Damanjodi chronicles

well thanks to a friend of mine we were able to get ourselves a new host so from now onwards i willl be blogging on blog.damanjodi.com .

Alas as the year comes to its end , its the arrival of winter here in damanjodi and yes its also the month of santa , and Christmas is round the corner    . Surely damanjodi is not referred to as the Kashmir of orissa like that . the winter here is comparable to that of kashmir but with the absence of the chilly snow . let us explore the winter in damanjodi , for now here is a Picture to show you the beauty of dmanjodi in winter .

Diwali or Dīpāvali (Sanskrit: a row of lamps) is a significant festival in Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and an official holiday in India. Adherents of these religions celebrate Diwali as the Festival of Lights. They light diyas—cotton string wicks inserted in small clay pots filled with oil—to signify victory of good over the evil within an individual.
In Hinduism, across many parts of India and Nepal, it is the homecoming of Rama after a 14-year exile in the forest and his victory over Ravana. In the legend, the people of Ayodhya (the capital of his kingdom) welcomed Rama by lighting rows (avali) of lamps (dĭpa), thus its name: dīpāwali. In South India, it marks the victory of Krishna over Narakasura. Over time, this word transformed into Diwali in Hindi and Dipawali in Nepali, but still retained its original form in South and East Indian Languages. In Dravidian languages it is called as Deepavali and the same is used in Malaysia and Singapore.[citation needed]
In Jainism, Diwali marks the attainment of nirvana by Mahavira in 527 BC.
Diwali has been significant in Sikhism since the illumination of the town of Amritsar commemorating the return of Guru Har Gobind Ji (1595-1644), the sixth Guru of Sikhism, who was imprisoned along with 52 other Hindu kings at Fort Gwalior by Emperor Jahangir. After freeing the other prisoners, he went to the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in the holy city of Amritsar, where he was welcomed happily by the people who lit candles and divas to greet the Guru. Because of this, Sikhs often refer to Diwali also as Bandi Chhorh Divas - "the day of release of detainees."
The festival is also celebrated by Buddhists in Nepal, a majority-Hindu country, particularly the Newar Buddhists.
In India and Nepal, Diwali is now considered to be a national festival, and the aesthetic aspect of the festival is enjoyed by most Indians and Nepalese regardless of faith.
On the day of Diwali / Deepavali, many wear new clothes and share sweets and snacks. Some North Indian business communities start their financial year on Diwali and new account books are opened on this day.

As on this day we seem to be a lot bothered about the global pollution , so it will be a wise decision on our part to decrease the use of fireworks and crackers to the minimal .
so once again we wish you a happy , prosperous and eco-friendly diwali . And remember to follow the safety measures that were in the previous post.