arrival. Oil lamps are lit all through the day and night.

Dhanteras is considered very auspicious by Hindus; they purchase gold or silver articles or at least one or two new utensils. Some people buy large quantity of grains on this day. Gold, silver, metal, grains are considered as “Dhan” wealth and good luck among Hindus. You will hear devotional songs in praise of Goddess Lakshmi in many people’s house on Dhanteras.

Hindus also worship Lord Kuber who is believed to be the treasurer of wealth.  The meaning of the name ‘Kuber’ in Sanskrit is ‘poorly–shaped.’ I am yet to see Lord Kubera’s well shaped statue in any temple; it seems he assists the Goddess of wealth. His name is derived from ‘kumba’ which means ‘to conceal.’ You will see Lord Kubera as fat and dwarf man embedded with lot of jewelry and carrying a bag of gold coins.

On Dhanteras people worship Lakshmi and Kuber together. You will see rush in all jewellery and utensil shops on this day. People wear new clothes, ornaments, perfume as they light the first day of Diwali lamps.

The business community gambles on this day. It is considered lucky and auspicious to play cards on Dhanteras as well as Laxmi Puja. Men and women flock to clubs and friend’s houses to play cards.  It is believed that on playing cards, the goddess of wealth smiles upon the player and ensures her goodwill. Well, the winners can enjoy the windfall and the losers can wait for the next Diwali to come around! It is a festival of gaiety and prosperity. It is also believed by some people that losers are in for some good news. So many players relax and take the game lightly – for the sake of losing!

Dhanteras marks the beginning of Diwali. And, Diwali is a festival of abundance. The festival of Diwali or Deepavali symbolizes the victory of good over evil. The Sanskrit word “Deepavali” means “an assortment of lights.” The lights signify the conquest of brightness over darkness. It is festival to cheer, new beginning, and gathering, giving and receiving.  India is a spiritually oriented country. Spirituality lies in the ethnicity of this country. Therefore, festivity is a part and parcel of Indians. The varieties of festivals are directly linked to its cultural heritage.

Diwali is a festival of abundance; galore of sweets, lights, clothes and gifts.  It is about giving and receiving. We give gifts to our neighbors, friends and relatives to make this festival more special.  Gifts are a great way to express your feelings, love and appreciation. A gift says thousand things without speaking and is a binder in any relationship. Everyone loves to receive gifts from the person they like or love. At the same time, you would also like to express your feelings with the help of this gifts giving custom. Yes, you would agree on that it has become customary to give presents to your near and dear ones on any special occasion or just to make any day an occasion that they would remember when look at that gift.

Friends, abundance begins in the mind. Cultivate the belief of abundance in your life by enjoying each day. Abundance is a feeling of warmth; it is about enjoying each day with your family, each one’s small or big accomplishments, good food, good music, travelling, pursuing your hobby, and entertainment. Abundance is seeing a seedling grow; sprouting of flowers, soaking in rains, soaking in sunlight on a cold day. It is simply a feeling of fulfillment, of being filled with goodness. No matter what you are doing and where you are learn to nurture the feeling of abundance.

WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS DIWALI!!!

The festival is celebrated to enjoy the triumphant return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya, after his voluntary exile of 14 years. The people of Ayodhya welcomed Rama by illuminating the capital with lights. Lord Rama is said to have governed for a long time during which the people were happy and contented. This festival is also celebrated as Lord Krishna killed the demon king Narakaasura; the demon’s mother, Mother Earth, requested that the occasion be celebrated as one of euphoria. Lord Krishna agreed to her wishes and, since then, the celebration has continued with lights, crackers, sweets and festivity.

Diwali brings the light of happiness, togetherness, spiritual enlightenment and prosperity for one and all. The lighting of lamps is a way of paying obeisance to God for attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace, bravery and fame. Crackers are burnt because their sounds kill bad-omens. The festival of Diwali fills the air with a sensation of goodness and a blissful atmosphere. The reality is that this festival denotes festivity to life….it signifies that life is nothing but a festival, because when you are unhappy, you also throw unhappiness all around and when you are happy you spread happiness all around.

People express their cheerfulness by lighting earthen lamps (diyas), people wear new clothes, share sweets, decorate the houses, burst firecrackers and inviting near and dear ones to their homes for participating in their happiness.

The celebration is about fear, anger, jealousy accumulated in your mind in the last one year should get suspended, should get washed away. Hence, people make new resolutions and new beginnings on the eve of Diwali.

Let us pray to the Goddess Laxmi to lead us from untruth to truth, from darkness to light and from death to immortality!!!

Diwali is one of the most auspicious festivals in India; it’s a festival of lights. Diwali has a unique charm of its own; it is known as festival of prosperity. People start preparing for the celebrations well before the start of the festive season. They clean, pain, decorate their homes and prepare exotic dishes to be distributed among the loved ones. The celebration begins with shopping, buying gifts for distribution. It is difficult to imagine celebrating Diwali without thinking about giving or receiving Gifts. Gifting is a major part of the celebration.

In India, Diwali celebration is a time for the corporate to distribute gifts; from micro, small, medium to big corporate houses all believe in gifting their employees, suppliers, consultants, bankers, channel partners etc. It is one of the best times to reward the employees for all their hard work throughout the year: employees get their bonus, this is a very old method of rewarding the employees.

