Diwali Gifts to India

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Shubh Deepavali Thali

Shubh Deepavali ThaliPrice : Rs 300.00
Product Description:
  • A reusable red satin tray containing all time favourite Pure Kaju, Kesari Katlis and a traditional Diya.
  • This comes with a Free Silver Plated Lakshmi Ganesha Coin wishing goodluck and happiness this Diwai

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Send Diwali Gifts & Sweets to India with DiwaliStore.com

This Diwali season Diwalistore.com welcomes you to join their website to find exclusive and special Diwali gifts for your family, relatives and friends. Diwalistore.com is widely and all inclusive gifts shop in India especially for Diwali Festival.

Diwali is also known as Deepavali. It is also the major festival among all other Festivals celebrated in India. Diwali, “The Festival of Lights” also symbolizes the victory of good over evil, and thus lamps are lit as a sign of celebration and hope for humankind. Wide varieties of fireworks are also associated with this Diwali Festival. Diwali is celebrated for three successive days at the Hindu month of Ashwayuja and it mainly occurs in the month of October/ November.

On the day of Diwali, all wear new clothes, light fireworks, share sweets and exchange gifts. So, now to find perfect Diwali gifts and sweets, Diwalistore.com has come up with new exclusive gift ideas for your family and loved ones.

A wide range of Diwali gifts are offered which make special moments even more special in itself. One can offer favorite sweets, cakes, chocolates, cookies and bouquets as Diwali Gifts to the family, relatives, friends or loved ones in India.

On this new season of Diwali, Diwalistore.com has come up with authentic and auspicious gifts like candles and candle holders, diyas, divine gifts, pooja accessories, wall hangings, torans, idols, silver and gold coins. Household products, kitchen products and many other items are known as popular form of gifts in Diwali Festival.

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Friday, October 20, 2006

Diwali Puja

The festival of Diwali is not just about worship of Goddess Lakshmi, firecrackers and sharing sweetmeats. But the traditional way of celebrating Diwali includes decorating your homes and offices with innovative crafts. The people love to prepare various crafts on the auspicious occasion of Diwali as the spirit of this festival encourages them to express their creativity. Decorating the Diwali-Puja thali is one such beautiful idea, which adds some more spiritualism to the festival of Diwali. Diwali has many legends and religious accounts to it. Lights and diyas are lit to signifying the driving away of darkness and ignorance, as well as the awakening of the light within ourselves. Diwali is a time for family gatherings, food, celebration and Pooja. The goddess Laxmi plays a major role in this festival, as do Ram and Sita. This autumn festival is celebrated for five continuous days, of which each one has its own significance.

Houses and Business places are renovated and decorated, entrances are made colorful with lovely traditional motifs of Rangoli designs to welcome Laxmi, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity. To indicate her long awaited arrival, small footprints are drawn with rice flour and vermilion powder (kumkum) all over the houses. Lamps are kept burning all through the nights.

Puja Thali:
A Puja thali is the plate in which all those accessories are kept that is required to perform the worship or the Puja of the God and Goddess such as the Roli for tilak, Akshat, Ghanti (bell), a small Kalash filled with water, Kalava to tie around the wrist, gold or silver coins, Aarti-diya and some colorful flowers. Thus the Puja-thali has special significance for the festival of Diwali in which the worship of Goddess Lakshmi is the main theme.

Puja Accessories
The Puja accessories required for worship on Diwali includes the following items: Roli for tilak, Akshat (the rice grains), Ghanti (bell), a small Kalash filled with water, Kalava or mauli to tie around the wrist, Aarti-diya, dhoop, agarbatti, camphor, coconut, betel, betel leaves, sandalwood paste, candles, flowers, seasonal fruits and sweetmeats as prasad and silver or gold coins having image of Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Ganesha, Om, Swastika or Shree.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Diwali Diyas

The Indian festival of lights Diwali is traditionally lit up by huge numbers of Diya, small clay lamps. Diya is a contracted form of light given by small earthen pots with wick made of cotton and dipped in ghee. They are also used for praying to the deceased ancestors and are floated on leaves over the holy rivers like the Ganges at Haridwar. They have long been linked with Diwali tradition and are today the most integral of all the Diwali decorations.

