Diwali - Hindu Festival of Lights - Ananda Washington

Diwali – Hindu Festival of Lights

By Suman Tewari

The name “Diwali” or “Divali” is a contraction of “Deepavali”, which translates into “row of lamps”. The date falls according to the Hindu Lunisolar calendar The festival is symbolic of the victory of light over darkness as sought in the prayer, Tamaso ma Jyotir gamaya (Lead us from darkness to light) and the ascendance of enlightenment over ignorance.

While Diwali is popularly known as the “festival of lights”, the most significant spiritual meaning is “the awareness of the inner light”. Central to Hindu philosophy is the assertion 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 all ignorance, 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 (higher knowledge). This brings anand (joy or peace). Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Diwali is the celebration of this Inner Light.

Though the story behind Diwali and the manner of celebration varies from region to region (festive fireworks, worship, lights, sharing of sweets), the essence is the same – to rejoice in the Inner Light (Atman) or the underlying Reality of all things (Brahman). In this spirit it is not unlike what we call the “Christmas spirit” of giving and sharing on the basis of our kinship as children of God.

For Hindus, Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes. It involves the lighting of small clay lamps filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. These lamps are kept on during the night and one’s house is cleaned, both done in order to make the goddess Lakshmi feel welcome. Firecrackers are burst because it is believed that it drives away evil spirits. During Diwali, all the celebrants wear new clothes and share sweets and snacks with family members and friends.

Two legends of Diwali show the triumph of good over evil and tell of the destruction of two monsters that preyed on humanity. The first legend (common in northern India) is the killing of the demon Ravana. Ravana, who had ten arms and ten heads, was the wicked king of the island of Sri Lanka, who kidnapped the wife of Rama. After a great battle, Rama killed the demon and regained his wife, Sita. Rama’s return with Sita to Ayodhya and his subsequent coronation as king is celebrated at Diwali. When Rama and Sita first returned to Ayodhya it was a dark moonless night and they couldn’t see where they were going. The townspeople put little lamps outside their houses so that the new king and queen could find their way, thus beginning the tradition of the festival of lights.

Second legend is the killing of the demon Narakaasura, an evil king of Pragjyotishpur, near Nepal. He ruled with a reign of terror, abducted the daughters of the gods and stole the earings of Aditi, mother of the gods. The gods asked Lord Krishna for help and after a mighty battle he killed the demon, freed the girls and recovered the earrings. After his victory Krishna returned very early in the morning and was bathed and massaged with scented oils. Taking an early morning bath with oil is still a Diwali tradition.

For many Indians (especially Gujaratis) the festival honors Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. People start the new business year at Diwali, and some Hindus will say prayers to the goddess for a successful year. Hindus will leave the windows and doors of their houses open so that Lakshmi can come in. Rangoli are drawn on the floors – rangoli are patterns and the most popular subject is the lotus flower. This because images of Lakshmi traditionally show her either holding a lotus or sitting on one. There is much feasting and celebration, and the Diwali lamps are regarded as making it easy for Lakshmi to find her way to favored houses. The goddess Kali is celebrated at Diwali in the Bengali and Oriya areas of India.

Diwali is not only celebrated by Hindus; it is also a Sikh festival. Hindus celebrate Diwali because of the Ram Sita story; however, Sikhs celebrate Diwali as it marks the Chhorh Divis. This was when the sixth guru, Guru Hargobind Ji, released 52 Hindi kings out of prison.

Diwali is an official holiday in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore and Fiji. In the United States, with increasing Indian population, Diwali is assuming significant importance year after year. Diwali was first celebrated in the White House in 2003 and was given official status by the United States Congress in 2007 by the former president George W. Bush. The first president to personally attend Diwali at the White House in 2009 was Barack Obama. On the eve of his first visit to India as the President of United States, Obama released an official statement sharing best wishes with “those celebrating Diwali”. Indians in the US celebrate Diwali in different parts of the US, just as in India. The Diwali Mela in Cowboys Stadium boasted an attendance of 100,000 people in 2009. In 2009, San Antonio became the first U.S. city to sponsor an official Diwali celebration including a fireworks display and 5000 people in attendance. In 2011, The Pierre in New York City, now operated by Tata Group’s Taj Hotels, hosted its first Diwali celebration.

Wish you a Happy Diwali !!!