Or in English, “Happy Diwali!”
Sinclair celebrated the Hindu festival last week on Oct. 18. Students and Faculty of Sinclair gathered from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. in building 2 room 2-334 to honor the occasion.
Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights, though it is celebrated by many other cultures such as the Sikhs or the Jains. To many within the religion, Diwali is considered to be the most important holiday.
Diwali is celebrated every year on the 15th day of the Hindu month of Ashwin, which could either be in October or November. This difference in date is because the Hindu calendar is a Lunar calendar.
Diwali falls on Karthik Amawasya, Karthik being a month and Amawasya meaning new moon. It is celebrated for various reasons, perhaps most noticeably the triumph of light over darkness, the worship of the Goddess of wealth Lakshmi, or the celebration of the return of Rama.
In order to represent the triumph of light over evil, houses are lit from the outside using multitudes of candles. It is often encouraged to use many different colors of candles, creating an atmosphere of festivity much like Christmas.
During this time it is not uncommon to gift friends, family and even strangers with sweets and food. As was present at Sinclair’s festival, a wide variety of food can be gifted with sweets are generally preferred, such as a fudge sweet with various fruits called Sheera.
In fact, so many sweets and clothes are bought during Diwali that the holiday has become one of the biggest annual spending sprees. However it is not necessary to spend money to celebrate this holiday.
The origins of Diwali differ across cultures, but the most accepted theory is this: The cities of Ayodhya and Mithila’s families’ kingdoms were lit up with rows of glittering clay lamps. These lamps were to welcome home King Rama, a Deity, after 14 years of exile. It was a celebration of sorts, as he had just defeated Ravana.
Another story for the beginning of Diwali is to celebrate the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. It is believed that her birthday falls on Diwali. As Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth, this may explain why it is so common to spend money for Diwali.
Diwali is celebrated over the course of five days, with several activities taking place over this time. The first day is usually used to clean, most of the time the house but occasionally the office. This cleaning is in preparation of the festival, and as a side note in preparation for guests to come over.
Homes are marked during Diwali by hanging torans and marigolds above doorways. These are to welcome guests, and are often seen as symbols of good luck.
Along with all of these aforementioned festivities, Diwali is most importantly a time for prayer. Many Hindu prayers along with other eastern religions are performed in hymns, or chants. Since Diwali is commonly associated with Lakshmi, several prayers are linked to her.
With such a rich and diverse culture, it is no wonder that Diwali is one of the most celebrated holidays in the world. Whether it is observed for prayer, beauty or kindness to others, there are many reasons to celebrate Diwali.
Jacob Conger
Reporter