Narak Chaturdashi or Choti Diwali, why do you celebrate?

Narak Chaturdashi falls on what we usually understand as 'choti diwali'

Diwali is two days away and #cannotkeepcalm. And then there's Choti Diwali. But why Choti Diwali? And what is  Narak Chaturdashi? I mean what business has narak or hell to play in this festival of lights and joy?

Let me tell you all about it. Mujhe bhi aj hi pata chala.

Madhuban mein jo Kanhaiya kisi gopi se mile

Lord Krishna rescued sixteen maidens on Narak Chaturdashi

We all know Lord Krishna as a god in the gardens of Vrindavan. But well being a god means he also had to fight a lot of demons. Narakasur was one of them. It is said that Narakasur once held sixteen young maidens captive. Krishna rescued them and also killed Narakasur.

The day he killed Narakasur and rescued these maidens is now celebrated as Narak Chaturdashi.

But killing the demon was not the only thing Krishna did. The young maidens told Krishna that no one will marry them now, because well, their honour is compromised. So, with the help of Satyabhama, Lord Krishna married all of them. And from that day, Naraka Chaturdashi became a cause of celebration.

Story 2- Featuring Kali

Goddess Kali is prayed to on Choti Diwali in various places of India

The festival is also called as "Kali Chaudas", where Kali means dark and Chaudas means fourteenth, this is celebrated on the 14th day of the dark half of Aaso. In some regions of India, Kali Chaudas is the day allotted to the worship of Mahakali or Shakti and is believed that on this day Kali killed the asura Raktavija. Many also believe that Kali killed Narakasura. In either case, she is celebrated in various parts of Eastern India like Bengal and Assam.

Kahaani 3-enter Yamraj

Yamraj heralds death

There was a king called Ranti Deva. One day, death of God, Yamraj, came to him to get the king's soul. Now, the king was a good man and could not understand why Yamraj had come to his doorstep. Ranti Deva asked Yamraj why he had arrived to take his soul to hell. The king could not remember having sinned ever.

Yamraj answered that a long ago Ranti Deva had returned a hungry priest from his door and that's why he was being taken to hell.

The clever man that Ranti Deva was, he asked Yamraj to grant him one more year and Yamraj did. Ranti Deva consulted saints about his problem and was advised to fast on Narak Chaturdashi. He was also told to offer food to the priests as well and apologize for his sin.

Form that day, Narak Chaturdashi came to be celebrated to be free from all the sins as well as to prevent oneself from going to the hell.

Its all about traditions

Diyas are lit to guide Lakshmi home and keep darkness and death at bay

While the tradition of lighting diyas on Narak Chaturdashi began post the killing of Narakasur and the marriage of Krishna with 16 maidens, abhyang snan and puja is offered to Yamraj. Abhyang snan is a special kind of bath you take on Narak Chaturdashi. One first applies a special ubtan or pack made of sesame oil mixed with kumkum. Apart from all the glow from sesame oil, this is also supposed to prevent you from going to hell. This snan however happens before sunrise. So late risers, tough call!

For this year, the time when you should take the abhyang snan, if you want to save yourself from hell i.e, is between 04:47am to 06:27am. The tithi begins at eight minutes past midnight on 18th and ends on October 19th around midnight.

And make sure you light 16 diyas a along with a four cornered diya. The number is probably in accordance to the sixteen maidens that Lord Krishna married. And a diya is to be in the south corner to the house to keep away Yamraj ji. He can take you to hell, remember? The diya means he won't come in. And the rest of the diyas will be a guiding path for your forefathers who have died. And apparently, Goddess Lakshmi feels happy about them diyas too.

Happy Choti Diwali folks, and now you know the reasons too. So you aren't Jon Snow anymore.