
THE FIVE DAYS OF DEEPAVALI The History of Deepavali is replete with legends which are moored to the stories of Hindu religious scriptures, mostly the Puranas. Though the central theme of all legends point out to the classic truth of the victory of the good over evil, the mode of their presentation and the characters differ. Deepavali, being the festival of lights, means lighting the lamp of knowledge within us, to understand and reflect upon the significant purpose of each of the five days of festivities and to bring those thoughts into our day-to-day lives. THE FIRST DAY OF DEEPAVALI – Dhanvantari Triodasi or Dhanteras This day falls on the thirteenth day of the month of Kaartik and two days before Divali. The word ‘Dhan’ means wealth. It is in honor of the great Physician of the Gods and incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Dhanvantari Vaidya, who emerged out of the… Read more