History of Deepavali, History of Diwali – kyunki yeh sirf “festival of lights” nahin hai, yeh India ka sabse purana, sabse layered family story hai. Jaise ghar mein daadi ki kahaani sunte hi pata chalta hai ki har cheez ke peeche koi na koi kissa hai, waise hi Diwali ke har diye ke peeche koi na koi itihaas chhupa hai. Main yahan koi textbook nahin suna raha, bas apne style mein bata raha hun jo maine padha, suna, aur mehsoos kiya.
Diwali ka janam kaise hua – koi ek date nahin, poora timeline hai
History of Deepavali, History of Diwali ko trace karo to pata chalta hai iska origin ek hi din ka kissa nahin, kai saal, kai civilization, kai versions hain. 1000 BCE ke aas-paas ke Vedic time mein log “Ashvina” aur “Kartika” mahino mein harvest festival manate the. Grain store full ho gaya, weather saaf tha, log ne diyon se apne ghar sajaye. Yeh kissa Punjab se lekar Tamil Nadu tak phaila hua tha. Toh technically Diwali ka pehla avatar ek harvest thanksgiving tha. Ab koi bolega “bhai ye to koi solid proof nahin hai” – sahi keh raha hai, isliye main keh raha hun “possible” hai, pakki date nahin mil payi historians ko.
Ram ji wali Diwali – jo school mein sabse zyada padhai gayi
Ayodhya ke Ram ne Raavan ko maara, 14 saal ka vanvaas khatam, log ne 14 din mein pure sheher ko diyon se jagmagaya. Yeh kissa Treta Yug ka hai, jiski koi carbon-dated stamp nahin, lekin kahaani itni strong hai ki North India mein Diwali ka main flavour yahi hai. Dussehra ke exactly 20 din baad Diwali kyon aati hai? Kyunki kahaani ke hisaab se Ram ka Ayodhya pahunchne ka journey time 20 din tha. Maine khud Lucknow ke ek buzurg se suna tha – “beta jab tak Raavan ka pind jal na jaye tab tak diyon ki raunak adhoori thi.” Emotional logic lagta hai, par logon ne believe kar liya, aur festival ban gaya.
South ka naraka chaturdashi angle – ek din pehle kyon jalte hain diyey
History of Deepavali, History of Diwali ka South India ka chapter thoda alag hai. Kerala aur Tamil Nadu mein log Diwali se ek din pehle suraj ugne se phut-phut kar diyey jalate hain. Kyunki unke hisaab se bhagwan Krishna ne Narakasur naam ke asura ko maara tha. Uske upar se 16,000 ladkiyan azad hui thi. Celebration isliye, kyunki darkness ka end hua. North mein hum “Ram-Raavan” karte hain, South mein “Krishna-Narakasur”. Same emotion, different superhero. Mujhe personally yeh version zyada massy lagta hai – ek din pehle firecrackers, aur Diwali wale din naya kapda, mithai, card party. Double holiday, double fun.
Jain aur Sikh calendar mein Diwali ka extra holiday
Jain bhai log kehte hain Bhagwan Mahavir ne Diwali ke din hi moksha paya tha – 527 BCE. Sikh bhai log Bandi Chhor Divas manate hain, Guru Hargobind Sahib ne Jahangir ke jail se 52 rajao ko saath mein chhudaya tha, aur woh din bhi Dussehra+20 din baad aaya. Toh Amritsar ke Golden Temple mein same time diyey jalte hain, bas karan alag hai. Matlab ek hi calendar date pe teen alag communities apna-apna milestone celebrate kar rahi hain. Secularism ka live demo, no PowerPoint needed.
Mughal daur mein Diwali – raja se lekar rank tak
Akbar ne to Diwali ko royal darbar mein celebrate kiya tha, lekin aurangzeb ne patakhe pe ban laga diya tha. Fir bhi log chhup ke jalate rahe. Dilli ke kile ke bahar Chandni Chowk mein traders ne “chhoti Diwali” concept shuru kiya – ek din pehle market band, staff party, halka fireworks. Wahi trend aaj ke corporate Diwali party tak pahuncha hai. History of Deepavali, History of Diwali ka yeh chapter mujhe sabse funny lagta hai – king ne roka, public ne jugaad.
