New Delhi: The Mughal Empire was one of the most influential empires in India’s history, with its impact pervading the country’s social and cultural landscape. It was not just their army that consolidated their empire but the policy of their emperors to respect the sentiments of the vast majority of the Hindu subjects in the land that made the administration popular.
On the other hand, Diwali is one of the most important festivals in India. The festival symbolises the spiritual victory of light over darkness, of the victory of good over evil. The celebrations of Diwali generally last five or six days and it is done with great pomp and splendour. Here, a question arises: Did the Mughals celebrate Diwali? In this article, we will take a look into it.
How did the Mughals celebrate Diwali?
During the time of the Mughals, Diwali was known as the Jashn-e Chiraghan and was celebrated with great enthusiasm. The Red Fort’s Rang Mahal was lit up with diyas on Diwali. It is evident from Emperor Mohammad Shah Rangeela’s painting which shows the Mughal officials celebrating Diwali outside the palace with some ladies.
For the celebrations of Diwali, the preparations would begin a month in advance and the best confectioners would go to Delhi from Lucknow, Mathura, Agra, and Bhopal. From the nearby villages, desi ghee was arranged to prepare delicacies and in the fort’s vicinity, the fireworks would be organized. The entire Red Fort was decorated with diyas, chandeliers, lamp stands, and faanooses.
According to Delhi chronicler and historiographer RV Smith, the celebration of Diwali by the Mughals was started by emperor Akbar. After Shahjahan shifted the capital of the empire from Agra to Delhi, he introduced the ‘Akash Diya’ (sky lamp) to the Diwali celebration. It was a giant lamp on a pole which was 40-yard-high and it was installed in the fort. For the lamp, more than 100 kilograms of cotton-seed oil or mustard oil was needed and workers would use big ladders to put oil and cotton in the vessel.
Also, the rich traders and the nobles would decorate their homes with earthen lamps. According to columnist Firoz Bakht Ahmed, during the reign of the last emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, a special Lakshmi Pooja used to be organised in the fort. From the Paiwalan area behind Jama Masjid, fireworks would be sent to the fort and both the nobility and the commoners used to prepare sweets. Grand fireworks would be held in the ground outside the fort. It is said that even the Mughal ladies would climb to Qutub Minar’s top to watch the lights and fireworks.
