Drive you to blog world

Regional celebrations of Diwali

The celebrations of Diwali differ from region to region. There are many legends associated with Diwali and its celebrations. In Northern and Western regions of India, Diwali is celebrated to mark the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after defeating and killing the demon king Ravana. In Eastern states, Diwali is associated with the story of Narakasura, who had become a menace to people. He is killed by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama. In Maharashtra and Mysore, Diwali is associated with King Bali. He was very popular with his subjects for his generosity. His popularity could not be endured by gods as he was an asura. They went to Lord Vishnu and beseeched him to cut Bali down to size. Upon the request of gods, Lord Vishnu went to King Bali in the guise of Vamana, a diminutive Brahmin, and requested the king to give him land equal to three steps. The generous king agreed. Then Lord Vishnu occupied earth with one step and heaven with the second step. He then asked King Bali where he should put his third step. Bali agreed to take the third step on his head. Thus Lord Vishnu pushed Bali to the underland. But, he gave him the lamp of knowledge and allowed him to come up once a year and light lamps to dispel darkness and spread the light of wisdom. From that time onwards, people have been celebrating his arrival on Bali Padyami. In Bengal, people celebrate Diwali as part of Kali puja. Kali is another form of Durga, the most powerful goddess. Goddess Kali pierces darkness with her strength. In North and South, people light earthen lamps on the occasion of Diwali. In the South, people light earthen lamps also on the day of Karthika poornima (full moon day), which falls a fortnight later. The lights are meant to welcome Goddess Lakshmi to the households, which would result in prosperity. It is believed that the fireworks would scare away evil spirits. In Punjab, the day following Diwali is called Tikka. On this day, sisters prepare a paste with saffron and rice and place it on their brothersÃ¢ÂÂ foreheads to ward off all evil. People in Maharashtra exchange gifts on the second day of Kartika. There, on Trayodasi, the thirteenth day, a festival honouring a prince taken away by Yama, the god of death, is observed. The princeÃ¢ÂÂs life was taken away four days after his marriage. Out of compassion for the departed youth, Yama assured that those who observed the day would not be subjected to untimely death. For this reason, the lamps lighted to commemorate the occasion are positioned facing the south, because southern direction is specified for Lord Yama. Diwali is celebrated not only in India, but also in many other countries. With more and more Indians migrating to other countries, Diwali is being celebrated as a major festival across the globe. Diwali is celebrated in countries such as the US, Britain, Suriname, Canada, Fiji, Australia, Mauritius, Malaysia, Trinidad and Tobago, South Africa, Guyana, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Thailand. There, it is the festival of lights that unites all the people of Indian origin living in that country. With Indian diaspora present in so many countries, sending gifts assumes great significance as it brings them together on specific occasions such as these. Diwali Celebrations Related Articles - Diwali, Diwali Celebrations,

_{-- Delivered by Feed43 service}

UK debt increases: but it's nothing to do with a mortgage

Debt charities have reported they are hearing from an increasing number of people whose spending is out of control. Their records are showing that, on average, people who turn to the Consumer Credit Counselling Service for advice owe ÃÂ£31,000 which does not include their mortgage. The rising trend means more Britons will need to reduce the interest charges they pay and actively manage debts. The large sums involved also mean that more will find themselves in the dangerous territory of debt consolidation loans Ã¢ÂÂ and the loans industry is not regulated by the Financial Services Authority. But in their desperation, consumers attempting to take control of their debts are being warned to beware of unregulated loans that can lock them in for years and leave them at the mercy of rocketing exit charges. As the name suggests, these loans fall outside the normal safeguards we have come to expect when borrowing money. They are typically loans made to individuals, outside any mortgage arrangements, for amounts above ÃÂ£25,000. Personal loans for amounts below ÃÂ£25,000 are subject to the Consumer Credit Act. This ensures lenders cannot impose excessive fees or conditions on their customers. These protections are particularly valuable when borrowers want to pay off their debts early. In these circumstances the Act says lenders cannot charge a fee of more than one month's interest. Better still, if the term of the loan is one year or less, lenders cannot charge and early repayment penalty. Mortgages, which are invariably for more than ÃÂ£25,000, have their own protection provided by the Financial Services Authority. Its rules mean that when borrowers repay a mortgage early or fall into debt, charges are limited to the costs the lender will incur. None of these safeguards are enjoyed by borrowers who take out unregulated loans. Unregulated lenders include complicated and costly repayment penalties in the small print of their contracts. Arbitrary charges for early repayments are common and penalties can lock borrowers in for years, during which time they are also at the mercy of rising interest rates. So do secured loans make sense? While secured loans can make financial sense in certain circumstances, as borrower, you should carefully assess the terms and conditions attached to the loan. You also must be certain that you can repay the loan. The lender enjoys the security aspect of the loan, not the borrower. If you cannot handle the repayment, the lender can forcibly sell your house to recover the loan. This is why many consider the secured loan as a last resort and that the only justifiable reason for such a borrowing option is a need to reduce or consolidate existing debt costs. The two leading reasons for taking out a secured loan are unsecured debt consolidation and financing home improvements. Other popular reasons for secured borrowing are mainly buying a new car, paying for a wedding and buying property abroad. Given the UK public's current appetite for borrowing, the secured loans industry is unlikely to go into recession. Datamonitor research expects such loan advances to reach ÃÂ£51 billion by 2008. Get great articles on Personal Loans from Personal Loans for me Related Articles - Loans, secured, unsecured, personal,

_{-- Delivered by Feed43 service}