Friday, November 5, 2010

The Light of Diwali


 * Diwali in 2012 will start on Tuesday, the 13th of November and will continue for 5 days until Saturday, the 17th of November.

Friday begins Festival of Diwali, an important celebration in Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism.  Diwali or Deepawali, translates to "row of lamps" because lamps of oil are lit to signify good over evil.  This holiday is known as the Festival of Lights and sweetness.  It is a symbol of the victory of good over evil, brightness over darkness, and truth over falsity.  Of all the festivals celebrated in India, Diwali is by far the most glamorous and important, with people from every part of the region enjoying an atmosphere of joy and happiness.

Diwali is celebrated for five days according to the Hindu Calender.  It begins in late Ashvin (between September and October) and ends in early Kartika (between October and November).  Some in India who celebrate this holiday also use it to mark the end of the harvest season.   In addition, it is also seen as an auspicious occasion for business enterprises and businesses.   The day is celebrated with prayers (pooja) to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Diwali, this year, also happens to coincide with our time change this weekend. There are many organizations and groups who are planning activities around these festivities.

Diwali is known as The Festival of Lights, the spiritual meaning of the celebration of "light" is to remember the awareness of our "inner light".  When we remember the good that exists inside of all of us...we make a more conscious effort to project that positive light out into the world and do good.  Our compassion and consciousness is raised and we realize the "oneness" of all things.

~ diane

You may also enjoy:
The Many Faces of Genesha
The Art of Mehndi

Images courtesy of Creative Commons.

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1 comment:

  1. Very informative! Lots of folks don't know much about the meaning behind Diwali. good article!

    ReplyDelete

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