Dīpāvali and Ancestor Worship

Dīpāvali is better known as the day Rāma, victorious, is welcomed by the people of his kingdom, Ayodhya, as the day of Viṣṇu’s defeat of Bali, and the victory of Vikramāditya over the Śakas. Like the day that precedes it, Dīpāvali is a day for performing rituals for ancestor worship. The worship of Yama, both the god of death and the world of the dead, is important during the Diwali season, since it is a celebration of the spiritual advancement of one’s departed ancestors. Naraka in the name Naraka-caturdaśī, as seen by a detailed inquiry into the sources, meant hell and the things done on the occasion are said to be to ward off hell and avoid premature death. Naraka does not refer to the asura of that name. Naraka is ‘the kingdom of Yama’, the God of Death, and the ‘world of the Dead.’ In fact the Dīpāvali season is closely associated with Yama. It occurs at the end of the Mahālaya, the season sacred to our departed ancestors, who, during this time, are supposed to come and reside with us in our realm and receive our attention. We are enjoined to perform tarpaṇas (offering of water-libation) and śrāddhas to all our ancestors. <a href="https://hinduaesthetic.medium.com/d%C4%ABp%C4%81vali-and-ancestor-worship-56868c0c91f6">Visit Now</a>