Deepavali And Diwali

The goddess Shakti observed 21 days of austerity starting from the eighth day of the waxing period of the moon to get control of half of Shiva's power, according to the Skanda Purana. Deepavali is the completion day of this austerity. This is the day Lord Shiva accepted Shakti into the left half of himself.

In most representations, the right half is usually Shiva and the left is Shakti though rare depictions of the Shaktism school or feminist school portray the feminine on the dominant right side. The composite form of Shiva and his consort, Shakti (another name for Parvati) is known as the Ardhanarishvara or the ‘God who is half-woman’. While the mythos of the Ardhanarishvara appeared in early Puranic scriptures, the concept and iconography were formulated in the Kushan era around the 1st Century AD.

The festival is called Deepavali in South India. Naraka Chaturdashii is celebrated with firecrackers at the time of dawn. The main festival is on Amavasya evening with Lakshmi Puja.

Deepavali also commemorates the killing of Narakasura, a demon king, by Krishna's wife Sathyabhama. This happened in the Dwapara Yuga during the time of Krishna. There is also a version that the demon king was killed by Lord Krishna himself. Before Narakasura's death, he requested a boon that everyone should celebrate his death with the lighting of lamps.

In the North of India, Diwali is celebrated to signify the return of Rama, King of Ayodhya, after a war in which he killed the demon king Ravana. In North India, the festival is held on the final day of the Vikram calendar and the next day marks the beginning of the North Indian new year. 

Deepavali is associated with the Daitya king Bali in Bramhavaivarta Purana. Vishnu destroys Bali by deceit through his Vamana Avatar. Bali is granted a boon to return to earth once a year.

Jain Dipavali: When Lord Mahavir died at the age of 72 (527 B.C.), it is believed his purified soul left the body and achieved complete liberation. On the night of his salvation, people celebrated the Festival of Lights in his honor.