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It is difficult to state that, since when the festival of Dipavali has been celebrating in its present form. In India, the economy is based on agriculture, this festival was believed to be started as the celebration of 'rituparva' thousands of years ago. By this time the harvest of crops were complete. As a result the people had not to worry about food for the rest of year. This joys of their reflected ion the illumination of countless lamps. In due course of time, numerous historical incidents got connected with this festival. There are many tales in the Puranas related with this festival.
With the evolution of the lifestyle, there has been certain change in the way people celebrate Diwali, as more and more technology has been included, but the zeal and the spirit of celebration remains the same. Earthen lamps may have been replaced with stunning electric illuminations, dress code may have changed, but the custom and tradition of performing puja has been carried very well through generations.
People wake up at the crack of dawn to conduct the customary pujas. Dressed in brilliant silks and glittering gold jewelry families gather and light crackers to usher in the great evening. After a session of bursting crackers, its time to visit friends and relatives. Armed with sweets and savories people meet their near and dear ones. Even today, Diwali is such a wonderful festival, a time of giving and sharing, a time to catch up with people, in other words its time to catch up with the little joys that we keep overlooking for the remaining part of the year.
rangoli may also have come from "rang" (color) + "aavalli" (row), which means row of colors, or from rang+avalli, which means creepers of colors. Basically, Rangoli is the art of drawing images and motifs on the floor and walls of one's home using different color powders. Designed with a beautiful combination of various colors, the Rangoli images create an enchanting piece of art. Basically a floor painting, a rangoli image stands for a sign of welcome. The main purpose of making rangolis in diwali is to welcome Goddess Laxmi, the Goddess of wealth, to individual homes apart from warding off the evil eye. The art of rangoli is known by different names in different regions such as "Rangoli" in Maharashtra, Alpana (in Bengal), and Kolam (in South India). Although Rangoli has its origins in Maharashtra, today it is practiced everywhere. One of the most popular arts among Indian women, rangoli is an age old custom of India, and practiced all over the country.
are also made. Rangolis can be of any size, from the size of a doormat, to the covering an entire room. Though making of a Rangoli is highly dependent on the preferences and skills of the maker, lines are always drawn on one finger movement (rangolis are always drawn with fingers) and frequently, the mapping of the rangoli is done with the help of dots, which are joined to form a pattern, and then the pattern is filled with colors. One important point is that the entire pattern must be an unbroken line, with no gaps to be left anywhere, for evil spirits are believed to enter through such gaps, if they find one. In an expert hand, the images created are elaborate and look as if they are painted. In India, this art is temporary. Each rangoli design generally stays for only a day or two as it is often redone as a part of the daily routine. Certain designs are created on special occasions such as weddings and religious festivals like Diwali.
Rangoli designs are generally based on themes that have been in use through ages. The common rangoli themes are the celestial symbols such as the rising sun, moon, stars, zodiac signs, holy symbols like Om, mangal kalash, swastika, chakra, a lighted Deepak, trident, "shree", lotus etc. Goddess Lakshmi in the lotus symbolizes the figure of renewed life. Other popular themes are natural images like flowers, creepers, trees, fish, birds, elephants, dancing figures, human figures and geometrical figures such as circles, semi-circles, triangles, squares and rectangles. Drawing Diwali rangoli at the entrance door of individual homes is the common sight during Diwali decoration. For this, the footsteps of Goddess Lakshmi entering into the home are designed at the main entrance of the home or near the place of worship, which indicates the entrance of prosperity in the home. This is the special Diwali rangoli for the entrance. It is considered auspicious as it signifies showering of good luck and prosperity on the house and in the family.
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