Festivals

 

                 Narak chaturdashi / Chhoti Diwali

 In Dwaper yuga there was a fierce evil demon named Narkasura who presided over the land known as Pragjyotishpura (Guwahati).

Naraka was the son of the Earth Goddess Bhudevi (Bhumi) and Bhagwan Vishnu in His Varaha avatar.

In the company of an Asura named Banasura, Narakasur became very evil.

Narakasur did great penance and pleased Brahma Dev, who ultimately granted him the boon that only his mother could kill him. This greatly pleased Naraksur, as he thought no mother would kill her child.

Maddened with power, he brought all the kingdoms on earth under his control.

His next target was Swargaloka.

Even the mighty Indra could not withstand the assault of Narakasur and had to flee.

Narakasur thus became the Lord of both the heavens and the earth. Addicted to power, he stole the earrings of Aditi, the heavenly mother Goddess and kidnapped 16,100 princesses who belonged to all the kingdoms he defeated.

Aditi (mother of Gods) who was a relative of Shri Krishna’s wife Satyabhama, approached Satyabhama for help.

When Satyabhama heard of Narakasur's ill treatment for women and his behaviour with Aditi, she was enraged.

Satyabhama approached Shri Krishna for permission to wage a war against Narakasur.

As promised to the Devas and Aditi, Shri Krishna attacked the great fortress of Narakasur, riding on His Garuda(eagle) with wife Satyabhama. 

𝐊𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐧𝐚 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐚, 𝐍a𝐫𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫’𝐬 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥. 𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐬 𝐊𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐧𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 ‘𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐢' (𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐚).

In desperation, Narakasur launched his great weapon, Sataghni (a thunderbolt) on Shri Krishna but it made no impact on Him.

Finally Naraksur, attacked Shri Krishna with a divine weapon, Shakti, which hit Him in the chest, rendering him unconscious.

In a fit of rage, Satyabhama, who was an Avatar of Bhudevi fired a fiery arrow at Narakasur, which hit him in the chest, killing him. 

After the death of Narkasura Lord krishna released all the prisoners and told them that they were free to return their homes, the imprisoned women gathered together and told to the Lord

"Our families will no longer accept us because we have been captives for years in the realm of Demons therefore, oh Lord of the universe we ask you to accept us, defend us and save us from the life of ignominy.”

These 16100 princesses begged Lord Krishna to accept them because no one else would marry them if he did not accept them, they would end their lives. All these things considered lord Krishna to accept all women as his legal married wives, so that they could live an honourable life and no one would dare to exploit them.

So lord Krishna married them to restore their honour and raise their status in society.

𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐍𝐚r𝐚𝐤𝐬𝐮𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐤𝐚 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢 𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐢 𝐃𝐢𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐢.

In Goa, Narakasur effigies are made in advance and burnt on Narakchaturdashi before midnight to commemorate victory of Lord Krishna over Narakasur also called Sri Krishna Vijayotsav.