Gambling on Diwali
The five days of Diwali celebrations don’t end after gorging on sweets and enjoying gifts, the age-old tradition of gambling also makes this festival special. Families and friends get together to indulge in dice or cards. This ritual in all its spirit is a lighthearted revelry. During Diwali festival, gambling is considered lucky. It reflects a tradition wrapped in modernity, hence giving sanction to a vice. A popular maxim states that one who does not gamble on this day will be born as a donkey in his next birth.
 

Why Do People Gamble on Diwali ?

It is believed that on this day Goddess Parvati played dice with her husband Lord Shiva. She ordained that whoever gambled on Diwali night would prosper throughout the year. It also enlightens us about the the fact that Goddess Lakshmi  is capricious by nature and would not shy away from running out if care is not taken in handling her. It is meant to teach the importance of money and not as a game of indulgence. Moreover, it should be played for mere observation of an age old ritual and not indulged in for satisfaction of personal greed. Gambling has taken a new form and shape with the passage of time. People with limited financial resources also gamble and lose their hard earned  money in order to imitate the privileged class.

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