Ujjain : Diwali will be celebrated on Sunday. As a traditional practice, people wear new clothes and illuminate their houses with diyas to mark the festival of light. However, festive fervour is already much in the air and markets glittering with lights and thousands of jubilant faces stand testimony to the same. People have already made preparations as they painted their houses and offices afresh, stored enough sweets, gifts and of course crackers among many other things to usher in an electrifying Diwali.
Deepawali is celebrated on Kartik Amavasya as per Hindi Panchang. According to Hindu faith, goddess of wealth appeared on Amavasysa in the month of Kartik in Krishna Paksh during samudra manthan. In some parts of the country, it is also believed that lord Rama came back to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile on Amavasya of Kartik month.
In a traditional practice, new ink pots, pen and accounts books are also worshiped on the occasion. People believe that on this auspicious day goddess Lakshmi comes down to earth and thus light diyas to welcome her home and receive her blessings.
According to Panchang scholar Pt Anand Shankar Vyas, the auspicious times to worship goddess Lakshmi for the day are as follows: Morning (char) from 8 am to 9.24 am, (shubh); in after noon 1.36 pm to 3.00 pm; in evening (shubh) 5.47 pm to 7.23 pm and (amrit) till 9.00 pm, (char) 10.35 pm. For late at night, the times are from 1.47 am to 3.00 am.
