Diwali is celebrated with family and friends. In South India, the whole family wakes up before sunrise for a ritualistic oil bath / Ayurvedic oil routine. Sesame oil is applied on everyone’s head before their bath. This symbolic purification rite marks a new beginning. Then they get dressed up in their new best clothes and visit the temple to offer prayers to God and to make new resolutions. The first day of Diwali is called Dhanvantari Trayodashi (thirteenth day) or Dhanteras. It is a festival that marks the beginning of the Diwali celebrations and therefore it is considered the first day of five days long festivities of Diwali. Lord Dhanvantari who is the physician of the Gods and an incarnation of Lord Vishnu came out of the ocean that was churned by the Gods and the demons on the day of dhanteras. Lord Dhanvantari is considered as the God of Ayurveda.
On this Diwali let us make small but decisive changes in our life. Let us follow the Ayurvedic principles to lead a stress free, happy and peaceful life. Dedicating a few minutes everyday to yoga, eating healthy meals, timely sleep and using natural Ayurvedic products can go a long way in enhancing your lifestyle in a natural way. In the vedas, much importance is given to Sattva, which symbolizes “Purity of the body, mind and soul”. So during this Diwali celebration let us all give utmost importance to cleaning of environment as well as the body, mind and soul. In Ayurveda cleaning or Shodhana is mentioned as Panchkarma which is a ritual to be performed once a year to maintain optimum health of the body and mind. Diwali is a festival of joy, hence if there was any unpleasant situation with your family members or friends, let us forget the bad memories / incidents and make a fresh new start and embrace them with love, joy and affection.
Few tips for celebrating a Healthy Diwali
1. Try avoiding sweets added with chemicals / preservatives or sweets having a shiny ‘silver’ coating
as they are unhealthy and may cause health problems. Let us enjoy home made sweets which are healthier.
2. Say NO to crackers to reduce pollution. Let us celebrate this Diwali in a peaceful and less polluting way. Fire crackers cause lots of noise and vibrations and they release toxic gases which are harmful for health. As fire crackers cause noise and environment pollution, its best to avoid them or prefer to buy noise free crackers.
3. This Diwali, light up lamps with oil / ghee to reduce air pollution.
“Let us illuminate our inner light while lighting the lamps and chandeliers in this Diwali”