In India, the land of copious Gods and high-spirited religions, what is valued the most since the very foundation of this society is the proximity with one’s family and worshipping is not just limited to the predefined Gods but it goes to the extent of praising all the earthly and celestial bodies, be it trees or rivers or mountains or the moon or the sun or even the planets. Worshipping the Almighty with love and joy along with all family members on a pre-set day is a way Indian festivals are celebrated.

The essence of a festival or any celebration is to be with one’s family and feel privileged for all that one has. And when it comes to festivals, there is always one coming up at any given point of time during the year. One such festival is Diwali. It is not just a one-day festival, but it is a five days festival. The date varies according to the Hindu calendar but tentatively it falls between mid-Octobers to mid-November. Diwali is a celebration of light triumphing over darkness. Each of the 5 days has an interesting history and a very special ritual behind it. Now, amidst lavishly lightened up and decorated houses and sounds of distant firecrackers bursting, let’s get into the significance of these five days.

1. Dhanteras

Dhanteras, also known as Dhanatrayodashi and Dhanvantari Trayodashi, is the first day that marks the festival of Diwali. As we know the Hindu calendar follows the phases of the moon, so accordingly there are 2 phases of 15 days in a month of the Hindu calendar and the festival of Diwali starts on the 13th day of the last phase of the last month of the Hindu calendar, the day is called “Dhanteras” which literally means wealth “Dhan” and thirteen “teras”. People worship Goddess Lakshmi for a prosperous life and well being on Dhanteras. Lord Kuber is also worshipped on Dhanteras as he is considered a treasurer of wealth and bestower of riches, along with Goddess Lakshmi. On this day apart from Lakshmi pooja, there is a tradition of cleaning the house and purifying it by lighting up diyas and especially lighting up a diya in front of the plant of Tulsi (Basil) in one’s house. Dhanteras is considered as the most auspicious day to buy gold and silver jewellery or new utensils on this day.

2. Chhoti Diwali

After that, there comes “Choti Diwali” which is the day prior to Diwali in some parts it is known as “Kalichaudas” but in most of the Indian states, it is termed as “Choti Diwali” or “Narak-Chaturdashi”. The 14th day of the lunar calendar is celebrated as “Kali Chaudas”, where Kali means dark (eternal) and Chaudas means fourteenth. Devotees worship Goddess Kali on this day. Mahakali is known as a destroyer of all the negative and evil elements. Devotees worshipping Goddess Kali on this day, to get rid of all the negative energies. Also, on this day, people across the country make colourful Rangolis and light up diyas and lanterns. 

3. Diwali

Then comes the day all are waiting for, Diwali. This is the last day of the month of the Hindu calendar. The next day marks the beginning of the New year. Lakshmi pooja is performed on the day of Diwali. This pooja is performed in the evening to invite Goddess Lakshmi at home. Prayers are offered to the Goddess so that the New Year is filled with peace, wealth and prosperity. People celebrate this very special day by bursting crackers and wearing new clothes and visiting friends and relatives. This is the time to celebrate and meet friends and relatives and exchange gifts and sweets. All the houses are decorated marvellously and ingeniously. If one does have the chance to view India on this day from outer-space, it certainly will be a treat to the eyes. 

4. Govardhan Puja / Hindu New Year

On the fourth day of Diwali, i.e after Diwali comes the First day of the first month Hindu calendar. This is the New Year according to the Hindu calendar. In northern Indian states, this day is celebrated as ‘Govardhan pooja’ as lord Krishna saved the villagers of ‘Gokul’ by lifting up the ‘Govardhan’ mountain and defeated Indra. In south India, this day is celebrated as Gudi Padwa, a symbol of love and devotion between the wife and husband.

5. Bhai Dooj

Then the last day, the end of Diwali festival is Bhai Dooj. Bhai Dooj is also called Yama Dwitiya. Bhai Dooj is a celebration of the pious bond between brother and sister. This day is associated with the emotional tale of brother-sister love between Yama and Yami. Yamraj himself blessed the siblings and declared that every brother who greets his sister on this day will have a long life. On this day every brother and sister exchange sweets and sisters apply ‘tika’ on the forehead of their brothers. 

