changeadminDiwali or Deepawali means a series of lighted lamps.
The Festival of Lights is one of the most celebrated festivals in India. Diwali’s significance varies throughout India and is associated with various traditions, symbolism, and deities.
The festival is spread across five days, each day having its cultural and religious significance. People welcome the festival with enthusiastic gestures, and like most festivals, the preparations start many days, if not months, before the actual date.
Lights, crackers, shopping, delicious food, sweets, rituals, and ceremonies fill the surroundings of every household with a touch of minimalism, sustainability, and environmental care.
Diwali Cleanliness and Prosperity go together.
The most important aspect of Diwali preparation is house cleaning. Diwali usually comes in October or November, meaning the monsoons would have ended, leaving things a little moist, mushy, and insect-laden.
Therefore, pre-Diwali cleaning is a part of the Diwali ritual across India as a way to spruce up homes and surroundings. Moreover, it is believed that Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, blesses houses that are kept clean, tidy, and uncluttered, which gives an extra enthusiasm for house cleaning.
In addition, Diwali is also an opportunity for people to look at their storage space, leave their love affair with unused items, and make space. Cleaning homes and letting go of unused, broken, or unnecessary items is seen as a symbolic act of purifying one’s life, inviting abundance and new beginnings.
Many houses in India take their old and unused items, like electronic waste, plastic bottles, old newspapers, and cardboard boxes, from their store and sell them for recycling to a local Kabariwala.
Additionally, donating old or unused clothes during Diwali has become a meaningful act of charity and sustainability, rooted in both spiritual beliefs of giving (dāna) and the modern call for social responsibility. It blends ancient values of compassion with climate-conscious living and environmentalism.
Upcycle and Decorations
To add to the charm and festival spirit, people decorate their houses with lanterns, lamps, flowers, and other paraphernalia, often created by reusing old and unused materials like plastic bottles, glass bottles, cardboard boxes, and coloured papers.
Dhanteras, a day to buy a Broomstick
Dhanteras is the first day of the five-day festivities. According to beliefs, this day is dedicated to Lord Dhanvantari, who is revered as the god of health and Ayurveda.
It is also considered a day to make new and valuable purchases, such as gold, silver, idols, utensils, cars, and electronic items, as it brings luck and prosperity.
Believe it or not, buying a broomstick is also considered auspicious on Dhanteras. Buying a broom is a well-rooted custom in Indian tradition with deep symbolic meaning. The broom represents cleanliness, purification, and the removal of negativity or poverty from the home.
It is a symbolic gesture of starting the year with a cleaner lifestyle and a clean house. If you clean your home on this day, prosperity walks in, so buying a broomstick becomes very important.
On Dhanteras, purchasing a new broom is also believed to help get rid of financial troubles and bring happiness, as clean and uncluttered homes are thought to attract prosperity and the goddess’s presence.
Brooms made from natural materials such as palm leaves and bamboo are readily available in the local markets. While modern brooms often incorporate plastic components or synthetic fibres, traditional recipes emphasise renewability, handcrafting, and minimal environmental impact.
Respecting Tulasi Plants (synonym Ocimum sanctum, commonly known as basil)
The Tulasi plant is sacred in Hindu belief and holds great significance in Indian homes. Hindus regard it as an earthly manifestation of the goddess Tulsi; she is viewed as the avatar of the goddess Lakshmi
Generally kept at the house’s entrance or the central courtyard, the plant is said to have excellent medical and spiritual healing properties.
On the third day of the festival, the main Diwali, Lord Ganesh and Lakshmi are worshipped as part of Hindu customs.
After completing the rituals, praying in front of the Tulasi plant is extremely important on Diwali day. Applying a tilak and lighting a lamp in front of the plant evokes positive energies and removes negativities.
Additionally, consuming plant leaves is considered to have innumerable health benefits. The leaves can be taken alongside sweet offerings.
Prayer for the Mountain and Cow
The fourth day of the festival is called Govardhan Puja, which has two special significances related to biodiversity.
First, it commemorates the incident where Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan Hill to provide shelter from heavy rains that fell upon the villagers of his town.
Second, the day celebrates cows, which is also related to Lord Krishna, who used to call himself Gopal, the one who raises calves.
Cows and bulls graze on the grass on the mountain and provide milk to the people. Hence, it is a reason for people to celebrate nature, for providing all the necessary things required for sustaining life.
Devotees worship Govardhan Hill, symbolically made using cow dung and decorated with flowers. People also offer to pay respect to the cows for being a food source and helping in agriculture.
Diwali is an occasion to celebrate Mother Nature.
While buying new items and decorations is widely practised for Diwali, the festival also places equal emphasis on renewal through release, showing that the true spirit of Diwali is about clearing space for light, positivity, and purposeful living, deeply resonant with the values of minimalism.
Additionally, the festival is a momentous occasion that marks the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil. In the times we live, climate change and environmental destruction are some of the worst evils societies face; let us all strive for a safe environment, a decluttered lifestyle, and respect for Mother Nature.
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