Happy Diwali

Hi folks!! Its Diwali Time. The time of enjoyment and bonding, in which people celebrate with busting crackers and distributing sweets. The festive season of Hindu calendar is coming to an end with Diwali or Deepavali which starts from Ganesh Chturthi.

This festival is celebrated in Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and adherents of these religions celebrate Diwali as the Festival of Lights as they light diyas—cotton string wicks inserted in small clay pots filled with oil—to signify victory of good over the evil within an individual.


Deepa means light and Avali, meaning a row. It means a row of lights and indeed illumination forms its main attraction.

In Hinduism, across many parts of India and Nepal, it is the homecoming of Rama after a 14-year exile in the forest and his victory over Ravana. In the legend, the people of Ayodhya (the capital of his kingdom) welcomed Rama by lighting rows (avali) of lamps (dĭpa), thus its name: dīpāwali.
In Jainism, Diwali marks the attainment of nirvana by Mahavira on 15 October, 527 BC.

As per Hindu calendar, the five day festival of Diwali is centered on the new moon day that ends the month of Ashwin and begins the month of Kartika, beginning on the 13th day of the dark half of Ashwin (Ashwin 28th) and ending on the 2nd day of the bright half of Kartika (Kartika 2nd). The main day of celebration varies regionally.

Diwali has been significant in Sikhism since the illumination of the town of Amritsar commemorating the return of Guru Har Gobind Ji (1595-1644), the sixth Guru of Sikhism, who was imprisoned along with 52 other Hindu kings at Fort Gwalior by Emperor Jahangir.

The festival is also celebrated by Buddhists in Nepal, a majority-Hindu country.

Yoga & Health

Gandhi Jayanti

Introduction
Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated on 2nd October which is the birth anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, also known as 'Bapu', the father of the nation, all over the country. It is marked as one of the three National Holidays of India.
October 2 is also celebrated as the International Day of Non-Violence.

History
M K Gandhi was born in Porbandar, a small town on the Gujarat coastline, on October 2, 1869.

Celebration

Prayer meeting is held at Rajghat, Gandhi's samadhi in New Delhi. Popular celebration includes prayer meetings, commemorative ceremonies in different cities by colleges, local government institutions and socio-political institutions. Usually, Gandhi's favourite devotional song, Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram is sung in memory of him.

Gandhi ji was a preacher of truth and 'Ahimsa'(non-violence).He started the 'Satyagraha' movement for the Indian freedom struggle. He believed in living a simple life and in 'Swadeshi'. He proved to the world that freedom can be achieved through the path of non-violence. Gandhiji is a symbol of peace and truth.

On this day, the President and Prime Minister, along with other eminent political leaders, pay homage at Raj Ghat - the samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi. All the offices and schools, throughout the country, remain closed on this day.