The festival of light is just around the corner and you must be very excited about meeting your relatives and friends, celebrating Diwali with them, new gifts, lip-smacking sweets, delicious snacks, and whatnot. Though last year the situation was very difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But with the help of vaccination and proper precautions this year, the situation is a bit better. And so we all are very excited to celebrate Diwali. But we at justhaat.com request our beloved customer to follow all the COVID-19 guidelines and celebrate the festival of lights with all precautions. 

With Diwali comes a lot of preparations to be done. Decking up the house with lights, planning the menu for guests, shopping for new clothes, home decor things, gifts and much more. But the most important part of gifting your loved one with a token of love is something you would be jumbled up with. You can find n number of items in the world to gift your loved ones and that makes the choice a gift that can stand out of the ordinary ones. Although we will suggest you some of the unique and perfect gifts for your loved ones before that let’s understand why gifting is a tradition in Diwali.

Diwali is a festival that brings each and everyone close to their loved ones regardless of cultural differences & busy schedules and gifting make this a better way to strengthen the relationships. The tradition of gifting has seen a lot of variations over the years. Let’s check out some of the gift ideas for Diwali that are handpicked from different categories.

Let’s check out some of the gift ideas for Diwali that are handpicked from different categories.

• Dry Fruits and Chocolates

Dry fruits and chocolates are the most subtle and perfect gift for Diwali. A box filled with a whole lot of sweetness and love is what this gift feels like. Presentation matters here; you can choose different ways like putting them into a jar and covering it with red velvet or putting it into a box of glass and decorating it from top to bottom. You can also make a hamper filled with dry fruits and chocolates. You can also check our Diwali special premium quality dates stuffed and coated with different chocolate flavour. It's a perfect gift for Diwali.

• Diwali Special Sweets

No festival is complete without sweets aka ‘Kuch meetha hojaye!’ From the young generation to the older generation, everybody loves sweets so, Diwali Sweet hampers are the perfect gift for the sweet lovers. Gift your loved one with traditional Indian sweets such as Kaju Katli, Peda, Milk Cake, Ladoo, Soan Papdi, Mix Mithai etc. 

• Candle Stand

Diwali decoration is all about lights, and your relatives and friends must need a place to put their candles. Let’s help them out by gifting one. While buying a candle stand keep in mind the décor of your relatives’ room and choose some artistic and creative accordingly. You can also make your own candles and gift it. 

• Diwali Pooja items

Everyone does have the Diwali pooja items at home and by gifting the same things you may increase the burden. So, rather than gifting the mainstream items of Diwali pooja, buy something that is different and useful too. A pooja thali decorated with lilies and roses; you can also include the Ganesh and Lakshmi idols, torans, hand-decorated diyas, remade rangoli stencils, etc.

•   Books

What’s better than a book for that one friend who is a bookworm. Just track down the person’s favourite author or genre and gift them accordingly. A book can never be forgotten because with a book you impact a person’s mind and heart.

Though finding a gift is a tricky, confusing, and doubtful process, a little creativity and thoughtfulness can make it untiring and exciting too. Always remember to keep your friends and family members in mind while selecting the gift for each and every one. With these, we hope you might have got the gift ideas for your loved ones.

Diwali is a festival that brings cheers to everyone. You would never want to get short on the shopping list of Diwali and that’s the reason we have a complete collection of Diwali essentials. From a wide variety of sweets to snacks, grocery to household essentials, gifts hampers to pooja essentials, we have it all. Place your order right now at JustHaat.com the Online Indian Grocery Store near you and Grab this Season's Biggest Discounts & Offers!

May the festival of lights fill your life with the glow of happiness and the sparkle of joy. JustHaat.com wishes you and your family a very Happy & Prosperous Diwali!

Have a safe and Happy Diwali!