2023 Celebrating the Festival of Diwālī: The five days of Diwālī

"My dear Sahaja Yogis, My dear children,
Let this Diwālī enlighten you with light of love. You yourself are the lamps which burn high and don't get pressed by the cover. They become much more powerful than the cover. It is their own asset. When they are hit upon, they are disturbed and extinguished.
Why are our lamps disturbed? You should think over it. Is there no transparent sheath around them? Have you forgotten your Mother's Love and therefore you are so disturbed? As the glass protects the lamp, in the same way My love will protect you.
But the glass should be kept clean, how can I explain? Have I to say like Śhrī Kṛiṣhṇa, "Leave all religions and surrender to Me" or as Śhrī Jesus, "I am the way, I am the door."
I want to tell that I am that Man̄jil (Destination). But will you people accept it? Will this fact go to your hearts?
Although what I say is distorted, the Truth will always stand. You cannot change what It is. Only you will remain ignorant and backward. I am unhappy because of that.
Diwālī is the day of real aspirations. Invoke the whole universe. Many lamps have to be lit, and looked after. Add the oil of love, Kuṇḍalinī is the wick and awaken the Kuṇḍalinī of others with light of the Spirit within you. This flame of Kuṇḍalinī will be kindled and one within you will become the torch. Torch is not extinguished. Then there will be spotless sheath of My love. It will neither have any limits nor any end. I will be watching you.
My love for you is showering as many many blessings.
Yours always loving Mother
Nirmalā"
1976-1021 Letter to Sahaja Yogis (Hindi) (Naraka Chaturdaśhī Day), Diwālī, 2, Parklands, Ice House Wood, Hurst Green, Oxted, Surrey, UK

"This well-being is brought forth with this Lakṣhmī, with one hand that is giving, the another is the protection. This hand which gives, should not, the other hand should not know. It should be so done so gracefully, graciously."
1981-0327 Public Program, Cycle 1, Day 3, Nābhī Chakra (Must Have a Balanced Attitude Towards Life), Maccabean Hall, 146, Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst (eastern suburb of Sydney), New South Wales, Australia
video

Dear All,
We wish you all a Very Happy and joyful Diwālī Festival that will be starting tomorrow for five days.
The significance and the days of Deepavali are listed below:

Day 1 (Friday, November 10th) – Dhanteras or Dhanvantri Jayanti
"The first day is the thirteenth day where it is the gṛuhalakṣhmī's day. Is a ṛughalakṣhmī's [gṛuhalakṣhmī's] day, that is the day when the gṛuhalakṣhmī is worshiped. But a gṛuhalakṣhmī has to be worship ... worthy of the worship, and then some utensil is given to the gṛuhalakṣhmī."
1992-1025 Diwālī Pūjā (Diwālī Day), Sala Olimpia (Olympia Sports Hall), Timişoara, Romania
It is the first day of the five days celebration of Diwālī. The day when Śhrī Lakṣhmī is worshiped in Her form of Śhrī Gṛuhalakṣhmī. It is also called the Dhanvantri Jayanti, the day when Goddess Dhanvantri is born.

Day 2 (Saturday, November 11th) – Naraka Chaturdaśhī
"Horrible Narakāsura [Tārakāsura] as you know him. But actually that day many rākṣhasas are killed in many ... That's a day fixed for killing rākṣhasas."
1980-1109 Diwālī Pūjā (Bhāūbīj Day), The Mahālakṣhmī Power, Temple of All Faiths (now demolished, 11c Pond St), Belsize Park, Hampstead, London, UK
The day when, according to Śhrī Mātājī, the Goddess gave Her Power to Śhrī Kārttikeya to kill Narakāsura. Hell's gate is open in the early morning hours (the real Halloween) when Narakāsura is pushed into Hell, so it's advisable to sleep early on the 2nd night and not get up early on Diwālī Day (i.e., not to meditate at 4 a.m. or get up early to eat Diwālī sweets!), but to get up after sunrise and also leave a lamp burning safely overnight so that Narakāsura's influence is dispersed.

"Then the fifteenth is that darkest night. That's the darkest night when there is no Moon. Absolutely that's the day when they celebrate this Diwālī. But symbolically, in India also, Śhrī Rāma returned to Dvārika ... to this place on that day, and was crowned on that day. So the significance of Diwālī is expressed in this manner: that this is the day when Narakāsura [Tārakāsura] was on doubt the martyric, they have all gone to Narak, they have gone to the Hell, and the people now are safe from them and they are celebrating the joy, this thing.
And that is the time when Christ was born. That's why lights are being put in the night, 'cause He was born at twelve o'clock in the night."
Day 3 (Sunday, November 12th) – Diwālī/Śhrī Lakṣhmī Pūjā
1980-1109 Diwālī Pūjā (Bhāūbīj Day), The Mahālakṣhmī Power, Temple of All Faiths (now demolished, 11c Pond St), Belsize Park, Hampstead, London, UK
This is the third day of celebrations of Diwālī.

Day 4 (Monday, November 13th) – Diwālī Pāḍavā
"And so, on the first, that means the first day of the Moon, the New Year is celebrated.
Now, see symbolically, Christ is born and the New Year is celebrated, next day. As soon as He is born, New Year starts with. So next year it starts, the New Year."
1980-1109 Diwālī Pūjā (Bhāūbīj Day), The Mahālakṣhmī Power, Temple of All Faiths (now demolished, 11c Pond St), Belsize Park, Hampstead, London, UK
This is the fourth day of Diwālī celebrations. This day is one of the three and a half most auspicious days of the year. It is a very auspicious day to begin new things.

Day 5 (Tuesday, November 14th) – Bhāī Dūj or Bhāūbīj
"So today is the second day. Second day is the Bīja, is the, they call it the Bhaiyā Dvija or Bhāūbīj, is the day when the brother and the sister, who are the seeds of one tree, have that pure exchange of affection."
1980-1109 Diwālī Pūjā (Bhāūbīj Day), The Mahālakṣhmī Power, Temple of All Faiths (now demolished, 11c Pond St), Belsize Park, Hampstead, London, UK
This is the last, the fifth day of Diwālī celebrations. On this day the brother and sister relationship is celebrated.

During the Diwālī Festival, we will worship Śhrī Mātājī in Her forms of Śhrī Lakṣhmī, Śhrī Mahāhakṣhmī, and Śhrī Ādi Śhakti. We would like to begin by offering Śhrī Mātājī the welcome song that was sung to Her before the evening program during the 1987 Diwālī Festival in Italy.
Śhrī Lakṣhmī Welcome Song 1987: video

Trayanam devanam triguna-janitanam tava Śhive,
bhavet pooja pooja tava charanayorya vira chita I
Tatha hi tvat-padod vahana-manipeethasya nikate,
Sthita hyete shash vanmukulita karottamsa-makutah II
O Spouse of Śhiva! The homage rendered to Thy Feet becomes by itself the homage rendered to the Three Gods of Thy Three Guṇas.
It is, therefore, that these three Gods, Brahmā, Viṣhṇu, and Rudra, ever stand by the jeweled seat on which Thy Feet rest, with Their folded hands, adorning Their crowns.
(Verse 25, Saundaryalaharī by Śhrī Ādi Śhaṅkarāchārya)

Jai Śhrī Mātājī!
On behalf of the festivity team!