Page:Hindu Feasts Fasts and Ceremonies.djvu/39



N the day of the Dipavali feast every Hindu gets up at about 4 o'clock in the morning and bathes in oil before sunrise. From the baby to the oldest member in every Hindu household—every male and female-—has to go through this oil bath before sunrise—for the meritoriousness (punya) of the bath is supposed to be lost if it is not undergone before the appearance of the Lord of the day. What is the origin of this bath and why is so much sanctity attached to it? The Dipavali too is only of puranic sanction. The legend or legends which are quoted for the observance of this feast are to be found in the Bhagavata. At the time of Sri Krishna there was a mighty demon, named Narakasura, reigning over the country, called Pragjyotisha—the district lying to the east of Bengal, probably the western portion of Assam. According to a certain story Narakasura carried off the earnings of Aditi, the mother of the gods. The gods were power-