🪔The Return 🪔
Happy Diwali folks!🎇
This Diwali, I’m celebrating Lord Rama’s return to Ayodhya after His 14-year long exile in the forest. He is said to have killed Ravana on Dussehra (Vijayadashami) and after a few weeks, returned to Ayodhya whose citizens celebrated their king’s return with lighted lamps and great festivity, which we now celebrate as Diwali.
I’ve tried to portray the scene where Rama, Sita and Lakshmana meet their family after 14 years. The citizens decorate the city, light oil lamps and gather into a massive crowd upon hearing that their king Rama is about return with His wife Sita and brother Lakshmana, wait with excitement, looking at the sky every now and then for signs of their arrival. The royal family of Ayodhya also wait in anticipation, with Bharatha in the front, holding His brother’s sandals, waiting to return them to His lotus-like feet.
They all hear an unfamiliar sound of wings, turn to look at the sky and witness an astonishing sight: their beloved Rama, Sita and Lakshmana on Ravana’s Pushpakavimana along with their new friends from the south-Lord Hanuman, Vibheeshana, Sugriva, Jambavan and Angada. All of them let out cries of joy and shower their long-awaited trio with flowers and proudly wave flags of their kingdom, welcoming back their ruler.
Kausalya didn’t see all this. She was disturbed by the number of war scars she saw on her beloved son’s body. Urmila was horrified by the huge gash on Lakshmana’s chest, the injury that almost took him away from her forever. Kaikeyi noticed how thin and exhausted Sita had become, and felt a twinge of guilt.
But when the three of them in question simply beamed at them all in return, with no more hard feelings in their minds, the mood lifted and now they could hear the acclamation of the citizens (along with an enthusiastic Hanuman’s “Jay Shri Ram” too). All was forgiven and it was time for a new beginning.
Let us all also forget all the hard stuff we’ve gone through this year and make way for newer and happier things yet to come. Happy Diwali!🎇
