Diwali: The festival of lights.

Every year the Hindu community celebrates the feast of Diwali. It is a festival of light. Signifying the conquest of darkness by light, the victory of goodness over evil. In different religions the symbol of light is made use of to show the glory of God, the victory of good over evil, and the participation of human beings in the light and glory of God!.

Deepawali, the Hindu feast of light, is one of the most pan-Indian feasts which is celebrated with great enthusiasm and joy by all sections of people. The feast brings tighter many myths. Here the word ‘ myth’ is   not used in a pejorative sense but rather as the expression of religious truths by means of stories. These stories bring out the deep yearnings of human beings. The many phenomena of nature manifest to us the relationship of the human being to the ultimate mystery, God himself.

This important feast of Diwali is celebrated 20 days after Dassera, on the 13^th day, on the dark fortnight of the month of Ashwin, October- November. The festival proper lasts five days. The first day of Diwali is called Dhanvantari  Triodasi, meaning, the thirteenth lunar day of Krishnapaksh, the dark fortnight of the month of Kartik. The second day of Diwali festivities is known as Narak Chaturdashi, meaning the fourteenth day. Narakasur was a wicked king who fought against the neighboring kings and imprisoned 16,000 women. He also snatched away the chatra  of Indra and the ear-rings of Aditi, the mother of the God’s. He became very proud and ambitious. He became convinced that nobody could conqure him. The third day of Diwali is known as Laxmi Puja the most importnat day of the Diwali festival. It is also known as Chopada- Puja. On this day the sun enters his second course and passes Libra which is represented by balance or scale. The fourth day of Diwali is called Padva or Varsha Pratipada which marks the coronation of king Vikramaditya and the beginging of the Vikrama samvat. in some parts of India people perform Govardhan Puja. The fifth and final day of Diwali festival is called Bhayya Duj, or Bhai Bij or ‘Bhai Tika. The legend behind this day is Yamma the god of death visited his sister Yammi on this day.

There are also other dimensions to this feast. Monsoon is slowly coming to an end and the cloudy, dark period will soon be over. In some parts of the country at this time the birth of a new year is celebrated. So this feast has some relationship to nature. This feast comes as a feast of hope and hard work. The significance of Diwali celebration is that the true and good overcome the untrue and ungodly. Good triumphs over the evil is our conviction.

Diwali brings to our minds the gift of family, children, cleanliness, gaiety, the value of community life,etc. these  are wonderful values which this festival fosters.

I WISH ALL MY HINDU BROTHERS AND SISITER A HAPPY AND JOYFUL FEAST OF DIWALI MAY THE LIGHT OF GOD SHINE UPON US AND SHOW US THE WAY TO  HIS GLORY.

Fr. Tony Andrade.