Fireworks, Lights Brighten Diwali Hindu Festival
John Roach, for National Geographic News, October 28, 2005
On Tuesday, fireworks and festive lights will brighten the moonless night as an estimated billion followers of the Hindu religion around the world celebrate Diwali, the festival of light.
Diwali may be news to many U.S. residents, but "it is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in the world, being a national holiday in India, Fiji, [Nepal], and Trinidad," G. Padmanabhan of the Hindu Temple Society of North America in Flushing, New York, said in an e-mail interview.
Diwali comes from the Sanskrit words deepa and avail and literally means "row of lights." The festival is associated with several Hindu myths about the triumph of dharma (righteousness) over adharma (unrighteousness) and light over darkness.
Padmanabhan explains that one story holds that on Diwali, the Hindu Lord Krishna destroyed Narakasura, the demon and titan of hell who conquered and plundered heaven and Earth.
In northern India, Hindus also worship the god Krishna at his abode, the sacred hill Govardhana. Krishna, believed to be the eighth incarnation of Vishnu, has deep religious significance to Vishnu devotees.
Return of the King
Mihir Meghani, a Freemont, California, physician who heads up the Hindu American Foundation, said the most common Diwali story is the return of Lord Rama (the seventh incarnation of Vishnu) to the ancient Indian city of Ayodhya after the defeat of the demon Ravana and 14 years of exile.
"It's a celebration of the joy and happiness the capital had upon the return of the king," he said. "It symbolizes the light of the king. The name Festival of Light signifies people's joy."
To celebrate the king's return, the people of Ayodhya lit thousands of clay lamps.
The day also has significance to Sikhs and Jains, followers of two other Indian religions.
For Sikhs, Diwali is a celebration of the release of the Sikh spiritual teacher Guru Hargobind from captivity by the Mughal emperor Jahangir.
For Jains, Diwali is the day Lord Mahavira, the Buddha-like founder of Jainism, died and attained nirvana, or enlightenment.
Light, Family, Friends
Diwali is celebrated with "extraordinary" festivity, Padmanabhan said. It has similarities to Christmas and new year festivities in other parts of the world.
"Houses are cleaned and painted to sanctify them. People wear new clothes and take pledges to begin a new life. Shops and offices are decorated with colored lights. Businessmen close their old account books and begin new ones," he said.
At dusk, homes and shops are lit up with lights and fireworks fill the skies. Friends and family gather to feast and exchange gifts. Padmanabhan added that there is no official ceremony, but the day is observed as a major public holiday.
Meghani, the California physician, said, "As with every festival, people will participate in different ways. Some will celebrate in a spiritual, religious way. Some will participate in a more social context."
On the religious side, people recount the stories associated with Diwali. On the social side, friends and family gather just as they do at any other holiday party.
Diwali itself is celebrated on the new moon of the lunar month of Kartika, which is the last day of the last month in the lunar calendar. It falls in either October or November on the Gregorian calendar, which is how the United States tracks the year. This year, Diwali falls on November 1.
"It is as important as Christmas Day, because it is a festival of lights and also as New Year's Day, because business houses start their new accounts/financial year on this day," Padmanabhan said.
Diwali in the U.S.
According to Meghani, most major U.S. cities have significant Hindu populations, and there are now an estimated 800 temples spread about the country. The biggest U.S. Hindu populations live in New York, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
"You'll find active programs at temples around Diwali time and prior to that a whole bunch of festivals leading up to it. You'll also find some things you might consider more social, like the traditional dances of raas-garba," he said, referring to Indian folk dancing.
On Tuesday, fireworks and festive lights will brighten the moonless night as an estimated billion followers of the Hindu religion around the world celebrate Diwali, the festival of light.
Diwali may be news to many U.S. residents, but "it is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in the world, being a national holiday in India, Fiji, [Nepal], and Trinidad," G. Padmanabhan of the Hindu Temple Society of North America in Flushing, New York, said in an e-mail interview.
Diwali comes from the Sanskrit words deepa and avail and literally means "row of lights." The festival is associated with several Hindu myths about the triumph of dharma (righteousness) over adharma (unrighteousness) and light over darkness.
Padmanabhan explains that one story holds that on Diwali, the Hindu Lord Krishna destroyed Narakasura, the demon and titan of hell who conquered and plundered heaven and Earth.
In northern India, Hindus also worship the god Krishna at his abode, the sacred hill Govardhana. Krishna, believed to be the eighth incarnation of Vishnu, has deep religious significance to Vishnu devotees.
Return of the King
Mihir Meghani, a Freemont, California, physician who heads up the Hindu American Foundation, said the most common Diwali story is the return of Lord Rama (the seventh incarnation of Vishnu) to the ancient Indian city of Ayodhya after the defeat of the demon Ravana and 14 years of exile.
"It's a celebration of the joy and happiness the capital had upon the return of the king," he said. "It symbolizes the light of the king. The name Festival of Light signifies people's joy."
To celebrate the king's return, the people of Ayodhya lit thousands of clay lamps.
The day also has significance to Sikhs and Jains, followers of two other Indian religions.
For Sikhs, Diwali is a celebration of the release of the Sikh spiritual teacher Guru Hargobind from captivity by the Mughal emperor Jahangir.
For Jains, Diwali is the day Lord Mahavira, the Buddha-like founder of Jainism, died and attained nirvana, or enlightenment.
Light, Family, Friends
Diwali is celebrated with "extraordinary" festivity, Padmanabhan said. It has similarities to Christmas and new year festivities in other parts of the world.
"Houses are cleaned and painted to sanctify them. People wear new clothes and take pledges to begin a new life. Shops and offices are decorated with colored lights. Businessmen close their old account books and begin new ones," he said.
At dusk, homes and shops are lit up with lights and fireworks fill the skies. Friends and family gather to feast and exchange gifts. Padmanabhan added that there is no official ceremony, but the day is observed as a major public holiday.
Meghani, the California physician, said, "As with every festival, people will participate in different ways. Some will celebrate in a spiritual, religious way. Some will participate in a more social context."
On the religious side, people recount the stories associated with Diwali. On the social side, friends and family gather just as they do at any other holiday party.
Diwali itself is celebrated on the new moon of the lunar month of Kartika, which is the last day of the last month in the lunar calendar. It falls in either October or November on the Gregorian calendar, which is how the United States tracks the year. This year, Diwali falls on November 1.
"It is as important as Christmas Day, because it is a festival of lights and also as New Year's Day, because business houses start their new accounts/financial year on this day," Padmanabhan said.
Diwali in the U.S.
According to Meghani, most major U.S. cities have significant Hindu populations, and there are now an estimated 800 temples spread about the country. The biggest U.S. Hindu populations live in New York, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
"You'll find active programs at temples around Diwali time and prior to that a whole bunch of festivals leading up to it. You'll also find some things you might consider more social, like the traditional dances of raas-garba," he said, referring to Indian folk dancing.