CELEBRATING DIWALI

Oct 30, 2016 Editorial, Features / Columnists

Diwali or Deepavali which is the festival of lights is an ancient Hindu gala that is celebrated in autumn of every year. Diwali is one of the largest and brightest festivals in India that is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains for a variety of reasons, but the main theme which runs throughout the festival is the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil.
Diwali is a five-day festival of lights, celebrated by more than one billion people around the world, particularly in countries with significant populations of Hindu, Jain and Sikh origin. These include Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Mauritius, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, the Netherlands, Canada, the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, and the United States. Diwali is an official holiday in Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore and Fiji.
The festival, which coincides with the Hindu New Year, is traditionally celebrated on the festival’s third day. The festival usually falls between the middle of October and the middle of November, and while each faith has its own reason to celebrate the festival, one of the most popular stories told is the legend of Lord Rama and his wife Sita returning to their kingdom in northern India from exile after defeating the demon king Ravanna in the 15th century BC. During Diwali, families and friends share sweets and gifts and give food and goods to those in need. It is also the time when new clothes are worn and houses are cleaned and decorated with candles and colorful lights and huge firework displays are held while families feast and share gifts.
The Spiritual significance is to mark the different historical events, stories or myths and a reminder to all people that the celebration symbolizes the victory that light and goodness are more powerful than darkness and evil, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair. When light enters one’s life, it is as if darkness had never existed.
The origins of the Diwali festival date back to the birth of Mother Lakshmi from the cosmic ocean of milk when it was being churned by gods and demons. On the third day of the celebration, Mother Lakshmi married Lord Vishnu and many Hindus invite Mother Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity into their homes by the lighting of diyas.
In Southern India, celebrants are reminded of Lord Krishna’s victory over the demon Narakasura. In the Jain religion, Diwali marks the spiritual awakening of Lord Mahavira. In Sikhism, all Sikhs would gather during Diwali to receive the Guru’s blessings.
The festival also marks the freedom from imprisonment of their sixth Guru.
It is important to note that different faiths and cultures around the world recognize the spiritual importance of this festival. In Guyana, Hindus, Christians, Muslims and others celebrate Diwali with their Hindu friends to symbolize unity to the world and that good triumphed over evil not only externally but in one’s hearts and minds.
The religious significance of Diwali varies regionally within India, depending on the school of Hindu philosophy, regional myths, legends, and beliefs. The Yoga, Vedanta, and Samkhya schools of Hindu philosophy share the belief that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite and eternal, called the Atman.
The celebration of Diwali as the victory of good over evil refers to the light of higher knowledge dispelling the ignorance that masks one’s true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality. With this awakening comes compassion and the awareness of the oneness of all things.
Diwali celebration brings family and friends of various religions together every year in Guyana. Happy Divali to all.

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