Hojai gears up for Diwali and Kali Puja festivities

HT Correspondent
HOJAI, Oct 21: “The rates of earthen lamps and puja items is a bit high this year as compared to previous year. For 100 earthen lamps one has to pay Rs 130-150,” said Ravi Das, businessman.
“With each day passing, everything is becoming expensive. How are we, the middle-class families, supposed to celebrate the festival?,” said another businessman, Babu Sarma, adding that the government should think about the plight of the middle-class people.
However, price rise has also failed to dampen the spirit of Diwali. In Hojai, Hindu households are gearing up for Diwali and Kali Puja celebrations. The people are busy cleaning, painting, decorating their house, preparing for special puja offerings, purchasing items to prepare delicious dishes during the festivity.
Despite inflation, markets are filled with people who were seen purchasing essential accessories for the festival. This year Dhanteras is on October 22, Narak Chaturdashi or Kali Chaudas or Roop Chaturdashi or Chaudas is on October 23 and Diwali will be celebrated on October 24. A day before Diwali Puja, Hanuman Puja will be performed in some parts of India.
“The day of Hanuman Puja coincides with the day of Kali Chaudas. It is believed that the bad spirits are most powerful during the night of Kali Chaudas. Lord Hanuman, who gives strength to fight evil spirits, is worshipped to seek strength, power and the protection from all sorts of bad spirits,” said Surendra Joshi, noted priest.
“Diwali is celebrated to mark the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after defeating demon Ravana and completing His fourteen years of exile. The devotion and dedication of Hanuman pleased Shri Rama so much that he blessed Hanuman for getting worshipped before him. Hence, people worship God Hanuman a day before Diwali celebrations,” Joshi added.
It is pertinent to mention here, the next of Diwali which is also celebrated as Budhi Diwali, this year there will be partial solar eclipse and anna kuut will be on October 26.
On the other hand, Diwali and Kali Puja usually coincide on the same day, this year Kali Puja is on October 24.
For Kali Puja celebration, the historic Nabhanga Kali Temple is getting ready. Notably, Diwali festivity usually lasts three to four days and is celebrated during the Hindu lunisolar month Kartika (between mid-October and mid-November).
One of the most popular festivals of Hindu, Diwali symbolises the ‘spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance’. The festival is widely associated with Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and Ganesha, the god of wisdom and the remover of obstacles, with many other regional traditions connecting the holiday to Sita and Rama, Vishnu, Krishna, Durga, Shiva, Kali, Hanuman, Kubera, Yama, Yami, Dhanvantari, or Vishvakarman.
Furthermore, it is a celebration of the day when Rama returned to his kingdom in Ayodhya with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana after defeating Ravana in Lanka and serving 14 years of exile.