On the night of Diwali, when the houses and courtyards are lit with lamps, the next morning a unique tradition is performed, the ritual of beating or beating the soup. This folk tradition is still alive especially in the villages of Bihar, Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand.

As soon as dawn dawns, women hold a bamboo spoon or broom in their hands and beat it lightly in every corner of the house. It is believed that by this action, poverty and ill-will go out of the house, and Goddess Lakshmi becomes the permanent abode.

At this time, a traditional sentence is said, ‘May food and wealth, Goddess Lakshmi come home, poverty should go out.’ The soup or broom is later left in a street or intersection, symbolizing the release of negative energy.

There is deep symbolism behind this ethos, the soup, which separates the grain from the chaff, was considered a symbol of the purification and richness of life. Just as soup separates impurities from food, similarly this action indicates removing misfortune from life.

Even though this practice has now become rare in urban life, it is still a part of faith and tradition in rural culture. It reminds that Diwali is not just a festival of lighting lamps, but a celebration of expelling negativity and new beginnings.