|| Deep Daan Mahotsav, 2015, Thakur Keshav Dev Ji, Mathura ||
India observes and celebrates five day 'Festival of Light'-Deepavali/Diwali on Amavasya(darkest night) in month of Kartik(October/November based on Hindu Lunar Calender). Reasons, Observations and Stories of Diwali are many and will be shared in future post.
Deep Daan (Offering of Lamp to Almighty) is center of this post.
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| Deep Daan Mahotsav at Keshav Dev Temple Mathura |
Second day of this festival is celebrated as Roop Chaudas/Narak Chaturdasi. This day is also referred as Choti Diwali. On this occasion people offer lamps,often in decorative formation in
Temple. After offering earthen lamps to God, people decorate and light
lamps at home.
Lamp or Diya is the symbol of Divine Energy that is comes out in form of Light and Warmth. This light casts away, darkness and ignorance, replacing it with brightness and knowledge.
Worshiping Lord with a well lit earthen lamp(diya/diva), and offering it in a temple or a water body(usually a flowing river or a pond in some places); with a thought of offering it to God is called Deep Daan.
If a person do this on this particular day, it is said to destroy his sins of past 1000 year.
Small Vedic Prayer for offering lamp (can be recited during meditation by imagining, lightning a lamp)
Another small prayer is
Lamp or Diya is the symbol of Divine Energy that is comes out in form of Light and Warmth. This light casts away, darkness and ignorance, replacing it with brightness and knowledge.
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| Offering Lamp at Temple |
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| Deep Daan at Temple |
If a person do this on this particular day, it is said to destroy his sins of past 1000 year.
Small Vedic Prayer for offering lamp (can be recited during meditation by imagining, lightning a lamp)
Asato ma sat gamaya
Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya |
Mṛtyor ma amṛtam gamaya
Om shanti shanti shantihi ||
Meaning- Guide me from darkness, towards light. Guide me from untruth towards truthfulness. Guide me from death and sufferings towards life. Let there be Peace all around us.Mṛtyor ma amṛtam gamaya
Om shanti shanti shantihi ||
असतो मा सद्गमय
तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ।
मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
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| Lord Krishna surrounded by Lamps. |
Another small prayer is
Subham Karoti Kalyanam;
Arogyam Dhana Sampadah|
Shatru Buddhi Vinashaya ;
Dipo Jyoti Namostute ||
Meaning: I stand before the almighty lord of light which is spread around us in form of God's blessing, praying to thee that this lamp brings positivity, good health, wealth and destroys the intellect of our enemies (this also signifies the bad thoughts that may not necessarily comes form mind of others but due to ignorance these can be generated in our mind as well, so may Lord save us from these), and save us from the evil. may there be prosperity everywhere.
Deepjyothi Parabrahma;
Deepjyothi Janardhana
Deepo Haratu Me Paapam;
Deepo Jyothi Namostute"
Meaning: I stand before the almighty lord of light which is spread around us in various forms; you are the part that is also a contribute to creation of this world, you are also responsible for flourishing this world with prosperity; I pray to thee to take away all my sins; I pray to you.
This day is acknowledged as the day when Lord Krishna killed demon king Narakasur and saved sixteen thousand females(gopis) from prison. Some says that Narakasur could only be killed by female, so Krishna took help of his highly skilled warrior wive Satyabhama and she killed the demon. As they returned after victorious battle the kingdom in their welcome decorated their homes in colorful artistic form with powdered colors/sand and light the row of lamps. This marks the start of tradition to decorate 'Rangoli' and light the lamps in order to welcome Lord Krishna.
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| Lord Krishna Keshav Dev Ji |
Also on this day people pray to Lord Yamaraj (God Of Death) to save them and near ones from untimely death.
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| Lord Krishna |
Why this day got its name as Roop Chaudas? A story goes like this. A young yogi/saint was meditating/doing tapasya and lost his youthfulness and beauty as he was in deep meditation for a long time. Lord Krishna along with other vardaan(blessings); blessed the saint with part of his own beauty on this day. So it is said that a person after praying to Lord Krishna, if bath in scented oil water; he will get healthy and personable body.
