Diwali in South India
The people of South India celebrate Diwali with great zest and enthusiasm. They celebrate Diwali in same manner as North Indian people celebrate .Only some sutoms and rituals are different in same parts. In South India people celebrate Diwali for five days.
The First Day of Diwali is known as Asweyuja Bahula Thrayodasi in South India. On this day the people buy new utensils and jewelry items. This day is popularly known as Dhantrayodashi, Yamadeepdaan.
The Second Day of Diwali is known as ‘Narkachaturdashi’. In all south Indian states God Yama is wrshipped on this day to ged rid of the fear from demon Narakasura. The people make an effigy of the demon Narakasura and burn it.Later they take bath and burst crackers.
The Third Day of Diwali is known as Kamudi Mahostavam. The people of South India celebrates this festival from the early morning by visiting temples and by offering poojas. Their homes and shops are decorated with illuminated lamps and fancy lights. In Hyderabad there is a tradition of giving bath to the buffaloes on this day. Some people also decorate paper figures on this day. The people worship Goddess Laxmi on this day . On the day of Diwali there is a tradition of taking oil bath fefore sunrise. There is a custom to take a small quantity of deepavali lehiyam after the oil bath and then they take breakfast. This day is also known by many names like kartigai deeam , Thalai Deepavali.
The Fourth Day of Diwali is known as Bali Padyam. In Karnataka and other South Indian States, this day is celebrated as Bali Padyami or Bali Pratipada. Demon King Bali visit to the earth with their subjects on this day.
The Fifth Day of Diwali is known as Divvela Panduga. This day is dedicated to the purest relations of brothers and sisters. In the remote areas of Karnataka people celebrate this day as 'Gorehaba'. On this day the villagers start playing with the cow dung. This day is also known as Yamaduritheya. As the story goes Yamraj, the God of Death visited his sister Yamuna on this day. Thts's why thisday of Bhayyaduj is also known as Yama duitiya.
