The two Hindu festivals, Diwali and Dussehra, are believed to be the most important and publicly celebrated festivals ever in Indian history. Dussehra is believed to mark the victory of Lord Ram over the demon king Ravana as the victory of good over evil. On the other hand, Diwali is a festival in order to celebrate Lord Ram’s return to Ayodhya 21 days later after Dussehra on his exile and victory. But why is Diwali celebrated after 21 days from Dussehra? This question has been deeply rooted in an age-old tradition, holding tremendous cultural and mythological significance.
On Twitter, a user shared his synopsis to justify this question as per his believes. The post discusses that Diwali is celebrated after 21 days from Dussehra because it took Lord Ram precisely 21 days to travel from Lanka to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana.
As the legend goes, in welcome, people of Ayodhya lit up the city with lamps called diyas. But why is Diwali celebrated 21 days after Dussehra? Lanka is pretty far away from Ayodhya, and the time it took for Lord Ram to cover this voyage often means the completion of His victorious return.
This was triggered recently by a viral social media post that casually mentioned how it corroborates this 21-day journey with Google Maps but went ahead to say that Lord Ram is real and knows the most efficient route from Lanka to Ayodhya.
Why is Diwali celebrated after 21 days from Dussehra? Twitter tells
The viral post raised eyebrows, with one user joking, “Does that mean he took 20 days to reach South India and just one day to reach the North?”
The reason for “Why is Diwali celebrated 21 days after Dussehra” goes to cultural myths also. Some referred to the archaeological evidence of ancient flying machines such as Pushpak Viman in Ellora Caves, while some referred to the neolithic origins of the wheel and domesticated animals that could assist Lord Ram on his journey.
Reactions have ranged from the comic interpretation of logistics involved in the journey of Lord Ram to more deep religious insights. Many have spoken of what it implies in terms of symbolism for Ram’s return, while others debated the practicality of such a journey that took 21 days. As long as that remains up for debate, so does the mystery as to why Diwali is celebrated 21 days after Dussehra remain an integral part of India’s rich cultural heritage.
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