Situated on the banks of river Ganga, Bihar celebrates the festival of Diwali in the raw and rugged manner as the tradition goes by. For the entire Diwali season, Ganges becomes their dwelling place. All Diwali rituals are performed here and thus, with the color of festivity the banks of the holy river look like a fantasy land.
The custom of buying utensils at the occasion of Dhanteras prior to the Diwali day, is a must among the native people of Bihar. The day of Dhanteras is associated with the legendary story of Samudra Manthan (churning of sea). People commemorate the emergence of Dhanvantri amidst the violent tides of the ocean. The rituals consist of observing fast throughout the day, which is broken in the dawn with traditional Indian dishes like puris, mitha khaja etc. In between the festival of Dhanteras and Diwali comes Choti Diwali, which is set for the preparations of the D-day. Cleansing of houses and decorating them with flowers, Rangolis and lights are completed. Crackers on a smaller scale are burst as well.
It is Diwali, when a flock of people start their day by taking bath with the nectarous water of Ganga. After they take an early bathe, prayers are offered to the Almighty. Kheel, batashe, khilone, sweetmeat etc are used as the object of offering and then are distributed among the devotees. Eating unripe coconut and having beetle is customary among them. People of Bihar still use farm products like paddy and grass baskets as gift items.
With their unique customs, traditions and rituals, it is more than apparent that Diwali celebrations in Bihar have retained the old traditional values and essence to a larger extent. Only one week after is the famous Chhath Puja, which brings once more the same enthusiasm as that of Diwali.
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