Magical Myths & Lost Legends Of Diwali

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Priyankee Saikia is an author from Guwahati, Assam and this is her second book. She has a master's in English Literature from University of Delhi. She discovered her love for writing at the age of six, when she began penning her first few poems. Since then, she has written for a number of regional newspapers, newsletters, magazines and online blogs, besides running her college magazine. Her poetry has been published in a number of anthologies.

A former journalist, copywriter and digital marketer, Priyankee currently works as a station programming head in a leading radio company. She continues to dabble in writing during her free time and hopes to publish fiction one day. As a mother of an inquisitive five-year-old, Priyankee loves telling stories to her daughter and dreams of travelling the world with her.

In a perfect universe, the author would love nothing more than a roomful of books and all the time in the world to read them.

What is Diwali? It is so much more than just a festival of lights; it is a curious mix of a plethora of myths and legends from ancient India, which perhaps many are unaware of. These folk tales originate in the Mahabharata, the Ramayana and other such ancient scriptures; each of them playing its part in creating religious and regional traditions. Some of these traditions are still followed while observing Diwali. Most of them continue to be observed the same way since the past, while others have been modified to fit modern times. There are a few that, in my opinion, should be done away with altogether! Surprised? You will soon find out why. This book delves deep into the origin of Diwali and what the five days of the festival entail, bringing alive each fascinating myth and legend. For instance, Lord Krishna helping rescue sixteen thousand princesses from the evil King Narakasura or Lord Hanuman bringing darkness to the entire world by swallowing the sun.

This book seeks to open the young reader's mind to the fact that Diwali is not just a Hindu festival celebrated in India It has special meaning in different religions and in different countries too. Did you know that Diwali is observed as an official holiday in over twelve countries? Or that different animals, from dogs to crows, are worshipped in Nepal during this five-day festival? In fact, even within India, Hindus of different regions have their own twist on Diwali. While Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand observe Diwali a month after the rest of the country, West Bengal, unlike the rest of India, doesn't even worship Lakshmi during this festival and worships Kali instead.

Lastly, this book explores rituals and mythologies associated with Diwali that continue to remain inexplicable even to the average urban adult. Is there a story associated with playing cards on the evening of Diwali? Is the debate about fireworks during Diwali really important? Every fascinating detail around Diwali that informs, educates and delights young readers finds a place in this book. After all, what better way to understand a country than through one of its most popular festivals?

Book's Contents and Sample Pages