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National Diya lighted
Attorney General Charles Ramson and Pandit Ravi of the Indian Arrival Committee light the national diya at the Promenade Gardens, last evening. Hindus observe Deepavali on Friday.
In ushering in Deepavali 2010, “Rashtra Jyoti”, the symbolic lighting of a national diya was done at the Promenade Gardens, Middle Street last evening.
The lighting of the diya was sponsored by Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) in collaboration with the Indian Arrival Committee, and the Hindu Community.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Charles Ramson was the guest speaker at the event.
In attendance were members of the Cabinet, Deputy Mayor Robert Williams, Vice chairman of the PNC/R Basil Williams, Chief Executive Officer of GT&T Yog Mahadeo, and chairman of the Private Sector Commission Ramesh Dookhoo, who all gave remarks about Deepavali, the festival of lights.
Cultural dances were done by the Ishara and Shelita dance troupes.
GT&T’s collaboration and support through the sponsorship of the lighting of the diya represents another indication of the company’s continued involvement and commitment to significant national, religious and cultural events, Mahadeo said.
According to him, Deepavali or Diwali is the lighting of the national lamp and it is supposed to be an occasion or a festival that takes place on the darkest night of the year.
He said the diyas are lit to signify the contrast of the light to the dark night. The light dispels the darkness of ignorance and replaces it with wisdom. Deepavali also signifies the power to defeat evil and corruption, and to retain what is good, Mahadeo added. .
Mahadeo said that the GT&T family is increasingly enhancing the service it provides. The Deepavali programme is just one.
Deepavali is a festival where people of all age groups participate. They give expression to their happiness by lighting earthen ‘diyas’ (lamps), decorating the houses, bursting firecrackers and inviting near and dear ones to their households for partaking in a sumptuous feast. The lighting of lamps is a way of paying obeisance to god for attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace, valor and fame.
On Deepavali (Diwali) night, little clay lamps are lit in Hindus homes, but now a days colored electric lamps are also used. What is the significance of lighting a lamp? There is a logical answer to this question. It is through the light that the beauty of this world is revealed or experienced. Most civilizations of the world recognize the importance of light as a gift of God. It has always been a symbol of whatever is positive in our world of experience.
One Pandit disclosed that to Hindus, darkness represents ignorance, and light is a metaphor for knowledge. Therefore, lighting a lamp symbolizes the destruction, through knowledge, of all negative forces- wickedness, violence, lust, anger, envy, greed, bigotry, fear, injustice, oppression and suffering.
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