Diwali, Festival of Lights

Diwali, the festival of lights, is the biggest festival celebrated in India.  While it is deeply rooted in Hindu tradition, Diwali is also celebrated by other Indian religions like Jainism and Sikhism.  In recent times, Diwali, like the Christmas in the US, has evolved into a cultural festival in India.  People buy new clothes, home goods, gifts, gold and jewelry because this time is considered auspicious. It also coincides with the Hindu New Year.

The celebrations last five or six days!

The word Diwali derives from the original Sanskrit word Deepavali, which literally means a string of lights, and symbolizes the victory of good over evil and light over darkness. Because it is celebrated according to the lunar calendar, Diwali usually comes between mid-October and mid-November.

Hindus recognize Diwali as a day celebrating the return of Prince Rama of Ayodhya, his wife Sita, and brother Lakshman after 14 years of exile. Prince Rama is considered to be an incarnation of God Vishnu and an embodiment of dharma or righteousness; and Sita is an incarnation of Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity. The residents of Ayodhya were overjoyed at the return of their rightful King and lit lamps in his honor. Thus, the entire city looked like a row of lights.

People light lamps at Diwali to remember that light triumphs over dark, knowledge prevails over ignorance, and good triumphs over evil. On Diwali, people pray to Lakshmi and to Ganesha, the God of new beginnings and remover of obstacles.

This year, I learned why Hindus pray to Goddess Lakshmi on Diwali. According to a Vedic legend, she was born from Samudra Manthana, the churning of the cosmic ocean of milk by the Devas (gods) and the Asuras (demons), and Lakshmi chose and wed Vishnu on the night of Diwali.

Like every year, this year we cleaned and decorated our house for Diwali.  I got up early in the morning to take a ritual oil bath and wore new clothes.  We then made rangoli (colorful patterns made with rice flour) in our puja or prayer room and outside the entrance of our house. We then lit up the house with diyas (oil lamps made of clay), lights and candles.  After praying to Goddess Lakshmi, we went outside to light fireworks. My sister’s roommate from college had also come over, and we had a blast. My mom made sweet Appams, which are like sweet dumplings made with jaggery and rice flour. We also had traditional Indian sweets or Mithai – we had Jalebis, Gulab Jamuns and Kaju Katli.  It was so much fun!

The spirit of Diwali extended beyond our home, with many Diwali celebrations in our town.  We attended numerous Diwali parties, and the Wilton YMCA and the Wilton Hindu Mandir both had their own Diwali celebrations. This year was especially memorable as I was able to persuade my high school - St. Luke’s, to recognize Diwali. For the first time, we were given the day off to celebrate Diwali!

Diwali is more than just a festival; it is a tapestry of love, joy, and hope woven together by the bonds of family and community. As we celebrate, we remember that light will always conquer darkness, knowledge will dispel ignorance, and good will prevail over evil.