Diwali is an auspicious occasion for everyone marking the victory of good over evil. It is celebrated in the months of October – November and is a national festival in the country. The first thing that comes into mind when one talks about the festival is an illuminated sight which includes diwali crackers, diyas, deep and candles. Not only florists selling a large variety of flowers for the occasion are in huge demand for the festival, but shops consisting of decorative lanterns and lamps are usually inundated with enthusiastic customers. People these days not only order flowers from online florists in India or order chocolates online, they are also very keen on diwali decoration which involves purchasing designer candles, lamps and lanterns. Therefore, Diwali is not only a festival that includes shopping for diwali gifts like diwali candles, diwali gift hampers and the diwali firework, butit also involves decorating the house, performing ceremonies and offering prayers to God which is an important part of the occasion. For performing these ceremonies, lamps and lanterns come into picture.
The lanterns form an integral part of the Diwali pooja thali, along with ferns and petals which are typical diwali flowers. The different varieties of lanterns like wall lanterns, handcrafted lanterns, post lanterns etc are made up of a number of common materials for the purpose, such as copper and brass. Apart from these, lanterns can also be homemade like paper lanterns which can be made into different types of patterns. Without the Diwali lamps, the pooja cannot be performed. So in a way, these are a necessary part of any ritual of Diwali. On the occasion, people worship their Gods and perform a number of puja. The puja is culminated by aarti which is performed by showing lamps to the idol.
There can be several uses of the lamps used in Diwali and not just for performing the puja ceremonies. They can be placed at doorsteps and any large lamps can be surrounded by smaller diyas and
fresh flowers, giving the pattern a beautiful and enchanting look. Different types and sizes of lamps are used for this purpose. The bigger lamps have three or four steps beneath each other, giving them a majestic appeal. They can also be used at the doorstep for welcoming Goddess Lakshmi so that she can shower her blessings for the period. Apart from these uses, lanterns can also make for wonderful
deepawali gifts. They do add to the essence of the deepawali festival, thus making everyone looking forward to the season with equal enthusiasm and eagerness.