East India Company aur British Raj – Diwali ka angrez makeover
1757 ke baad Calcutta mein British officers ne dekha local log itna karcha kar rahe hain, to unhone “Diwali Bonus” introduce kiya – sirf taaki economy chale. Us time 1 rupee bonus se 100 ana milta tha, usme se 40 ana patakhe, 30 ana mithai, 30 ana new cloth. Aaj ka 1 lakh ka bonus bhi utna hi khatam hota hai – 40% shopping, 30% food, 30% decor. Kuch nahin badla, bas zero badh gaye.
1900s mein print ad ne Diwali ko brand bana diya
Raja Ravi Varma ne 1890s mein laxmi-gaNesh ki calendar painting kari, uske baad 1920 mein ITC ne “Diwali greeting card” launch kiya. Phir 1955 mein Bombay ke Lokmanya Tilak maidan mein pehla public firework show hua, sponsor tha a famous matchstick company. Tab se Laxmi puja ka thali set, gift hamper, LED strip lights – sab market driven ho gaya. History of Deepavali, History of Diwali ka yeh capitalist turn koi bhi purana pandit predict nahin kar paya tha.
NRIs ne Diwali ko global kiya – 1970s se 2000s
Jab pehli bar Southall mein 1973 mein 500 logon ne High Street pe diyey jalaye, local police ne kaha “candle march kya hai?” Aaj wahi Southall Diwali carnival mein 50,000 log aate hain. US mein 2003 se White House Diwali function ho raha hai, lekin 1990s mein to California ke school ne “candle burning hazard” bol ke ban kiya tha. NRIs ne petition diya, court ne kaha “religious freedom”, aur Diwali mainstream ho gayi. Aaj Amazon US pe “Diwali string lights” December tak sell hoti hain, kyunki Christmas decoration mein bhi kaam aati hain. Apna festival, unka profit.
2020 aur uske baad – pandemic ne Diwali ko slow kiya, spirit nahin mara
Lockdown mein patakhe pe ban tha, lekin log ne balcony lighting competition shuru kiya. Mumbai ke Bandra mein ek building ne 5000 diyey ek saath jalaye, drone photo viral hua. History of Deepavali, History of Diwali ka yeh chapter sabko yaad rahega – jab gold shopping nahin hui, to log ne silver coin order kiya online; jab relatives ka ghar nahin ja paye, to Zoom pe collective laxmi puja hui. Lagta hai technology ne tradition ko adapt karwaya, replace nahin kiya.
Kya Diwali sirf Hindu festival hai? – thoda confusion clear karte hain
Technically Diwali ka root Hindu puran mein hai, lehti hui baat yeh hai ki celebration mein koi religion nahin dekhta. Mere ghar ke niche ka Irani bakery wala bhai Diwali ke din special “dry-fruit-soan-papdi” banata hai, uska reason – “bhai log khareedte hain, mera chhutta profit hai.” Simple. Toh jab koi kahe “Diwali sirf Hindu ka hai,” main kehta hun “history dekho, har community ne isey apne colour diya hai.”
Diwali ka carbon footprint – guilt free kaise rahe
Log kehte hain patakhe se pollution hota hai, sahi hain. Lekin 1900s mein to koi eco-friendly cracker tha nahin. Ab green crackers aaye hain, 30% less emission. Plus LED diyey, soy-wax candles, upcycled toran. History of Deepavali, History of Diwali ka future shayad low-decibel aur high-digital ho – VR puja, maybe. Lekin mujhe lagta hai kuch cheezein offline hi achhi lagti hain, jaise maa ke haath ki tilak ki khushboo, wo phone screen pe nahin aayegi.
Personal note – mujhe Diwali kyon pasand hai
Main chhota tha to papa ke saath Diwali eve pe local market jaata tha, 50 rupee ka anaar bomb, 10 rupee ki phuljhadi. Aaj utne mein ek pastry nahin aati. Lekin jab bhi main apne balcony mein ek single diya jalata hun, woh 1998 ki yaad dila deta hai. History of Deepavali, History of Diwali padhne ke baad pata chala ki main akela nahin hun – poore desh ke lakhon logon ke paas woh “first diwali memory” hai. Yeh collective nostalgia hi to asset hai, jiski price tag nahin lagti.
Closing wala part – kuch summary nahin, bas ek line
History of Deepavali, History of Diwali jitna bhi padh lo, asli feel tab aati hai jab ghar wapas ja ke, mummy ke haath ki kachori khaate hue, papa ke saath laxmi bomb phodte hue, aur balcony se padosan aunty ki handmade rangoli dekhte hue ek minute ke liye lagta hai – “waise to yeh festival 5000 saal purana hai, lekin mere liye to kal hi shuru hua tha.”
