Introduction

Ritual
Hanumanji is offered pujan using oil and sindur.
It is traditional to eat 'vadaa' and items made from 'udad' (lentils)                 on this day. Also known as Deepawali and Deepotsav, this festival occurs on Aso vad 15 (Amaas), the final day of the Hindu year.
               
Origin
There are five stories celebrating this day:

               
1. Lord Krishna vanquished Narkaasur, releasing people from misery.
               
2. Lord Pruthu extracted goodness from the earth.
               
3. During the Samudra Manthan, Lakshmiji emerged from the ocean.
               
4. The Pandavs returned from their forest exile.
               
5. Lord Ramachandra returned to Ayodhya after his victory over Rawan in Lanka.
   In essence people light divas on this day to depict their joy on being released from suffering inflicted by evil elements
             

Rituals

               
• To augur success, those involved in trade and business do pujan of their new ledgers. This is known as Sharda Pujan. In the BAPS Santha's shikharbaddh                   mandirs it is a tradition for sadhus to perform the Vedic Sharda Pujan rituals of the devotees, account books.
               
• People light divas in their homes every evening.
               
• During Diwali it is a tradition in every Hindu home for the housewife to decorate a 'Rangoli' at the entrance or near the doorway, after washing the floor. A Rangoli is an intricate and artistic design or sketch, using colored powder. It represents an auspicious welcome for Lakshmiji who visits people during Diwali to grant wealth.
               
• It has been an annual tradition to light thousands of divas at the "Akshardham" memorial and its parikrama, from Diwali till Labh Pancham, since its                   inauguration in 1992. Every evening people throng to have darshan of this dazzling sight, the only one of its kind in India.
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Sentiments

               
• People forgive and forget misdeeds of the past year and resolve to spend the coming year in peace, harmony, purity and to earn Lakshmi by observing dharma
               
• On this the darkest (moonless) day of the month, people light divas symbolically, praying to the Lord for inner enlightenment.
               
• Diwali is a festival to resolve personal discord and familial conflict, to increase love, unity and harmony in the family and society.
               
• Since our lives are dedicated to God and Guru, we should cultivate deeper love and 'divyabhav' - divine regard for both.
               
• Finally, since we are graced by their infinite love, we should feel fulfilled and content, known as 'purnakampanu'. Therefore we should endeavor to consolidate                   our dharma, gnan, vairagya and bhakti to further receive their                   benediction.
                   
  This is the ultimate sentiment of Diwali, poetically described by Brahmanand Swami - a poet paramhansa of Bhagwan Swaminarayan:                  
                   
  'Raaj maare din din Diwali re, vala maltaa tamane Vanmali re, jiho Giradhari.'
             

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