Equals Diwali Celebration

Diwali is one of the biggest Hindu festivals and for five days in India it is celebrated with great enthusiasm and happiness. 

Background

Diwali is associated with wealth and prosperity and the celebrations last for five days. The first day of Diwali is known as Dhanteras but the main celebrations occur on the third day called Amavasya which is the Indian name for the new moon.

Colourful fireworks are associated with the festival and people light up candles and small earthenware oil lamps called diyas around their houses. They perform Laxmi Puja in the evening and seek divine blessings of Lakshmi who is the goddess of wealth. Diwali is a great favourite with children due to the lights, fireworks and sweets that are involved,

Because houses, shops and public places are decorated with diyas, Diwali is also known as the 'festival of lights'. The lamps are traditionally fuelled by mustard oil and are placed in rows in windows, doors and outside buildings as a decoration. The lamps are lit to help the goddess Lakshmi find her way into people's homes. In India oil lamps are often floated across the river Ganges and it is regarded as a good omen if the lamp manages to get all the way across.

The name of the festival comes from the Sanskrit word dipavali, meaning row of lights. As a harvest festival and a celebration of the lunar new year, Diwali has strong astrological energies similar to other festivals the world over. The festival celebrates the victory of good over evil, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance.

 The legends that go with the festival vary in different parts of India. Diwali commemorates the return of Lord Rama from his fourteen year long exile and the vanquishing of the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas and bursting firecrackers.

All the simple rituals of Diwali have a significance and a story to tell. The illumination of homes with lights and the skies with firecrackers is an expression of obeisance to the heavens for the attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace and prosperity. According to one belief, the sound of firecrackers is an indication of the joy of the people living on earth, making the gods aware of their plentiful state. Still another possible reason has a more scientific basis. The fumes produced by the firecrackers kill insects and mosquitoes which are found in plenty after the rains.

The tradition of gambling on Diwali also has a legend behind it. It is believed that on this day, the goddess Parvati played dice with her husband Lord Shiva, and she decreed that whosoever gambled on Diwali night would prosper throughout the ensuing year.

The Times of India summed up the modern meaning of Diwali

"Regardless of the mythological explanation one prefers, what the festival of lights really stands for today is a reaffirmation of hope, a renewed commitment to friendship and goodwill, and a religiously sanctioned celebration of the simple - and some not so simple - joys of life."
TheTimes of India editorial

Cowes Friendship Group Celebration

The Cowes Friendship Group made diyas a couple of weeks before their Diwali celebration. We used a salt dough recipe to make the diyas and then decorated them with sequins, gems, beads and glitter. We placed nightlight candles into the finished lamps.

Salt dough recipe

• 2 cups of plain flour
• 1 cup of salt
• 1 cup of cold water

Mix the salt and flour together, gradually add the water until the consistency is right. You want a firm dough-like texture. You can air dry whatever you make with the dough or bake in an oven at 200 °F until hard. Left over dough can be kept in an air tight container or wrapped in cling film and placed in the fridge for a couple of days before it goes hard.

On the Day

On the day Parul, one of the Cowes group members, told the group all about Diwali and how it is celebrated in India. Parul and Suman set up an altar with a picture of the goddess Lakshmi and lit some incense.

  Set 1/2  

Parul had made Laddu and these were offered to the gods as sacred sweets called Prasad. Then Parul and Suman performed Puja which is the act of showing reverence to a god, a spirit or another aspect of the divine, through invocations, prayers, songs and other rituals. They sang aarti for the goddess Lakshmi who is the goddess of wealth and prosperity.

When the singing was finished, Suman and Parul applied kumkum, a red powder, to all the married ladies foreheads to bless them with a happy married life. Everybody then stepped up to the altar to light their diyas.

  Set 1/5  

After the blessings and prayers were completed the group continued the wonderful celebration with a feast of vegetarian food that the members had prepared and brought along. There was music and dancing to end the celebration.

Details about Diwali from Parul and Suman and the BBC website
Photos from Sam, Parul and Arum.

Samantha Gilliam-Scott
Equals Friendship Group Coordinator

I found this a very moving experience and it was lovely to light the diyas and give thanks or make a wish for the coming year. It was very nice to see so many people of many different cultures and religions coming together and respecting and celebrating other people’s culture. This is what I love about the groups, it doesn’t matter where you are from or what your beliefs are, everyone is accepted and respected and we love to celebrate all the religious festivals together, expanding our knowledge and understanding of each other.