Tradition Of Diwali Diyas
It is said that when Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile, the people were overjoyed to see him along with Sita and Lakshman. Since it was a no moon night, people lit up candles and diyas along Lord Rama’s path. Once he reached his abode, there was also a dazzling display of fireworks. Everybody sang, and danced in celebration and welcomed their king with open arms and hearts. Since then, each year that day came to be celebrated as Diwali, and the Diwali Diya became its most conspicuous feature. Today these small earthen lamps can be found lit in every home, office and temple.

Different Types Of Diyas
There are different types of Diwali Diyas. Traditionally a potter made the diyas but these days they are commercially manufactured. The latest rage this season are the rather enthralling Electrical Diyas. They come in all shapes and sizes - fitted inside the statues of idols, in Puja trays, and inside candles, pencils even rotating diyas. Then there are the designer diyas, made of silver, and embedded with semi precious gems, which have hit the market. Though they are available only at select outlets, there are quite a few takers for them, especially for use as corporate gifts or giving them during the wedding season.

During Diwali, various shops showcase brilliant diyas and lamps crafted by ceramic designers from all over the country. There are also diyas with zari and mirror in exuberant colors. Delightfully, imaginative diyas with sharply cut edges, embellished with cutwork are covered and filled with bright colored wax.

Mirror work and zari embellished deep, traditional diyas as well as those embellished with fragrant dried flowers, Ganesha and Lakshmi diyas with 21 or 11 spouts, diyas shaped like China leaves and shaded roses, tiny Parvati Ganesha lamps and many other design vie for attention. Made out of clay, the diyas in vivid shades of yellow, blue, pink; gold and silver are well crafted.

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Diwali Rangolis

Rangolis are one of the oldest and most beautiful art forms of India. Simply put Rangolis are patterns or motifs, usually depicting Nature, drawn on the floor or a wall with powdered color made out of natural vegetable dyes. The term Rangoli is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘rang’ which means color, and ‘aavalli’ which means rows or creepers. So a Rangoli is basically a row of color, weaved into a pattern of sorts.

These beautiful painted Rangolis immediately remind one of the royal Rajput houses where Rangolis were drawn all year round but the grandest and most beautiful one’s were drawn only on Diwali. Even today people follow that custom as they decorate their houses with these Diwali Rangolis in order to appease Goddess Lakshmi and welcome her to their houses.

Origin of Diwali Rangolis
According to the Chitralakshana, the earliest Indian treatise on painting, when the son of a King’s high priest died, the king was most distressed. Brahma, lord of the universe decided to help the king and asked him to paint a likeness of the boy on the wall so that Brahma could breathe life into him again. That was believed to be the first Rangoli. Another legend has it that God, in one of his creative moods, extracted the juice of a mango and painted with it the figure of a woman so beautiful that the painting put all the maidens in heaven at shame!

The Indian Kings and royal families to gave impetus to this art form which it was believed that only the very skilled could attempt. The Chola rulers are notable in their propagation of the art of Rangolis. Like Hindu and Buddhist Mandalas, the reason for using powder or sand as a medium for creating Rangoli (and its resulting fragility) is sometimes thought to be a metaphor for the impermanence of life and Maya.

The Art of Rangolis
The motifs of a traditional Diwali Rangoli usually depict obejects of Nature like peacocks, swans, flowers, a tree or the sea. Generally the colors were made from Natural dyes, from barks of trees, indigo vegetables and so on and so forth. However, today synthetic colors in a range of bright colors seem to be the norm. The designs are symbolic and common to the entire country, and can include geometrical patterns, with lines, dots, squares; the swastika, lotus, footprints (supposed to be of goddess Lakshmi), creepers, and animals. These motifs often are modified to fit in with the local images and rhythms. One important point is that the entire pattern must be an unbroken line, with no gaps to be left anywhere for evil spirits to enter.