The rich and the poor all celebrate the festival in their own way. One can add a personal touch and, unique ideas while gifting in Diwali. People give gifts because it helps in strengthening relationship; the gifts are a wonderful way to express affection. For some gifting is a way to celebrate the festival, while for others it is a special occasion to let family and friends know that the giver cares for them. In short, people give gifts as a way of showing thoughtfulness, love and affection. When we give gifts, it brings joy or pleasure to the receiver. In addition, giving gifts is something which usually makes us feels good. When shopping for gifts it does not matter whether the gift is small or big, expensive of cheap, the value in terms of love is beyond measure.

Gifting is an art. It shows the gracefulness of the giver and the receiver as well. Giving a handmade gifts indicates that one is willing to put in the time and efforts for the loved ones. It’s just not crafts or painting which can be given as gifts in this category it can also be homemade chocolates and cakes, self-knitted scarves and more. Gifting handicrafts and items from cottage industry shows how much one cares for the artisans and micro industry workers.  I believe people enjoy gifting because they reaps the biggest psychological gains from a gift. The act of giving helps to think of others. When we think of others and put them ahead of ourselves, we reduce our thoughts about ourselves and thereby resting our ego a little bit. Similarly, when we accept gifts with genuine gratitude irrespective of whether we like it or not, we reduce thoughts about ourselves and thereby our ego. This is a spiritual benefit of giving and receiving gifts.

Gifts are given to mark milestones, and Diwali is one of the most auspicious occasion. Diwali also marks the end of harvest season of the year.  This is the time, farmers measure their harvest from their crops. Farmers gratify the mother earth for the plentiful bounty of the year gone by, and hence they share their happiness with everybody else. In fact this is one important reason why they exchange gifts and sweets.

That said this is not the only reason why we gift sweets. Diwali also means start of a new year. It also marks the beginning of a new farming, starting a new year of business. We welcome New Year by firing crackers, wearing new clothes, visiting temples, visiting the friends and relatives and exchanging sweets and gifts.

Wishing a very Happy Diwali and a Prosperous New Year to all regular and wonderful readers on my blog!!!

Covid crisis has dampened the spirit of mankind. Many families have lost their near and dear ones. People are fed up with lockdowns. Time and again, individuals and communities have proved that the worst situations tend to bring out the best in people and the organizations to which they belong. In every moment of darkness, it seems, there are countless moments of light in form of small gestures of compassion and connection that allow people to show who they are, how they want to live, and what matters to them.

Covid 19 is playing hide and seek with nations. Russia is once again grappling with a surge in coronavirus cases. The rate of new daily infections is currently three times higher than what the country was seeing a year ago, despite vaccines now being widely available in the country. USA also is once again witnessing surge in the numbers of cases. Millions of people have lost their jobs. At its basic level, vulnerability is defined as an exposure to a marked decrease in standard of living. It is of special concern when it is prolonged, and when standards of living has fallen below critical thresholds, to a point of deprivation.

While the world is struggling to beat the drabness and dampness, Diwali and Christmas festivities are in air.  As a society, we are dependent on social heritage, which is a mixture of customs, traditions, moral values, attitudes, festivals, folklore, beliefs and ideals not only makes us who we are but binds us to pass it on from one generation to another.

Festivals have both social and economic perspectives. Though Covid has made our planet chaotic and stressful, happiness is overshadowed by negativity and insecurity, the society needs something that can bring positivity. Festivals give us the opportunity to forget all our worries and celebrate the positive side of life, even if it is for a few days.

In the aftermath of the spread of covid-19, consumers have been cutting down on their spending. In its recently released annual report, the RBI pointed out that the shock to consumption is severe, and it will take quite some time to mend and regain the pre-covid-19 momentum. Other than people losing jobs, there have been salary cuts as well as reduced or zero increments. Job offers have been reduced by numbers. The psychology of a recession has set in. Even those individuals who have jobs have seen others get laid off and want to save more for a rainy day. Businesses have also lost their appetite to expand and invest.

Most people are trying to retain some sense of festive spirit during this time of the year. Due to Covid and its after effects, Diwali is not the same. Feeling of sombreness is still persisting deep down. People are making plans to play cards online and even burst crackers online.

Many cities have banned use of firecrackers owing to the increasing levels of air pollution, because the doctors fear that the combined effect of COVID and air pollution can spell havoc for the public. Many people have decided to keep it low key, worried about their elderly parents or young children. While in the given conditions, this may not be all wrong, there are ways we can still celebrate the festival of lights and wish for prosperity and happiness all around the world.

Majority of people want to spend quality time with family and prepare Diwali feasts at home and decorate the house with lights and diyas. People are looking forward to dress up for the occasion and click lots of pictures to share with loved ones. Festivals act like stress relievers and help us balance our emotions. More positivity naturally lowers negativity. It also provides an opportunity to reduce friction and brings estranged friends and relatives together in a bond of love. Nothing brings people together like festivals do.

Wearing the finest of clothes, hopping from one Diwali party to another, personally delivering Diwali greetings to relatives and friends, getting stuck for hours in traffic with the car full of gifts and goodies has been a common Diwali feeling for the past many years. But this year will be different.

Parties haven’t died down completely, but their grandness has reduced to some extent. Many event planners shared that while some people are still hosting parties, the guest list has been trimmed considerably. People are inviting selected few for Diwali parties and are mostly sending Diwali greetings through courier.

Diwali symbolises the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness, Diwali usually falls in the early autumn, coinciding with the new moon, deemed the darkest night of the Hindu lunar calendar. This is why dates change every year.

Wish you all a Happy and Prosperous Diwali!!!