festival of diwali....

People do worship of God Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi for getting wealth and prosperity in their life. They perform puja on main Diwali with lots of rituals. After puja, they get involved in the fireworks activities and then distribute gifts to each other among neighbors, family members, friends, offices, etc. People celebrate Dhanteras on first day, Naraka Chaturdasi on second day, Diwali on third day, Diwali Padva on fourth day, and Bhai Dooj on fifth day of the festival. It becomes official holiday in many countries on the day of festival.

Celebration of Diwali with Family without Crackers

Diwali is my favorite festival of the year and I celebrate it with lots of enthusiasm with my family members and friends. Diwali is called as the festival of lights because we celebrate it by lighting lots of diyas and candles. It is a traditional and cultural festival celebrated by each and every Hindu person all over India and abroad. People decorate their houses with lots of candles and small clay oil lamps indicating the victory of good over evil. Family members spend their most of the day time in preparing house (cleaning, decorating, etc) to welcome the festival with grand evening party. Neighbors, family members, and friends gets collected in the evening party and enjoy the party with lots of delicious Indian dishes, dance, music, etc all through the night. Houses look very attractive in white wash, candle lights and rangolis. High pitch music and fireworks makes the celebration more interesting.

People go to their home by taking off from their job, offices and other works; students also book their train around three months ago to easily go to their home on Diwali festival because everyone wants to celebrate this festival with their family members in the home town. People generally enjoy the festival by feasting, bursting crackers and enjoying the dance with family and friends. However, it is prohibited by the doctors to got outside and enjoy firecrackers especially people suffering from lung or heart diseases, hypertension, diabetes, etc. Such people have to knock the doctor’s door because of consuming highly saturated food and sweets in high amount and lack of exercises and pollution caused by crackers in these days.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LIGHTS AND FIRECRACKERS

All of the simple rituals of Diwali have a significance and a story to tell. Homes are illuminated with lights and firecrackers fill the skies as an expression of respect to the heavens for the attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace, and prosperity.

According to one belief, the sound of firecrackers indicates the joy of the people living on earth, making the gods aware of their plentiful state. Still another possible reason has a more scientific basis: the fumes produced by the firecrackers kill many insects and mosquitoes, which are plentiful after the rains.

THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF DIWALI

Beyond the lights, gambling, and fun, Diwali is also a time to reflect on life and make changes for the upcoming year. With that, there are a number of customs that revelers hold dear each year.

Give and Forgive. It is common practice that everyone forgets and forgives the wrongs done by others during Diwali. There is an air of freedom, festivity, and friendliness everywhere.

Rise and Shine. Waking up during the Brahmamuhurta (at 4 a.m. or 1 1/2 hours before sunrise) is a great blessing from the standpoint of health, ethical discipline, efficiency in work, and spiritual advancement. It is on Deepawali that everyone wakes up early in the morning. The sages who instituted this custom must have cherished the hope that their descendants would realize its benefits and make it a regular habit in their lives.

Unite and Unify. Diwali is a great unifying force and it can soften even the hardest of hearts. It is a time when you will find people mingling about in joy and embracing one another with love.

Those with keen inner spiritual ears will clearly hear the voice of the sages, "O Children of God unite, and love all". The vibrations produced by the greetings of love, which fill the atmosphere, are powerful. When the heart has considerably hardened, only a continuous celebration of Deepavali can rekindle the urgent need of turning away from the ruinous path of hatred.

Prosper and Progress. On this day, Hindu merchants in North India open their new account books and pray for success and prosperity during the coming year. Everyone buys new clothes for the family. Employers, too, purchase new clothes for their employees.

Homes are cleaned and decorated by day and illuminated by night with earthen oil lamps. The best and finest illuminations can be seen in Bombay and Amritsar. The famous Golden Temple at Amritsar is lit in the evening with thousands of lamps placed all over the steps of the big tank.

This festival instills charity in the hearts of people and good deeds are performed everywhere.

This includes Govardhan Puja, a celebration by Vaishnavites on the fourth day of Diwali. On this day, they feed the poor on a most incredible scale.

Illuminate Your Inner Self. The lights of Diwali also signify a time of inner illumination. Hindus believe that the light of lights is the one that steadily shines in the chamber of the heart. Sitting quietly and fixing the mind on this supreme light illuminates the soul. It is an opportunity to cultivate and enjoy eternal bliss.

Avoid Cracker Pollution this Diwali

Try to avoid cracker pollution this Diwali. Lighting those red 'ladi' string bombs and other smoke-emanating fireworks may seem exciting, but are a host of illness triggers. When these crackers are burst, the air gets charged with partially combusted low volatile organic compounds which remain suspended in the atmosphere for several days. This is deadly for not just asthmatics, but causes breathing difficulties in anyone, warn experts.

Poisonous to the lungs
During this time, cases of asthma or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) actually double, informs Dr Prashant Chhajed, chest and respiratory disease specialist. "Several crackers have multiple toxic compounds like copper and cadmium, which stay suspended in the air in dust form. These are respiratory irritants and increase the risk of asthma attacks, bronchitis and symptoms of allergic rhinitis, including sneezing, runny nose and headaches. What is alarming is that the festive time coincides with a cooler weather, which means the prevalent smog will worsen things," he says. He advises people to avoid cracker pollution this Diwali.
These noxious fumes and gases may take long to dissipate, so one can succumb to respiratory issues even during the days after Diwali, cautions pulmonologist, Dr Sujeet Rajan. "In Mumbai, you also have vehicular exhaust that adds to this. We should behave responsibly enough. Besides, Diwali should be about light than noise. If you look at the environment pollution is terms of particulate matters, it's the worst at this point."
He also advises people to avoid cracker pollution this Diwali. "I think more than intensity, it's the duration and quality of the crackers too. Sparklers are not that bad, but certain 'tablets' that wind up like a snake are the worst, as per the Chest Research Foundation, Pune. Thus, anyone with an airway disease can suffer badly with this," he adds.
Causes Eardrum injuries
High velocity crackers cause severe eardrum damage. "This is very common at this time due to sound explosion," says ENT specialist Dr Sanjay Helale. "I get so many cases of people who suffer holes in the eardrums not due to a direct injury, but the intense sound pressure of crackers. It can cause irreparable hearing loss because if nerve is badly damaged, nothing can be done. This also causes an unpleasant ringing sound in the ear and giddiness, which can last anywhere for days to months." He also advises people to avoid cracker pollution this Diwali.