Tag: Diwali

Navratri Festival 2013

In the Vedic calendar, immediately following Pitru Paksha, the time for honoring our ancestors, comes a much more joyous celebration. Tomorrow (October 5, 2013)  marks the beginning of the month of Ashwina in Vedic astrology and the first of nine nights of the Indian holiday of Navratri (also spelled Navaratri). The prefix nav- means nine and the […]

Diwali 2012

Today is the festival of Diwali 2012  (dee-vaah-lee) or Deepavali (deep-uh-vaah-lee) – the Indian festival of lights. Deepa means light and avali means a continuous line. Diwali celebrates the return of Lord Rama back home after a 14 year period of exile. The residents of Ayodhya (I-yo-the-yah) celebrated his homecoming by lighting rows and rows […]

New Regimens for a New Year

Today marks the first day of the Indian new year.  Yesterday was the festival of Diwali (dee-vaah-lee) or Deepavali (deep-uh-vaah-lee) – the festival of lights.  Deepa means dharma (sacred duty) and avali means a continuous line. Diwali celebrates the return of Lord Rama back home after a 14 year period of exile. The residents of […]