These beautiful Rangolis are especially painted at the entrance of all houses during Diwali to welcome Goddess Lakshmi. Many decorations are carried out solely for the benefit of this ubiquitous Goddess, however Rangolis are the most regal and essential out of them all. Rangoli also has a religious significance, enhancing the beauty of the surroundings and spreading joy and happiness all around. The Divali festival is widely celebrated with Rangoli, since at this time, people visit each other's homes to exchange greetings and sweets.

Monday, October 16, 2006

Diwali Decorations

Every house glitters like a jewel in the dark night sky during Diwali. People go out of their way to ornament their houses, streets, market places, schools and even slums with glittering decorations. It all starts a few weeks before Diwali when the frantic spring-cleaning gets underway. Every member of the household is expected to play a role in this ritual cleaning affair. Floors are scrubbed, the walls whitewashed and the kitchen immaculately dusted. Every man, rich or poor, young or old, follows this custom. Since Diwali marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year, it is considered auspicious to make a good start by cleaning all the rubbish of the last year. It symbolizes not only the cleaning of the house but spiritual cleaning as well. It is also said that Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth and prosperity does not visit houses that haven’t been spotlessly cleaned. Once the cleaning and whitewashing has been done, it is time for the beautiful decorations to be bought out.

Diyas
Diyas are small oil lamps made out of clay. Diwali is Sanskrit for row of lamps; therefore it is but obvious that Diyas are an integral part of Diwali celebrations. They come in different shapes and sizes and patterns ranging from the intricate Rajasthani varieties to the poor man’s Diya made out of simple clay. Rows of Diyas line the entrance to the house and the areas surrounding it. This is done to guide the Goddess Lakshmi when she makes a visit to everyone’s humble abode to bless them with success. The lighting of the Diyas also portrays the victory over light, which is the central premise of the Diwali festival.

Rangolis
Rangolis are one of the oldest and most beautiful Indian art forms. They are patterns, usually depicting Nature, drawn on a floor or wall with powdered color made out of natural vegetable dyes. These Rangolis are drawn at the entrance of the house, again to welcome Goddess Lakshmi. It is also considered auspicious to draw Rangolis in the courtyard of the house or the living room, a place where every member of the family gathers.

Idols of Gods and Goddesses
On this auspicious day, the idols of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi are worshipped. They are first thoroughly cleaned, then ornamented in jewels, many a times the jewels are real gold and pearls and at other times they are garish cosmetic jewelry. These idols then occupy the pride of the place in the family mandir (temple). Garlands made out of the fragrant jasmine as well as other flowers are placed at the feet of these idols, along with a Puja Thali .

Diwali Lights and Lamps
Many people decorate their houses with rows and rows of electric lights in different colors. These lights cascade from balconies, are coiled around a tree or strung along electrical wires in the market place. They create a mesmerizing atmosphere with their shimmering glow. Since Diwali is celebrated in early November, most people, excluding the markets, leave the lights up till Christmas and New Year.

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Diwali Calendar

The Hindu calendar is based on the lunar cycle and the movement of the moon, unlike the conventional Western (or Gregorian) calendar. The result is that Hindu festivals move about the Western calendar from year to year. Diwali, for example, falls on the date of the new moon between the Hindu months of Asvina and Kartika. Usually this is in October or November. Joyous and enchanting festival of Diwali is celebrated with enthusiasm and gaiety all over India on the 15th day of the dark fortnight in Hindu month of Kartik. This is the month of October - November according to the English Calendar Year. Diwali Festival is celebrated on the Amavasya or the dark no moon night. The darkness of the night, however, is spelled away with the traditional Diwali earthen diyas and candles that are lit in all houses and every street of India.

Here’s a Diwali Calendar which will keep you well informed over the next couple of years. However, the dates are subject to change depending on the lunar activity.

YEAR DATE, MONTH AND DAY
2006 21 October, Saturday
2007 09 November, Friday
2008 28 October, Tuesday
2009 17 October, Saturday
2010 05 November, Friday
2011 26 October, Wednesday
2012 13 November, Tuesday
2013 03 November, Sunday
2014 23 October, Thursday
2015 11 November, Wednesday
2016 30 October, Sunday
2017 19 October, Thursday
2018 07 November, Wednesday
2019 27 October, Sunday