This article was published in our local Newspaper North Renfrew Times ( a bit edited to shorten it ) on Wednesady 13 November 2019
3 November 2019
Our Canadian Diversity – Diwali celebration
The Lions Hall in Chalk River was buzzing with excitement as more than 200 people, in festive mood, gathered there on the evening of Saturday 2nd November 2019 to celebrate the annual Diwali festival.
The event was organized by the East Indian Community of the Renfrew County . Many participants came in wonderful traditional dresses which added color to the event. It was very heartening that many friends (belonging to different cultures ) also joined in the celebration. India is a land of diversity – which is complementary to our Canadian society with multi-cultural ethos.
The evening reverberated with cultural entertainment program lasting for just a little less than two hours. There were stage dances , songs and instrument playing adding to the festivities. The Indian classical ” Bharat Natyam ” dance amongst others was cheered and applauded by all . Young as well as high school kids along with adults (both male and female) performed variety of musical and dance performances . The talent of budding performers was very visible. That cheered the participants – and the time just flew by.
After the entertainment program all settled down to enjoy the delicious and tasteful catered Indian food – with a number of traditional choices . It must be noted that at an Indian / Hindu festival /event – food is always vegetarian as many in India do not consume meat and when it is devoted to any deity the non-vegetarian food is a no no – because many Indians do consider all living beings as sacred .
Once coffee/tea and dessert was consumed , the participants relaxed, intermingled and chatted with each other. In fact they did the intermingling and chatting even before the entertainment program started . They wished each other Happy Diwali .
This year Diwali, in fact, was on Sunday October 27
The finale of the evening started after the meal /dinner , that was when the floor was open for anyone who wants to dance to the rhythmic beats streamed out by the DJ. Some of recent Bollywood as well as Bhangra tunes were offered . The floor was thronged by young and old -all freely dancing with so much fun and tempo. The program started closing down slowly but definitely at about 10.00 pm. and one by one families started to return to quiet of their homes
I am sure all celebrated the evening’s Diwali festival with gusto and reverence in heart.
Coming back to Diwali festival – this is celebrated in India since many millennia .
Diwali, the “festival of lights” is the most important festival for Hindus around the globe.
At the present time , it is said that the Diwali is a Hindu festival. However for millennia there was no religion called Hindu religion in India . It was an open society in ancient India and people were free to debate and decide as to how to further their spiritual beliefs. The free debate and discussions were encouraged,
This then have generated into an amalgam of religious beliefs – what is in present day known as Hinduism . Hinduism is unique in that it”™s not a single religion but a compilation of many traditions and philosophies.
The word Hindu or Indu was used by Greeks to denote the country and people living beyond the Indus river. By the 13th century, the word Hindustan began to be used as a popular alternative name for India, meaning the “land of Hindus“. Eventually, any person of Indian origin who did not practice Abrahamic religions came to be known as a Hindu, thereby encompassing a wide range of religious beliefs and practices.
The most prominent legend attached to Diwali is that of Lord Rama. Based on the holy epic Ramayana, the first Diwali was celebrated by the people of Ayodhya to welcome their beloved prince back to his kingdom.
The Ramayana is an ancient Indian epic, composed sometime in the 5th century BCE, about the exile and then return of Rama, prince of Ayodhya;
Lord Rama was a great warrior King who was exiled by his father Dashratha, the King of Ayodhya, along with his wife Sita and his younger brother Lakshman. Lord Rama returned to his Kingdom Ayodhya after 14 years of exile, in which he put an end to the demon Ravana of Lanka.
After this victory of Good over Evil, Rama returned to Ayodhya. In Ayodhya, the people welcomed them by lighting rows of clay lamps ( ” diyas “) – when the oil is burnt by the wick .
Over the millennia , the deeper meaning and lessons from Diwali celebration is inferred by the religious leaders and the public. Diwali is celebrated for the victory of Good over Evil .
It shows and guides all of us that good deeds are important and necessary for progress and peace in life. It is better to be productive and contributory towards progress and well being of the family, friends and society in general . It is sort of bad and bordering on evil to be disruptive and vindictive.
This is similar to Christmas. We celebrate the birth of Lord Jesus when celebrating Christmas but the underlying deeper meaning that we celebrate is that God Almighty cares for us and He even would send his only son to earth for our salvation. Christmas teaches us to be sharing and caring.
The lighting of the ” diyas ” when celebrating Diwali signifies that one needs to get rid of the selfish and materialistic thoughts which frees one from all forms of sadness and grief.
” Diyas” symbolize goodness and purity, and lighting them denotes dispelling darkness and going into light.
Hindus believe that placing a ‘”diya ” generates positive energy into the environment. The energy generated gives a positive effect on all the living organism. It leads to a spiritual path and provides serenity of mind and soul.
I believe , lighting a candle in a church provides similar serenity of mind and soul. The candle symbolizes light in the darkness of life especially individual life, Candle light often evokes the warmth of home and family.
As I understand , Hinduism is the world”™s oldest religion, according to many scholars, with roots and customs dating back more than 4,000 years. Today, with about 900 million followers, Hinduism is the third-largest religion behind Christianity and Islam. Roughly 95 percent of the world”™s Hindus live in India. Because the religion has no specific founder, it”™s difficult to trace its origins and history. Hinduism is unique in that it”™s not a single religion but a compilation of many traditions and philosophies.
So I wish all a Happy Diwali and wish/pray for spirit of brotherhood and peace.