Diwali Padwa: wives perform aarti for husbands on a day marking marital bond

Diwali Padwa, also known as Balipratipada, is regarded as a festival of love, trust and closeness between husband and wife. On this day the wife performs aarti for her husband, praying for his long life, good health and progress.

Padwa is not only the start of a new year. It is also a day to recall the love, trust and companionship between husband and wife. The wife performs aarti for her husband, and the husband gives her a gift as a token of love, known as "neg". It is believed that this builds understanding and respect between the two.

The aarti uses a lamp, haldi-kumkum, akshat (unbroken rice grains) and flowers. The sentiment behind it is that all difficulties in the husband's life should go away and that he should have a long life and good health. The ritual is believed to bring positive energy and an auspicious atmosphere to the home and the relationship.

The wife is regarded as the husband's companion, who stands firmly by him in joy and sorrow. Out of this gratitude she performs his aarti and prays to God for his protection and progress.

Diwali Padwa is considered one of the three and a half auspicious muhurats. For this reason, a new life or a good undertaking is begun on this day. In Maharashtra, a newly married couple's first Diwali is celebrated in a special way at the wife's parental home or at the in-laws' house, where the son-in-law is honoured.

According to legend, King Bali was generous and loved his subjects. He had set people on a life of indulgence and luxury, rituals multiplied, and the gods, troubled by his growing influence, appealed to Lord Vishnu. Vishnu took the form of a small Brahmin named Vamana and asked Bali for three paces of land. Bali agreed. With his first two paces Vamana measured heaven and earth. When he asked where to place the third, Bali offered his head. Vamana sent Bali to Patala. Pleased with Bali's generosity, Vishnu granted a boon that the Kartik Shukla Pratipada tithi would be called Balipratipada and that Bali would be worshipped on it.

There is another legend. When Vishnu sent King Bali to Patala, Goddess Lakshmi asked Bali for a promise of protection and herself stayed there for some time. It is believed that the custom of the wife performing her husband's aarti on this day began in memory of this episode and as a symbol of the sacred bond and respect between husband and wife.

On this day traders worship their new account books, known as bahi-khata, and begin using them. This is regarded as the start of the new financial year.