Divvela Panduga or Divili Panduga, one of the important festivals of
Andhra Pradesh, is celebrated to commemorate the victory of
Lord Krishna over Narakasura - the demon king. Divvela Panduga is also called Naraka Chaturdasa or Naraka Chaturdasi, as Narakasura was killed on the Chaturdasi (fourteenth day) of the fortnight that ends with Amavasya.
On this day, devotees rise up early and take ritual showers. Married daughters are invited to home. For the business community, the festival is marked with a puja of Goddess Lakshmi and is the beginning of New Year. Lamps with four wicks are lighted and the effigy of Narakasura is burnt. Lord Yama is worshipped.
Lamps are lit all through the fortnight by some, and on the Amavasya day, the victory of Lord Krishna is celebrated with fire works. The tradition of offering prayers on the previous day of the Naraka Chaturdasa to the vessel in which water is being heated for having bath is continuation of Lord Krishna’s bath after slaying the demon king Naraka. Krishna is known to have taken oil bath immediately afterwards to get rid of Naraka’s blood of his body.
