Wishing you a very happy Diwali from iXiGO!

You can't celebrate Diwali without knowing what each day signifies for traditionally, and this post is set to help you in just that! Bhawna is back to let us know what the traditions and legends are behind each day of celebration.

First day of Diwali

Dhanteras is the first day of Diwali. 'Dhan' refers to wealth; hence, this day is celebrated to worship Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. On this day, obeisance is also paid to Dhanavantri, the doctor of the Gods. This day is also known as Dhantrayodashi or Dhan Teyras. Another name for the first day of Diwali is Yamadeepdan. This name is associated with Yama, the god of death. The sixteen year old son of King Hima was destined to die on this day. However, the devotion of his wife impressed Yama so much that he returned back without taking the Prince's life.

On this day, earthen lamps are lit for ancestors of the family and the lamps are floated down a river or pond. Lamps are also lit at the entrance of a home. Offerings comprising of water, rice, jaggery, vermillion, and flowers are kept for Yama. In South India, this day is known as Asweyuja Bahula Thrayodasi. It is a very auspicious day and every household celebrates by buying silver or gold items. If this is not financially possible, then at least new utensils are purchased.

Second day of Diwali

The second day is called Nakra-Chaturdashi or Choti Diwali falls on the fourteenth day of the month of Kartik. It is on this day that Lord Krishna returns from Pragyotishpur (Nepal) completing a journey where he killed the demon king Narakasur, freed 16,000 daughters of the gods in the king’s harem and reclaimed the Mother Goddess, Aditi’s earrings.
To prove he was victorious in killing the demon, Lord Krishna returned home with the king’s blood smeared on his forehead. To cleanse the blood and restore overall cleanliness, the womenfolk bathed the Lord in scented oils. Since then, the custom of taking bath before sunrise is customary in various parts of India, including Maharashtra.

Third day of Diwali

This day is chalked out for shopping. Markets are piled up with goodies and decorated to the hilt. Every year, there is an array of new things on display. Shopkeepers offer mega Diwali discounts to allure customers.

Firecracker stalls have every conceivable cracker and ‘bomb’, from rockets to sparklers to fire snakes, burning trains and what have you, covered in shiny golden and silver paper, for children and adults alike. Children look forward to their shopping binge primarily for this reason. Hordes of families throng the markets of their towns and villages for the Diwali shopping spree. Clothes are bought for all members of the family.

Buying utensils on dhan teras is also a must, as doing so is considered auspicious. Lamps, candles, festoons, animal-shaped sugar candies, sweets covered with silver foil and packed in bright cardboard boxes, colorful earthen idols of various important gods and goddesses and other things adorn endless rows of shelves. So that makes three days of Diwali celebrations!


With that, we, from iXiGO, wish you a very very happy and prosperous Diwali from our side and make sure you keep watching our logo on Monday to see our special Diwali logo!