Tamil deewali

The festival of Diwali is celebrated with great enthusiasm and joy across all states of India. In North India, the festival commemorates the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after completing his exile, when the people of Ayodhya welcomed him by lighting oil lamps. This is how the festival of Diwali began. However, each region has its own unique traditions and rituals for celebrating this festival.

In Tamil Nadu, the celebration of Diwali is somewhat different compared to other states. Here, the festival is primarily observed on the day of Naraka Chaturdashi. According to Tamil beliefs, it is on this day that Lord Krishna defeated the demon Narakasura. The victory of Lord Krishna symbolizes the triumph of good over evil, and in this spirit, people celebrate Diwali with great joy and festivity.

How Diwali is Celebrated in Tamil Nadu

In different regions of India, the festival of Diwali is celebrated according to various customs and traditions. In Tamil Nadu, people celebrate their Diwali one day before the main Diwali, meaning that on the day when people in North India observe Choti Diwali, the Tamilians celebrate their main Diwali. Similar to North India, the people here also decorate their homes with rangoli.

During the Diwali festivities in Tamil Nadu, people take an oil bath (adding oil to water) before sunrise. This oil bath is regarded as equivalent to a holy dip in the Ganges, as the oil symbolizes the washing away of negative qualities like pride and jealousy. After bathing, everyone wears new clothes and collectively participates in prayers and rituals at home. They light clay lamps to ward off evil spirits. Firecrackers are also burst to celebrate the victory of good over evil, and people joyfully exchange sweets with one another.

In North India, Diwali is celebrated to commemorate Lord Rama's return from exile and to welcome him, while in Tamil Nadu and other parts of South India, it is celebrated in honor of Lord Krishna's victory over the demon Narakasura.

Why Diwali is Celebrated on Naraka Chaturdashi in Tamil Nadu

The demon Narakasura was extremely cruel and terrifying. His reign of terror was growing by the day. His tyranny had escalated to such an extent that he had seized the umbrella of Lord Varuna, the earrings of Mother Aditi, and the abode of the deities located on Mount Meru. After Narakasura usurped the deities' place, Indra, the king of the gods, came to Dwarka and began to recount the demon's heinous deeds to Lord Krishna, praying for his intervention to destroy the demon.

Seeing the deities in such distress, Lord Krishna reassured Indra that he would indeed slay Narakasura and restore the lost honor of the gods.

Saying this, Lord Krishna set out towards the capital of Narakasura, Pragjyotishpur, riding on Garuda with his beloved wife, Satyabhama. Entering the capital of Narakasura was extremely difficult because he had fortified his city with mountain barricades, a circle of weapons, and a moat filled with water. However, Lord Krishna breached all of his defenses and security.

Hearing the thunderous sound of Lord Krishna's Panchajanya conch, the guards of Narakasura, who were fearsome demons, were awakened and rushed to attack Krishna. Yet, none could withstand the power of Lord Krishna, and one by one, they were defeated and killed. When Narakasura learned of this, he became extremely enraged and came forth to battle Lord Krishna himself.

A fierce battle broke out between Lord Krishna and Narakasura. Every weapon the soldiers of Narakasura hurled at Lord Krishna was cut down by his sharp arrows. During the battle, Lord Krishna was mounted on Garuda, who was striking the elephants and horses with his beak, wings, and claws. The elephants and horses, in pain from Garuda’s attacks, began to flee in all directions. Wounded by Lord Krishna’s strikes, the soldiers retreated into the city.

Now, Narakasura stood alone on the battlefield before Lord Krishna. Seeing his army fleeing, Narakasura became extremely enraged and charged at Krishna with great speed to attack. However, Lord Krishna used his discus to behead Narakasura and freed the sixteen thousand princesses imprisoned in the demon’s palace.

Thus, Lord Krishna vanquished Narakasura, eradicating evil. In Tamil culture, it is believed that on the Chaturdashi of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Kartik, Lord Krishna killed the demon Narakasura, symbolizing the victory of good over evil. Therefore, the people here celebrate the festival of Diwali with great joy and enthusiasm on Naraka Chaturdashi.

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