Narak Chaturdashi 2022: History, And Legends Behind Celebrating This Day

Some of them even perform pujas on Naraka Chaturdashi at their workplace in order to achieve the targeted earnings for the coming year.

A family lighting diyas on Choti Diwali

Source : Getty

New Delhi: Narak Chaturdashi is a significant Hindu festival that is observed throughout India. It is also known as choti Diwali. People decorate their homes with colourful lights and diyas during Choti Diwali. Some of them even perform pujas at their workplace in order to achieve the targeted earnings for the coming year. People dress up and go to a neighbouring temple to worship Hindu deities. 

Stories behind lighting up Diyas during Narak Chaturdashi:

1. Tale of the demon Narkasura: Narkasura was an evil who used his supernatural talents to make it difficult for all the priests and saints to dwell in harmony. His torment had escalated to the point that it was nearly hard to keep him in check. Things went from bad to worse when he kidnapped 16 thousand women of the Gods. The saints and priests resorted to Lord Krishna for rescue, bearing every imaginable torment that Narakasura could inflict on them. All the anxious saints and priests were promised by Lord Krishna that justice would be administered to the guilty individual. Narkasura was cursed to die at the hands of a lady.

So, very ingeniously, Lord Krishna enlisted the help of his wife, and in the month of Kartik, on a Krishna paksha on the 14th day of the waning Moon, Lord Krishna ultimately brought about justice by slaying Narakasura. The 16 thousand hostages were released once the Devil was defeated. Patraniya was the name given to these 16 thousand hostages.
Following Narakasura's death, on the new Moon of the month of Kartik, people burn diyas to commemorate Narak Chaturdashi and Diwali.

2. The Tale of Bali : This tale vividly depicts Lord Krishna's blessing to Datyaraj Bali. In this, Lord Krishna adopted the form of a dwarf and covered the entire kingdom of Datyaraj Bali in three steps between the 13th day and the new Moon. When King Datyaraj Bali saw this, he generously granted the dwarf king his whole realm. Following this, the dwarf king requested a boon from King Bali. After being granted a boon, King Bali told that, in the time frame between the 13th day and the full moon, his kingdom should survive the test of time and shall stay for those three days, and everybody who celebrated Diwali in his kingdom shall be rewarded with prosperity and plenty."

After hearing King Bali's desire, Lord Krishna was impressed, and he fulfilled it by making it a reality. From that day on, the custom of fasting on Narak Chaturdashi, doing Puja, and lighting diyas became a reality.

People commemorate Goddess Lakshmi or Yamraj on Narak Chaturdashi and arrange pujas to honour them. There is a strong notion that if one can please Yamraj, one will be spared from death. On this day, people lighted diyas to wish for greater health and longevity. Many folks put colourful diyas outside their main entrances at night.