Laxmi Pujan - A Veneration of the Prosperity at the end of an Harvest?
And as mentioned earlier in this chapter, the harvest was an important occasion for rejoicing in all agrarian societies. Diwali which occurs at the end of a cropping season has along with the above custom, a few others that re-inforce the hypothesis of its having originated as a harvest. Every harvest normally spelt prosperity. Veneration of this prosperity must have been at the origin of the worship of the Goddess of wealth (Laxmi).

For Farmers, a Festival marking the end of one Harvest and the beginning of another, was a festival heralding the beginning of a New Year.

The association of the New Year (termed) Padava or Padavo, with Diwali also substantiates the harvest festival theory. The end of one harvest and beginning of another meant the end of one cycle of activity and the beginning of another, as all activities in an agrarian economy must have been linked-up largely with agriculture. Hence it was quite natural to look upon a festival that was observed at the end of one harvest season and the beginning of a new one, as a festival heralding the beginning of a new year. Gudi Padava which is also looked upon as a new year in some parts of India (Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra) also occurs at the end of another croppping season (the Rabi season) and co-incides with a harvest. This festival comes around March. And finally both the occasions on which the new year is observed are called Padava.

The word Padava is etymologically quite close to the Sanskrit word for crop which is Pradurbhu. Padava might be a corrupted form of the original word for "crop" which was used to term the new year festival. The inference that can be drawn from the above clues is that Diwali as a festival owes its origin to the reaping of a harvest.A Harvest presented a logical occasion for rejoicing and merriment.

Page:   1    2    3    4    5    6    7