Students Celebrate Diwali: The Festival of Lights

On October 24th, 2022, Diwali celebrations began for Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains all over the world. The word Diwali is derived from the Sanskrit word deepavali, which means “rows of lighted lamps.” Diwali is an annual holiday known as the Festival of Lights that extends over five days, during which each religion celebrates its own historical events and stories.

For Sikhs, Diwali, better known as Bandi Chhor Divas, is the celebration of the sixth guru, Hargobind’s, and the 52 kings’ release from prison in 1619. Tradition holds that Emperor Jahangir imprisoned them for 40 days in order to save himself from a fraudulent curse designed by the emperor’s corrupt ministers. After the 40 days were over, the emperor agreed to free Guru Hargobind, but he would not leave without the 52 kings who had been wrongly imprisoned. The emperor declared only those who could hold onto Guru Hargobind’s robe would be allowed to leave, so he had a robe made long enough for the kings to hold onto. After his release, the Guru became known as “The Liberator.” When the Guru returned home, he was welcomed with diyas (clay lamps). Today, diyas remain prominent in the celebration, representing the Guru’s liberation and heroism. Fireworks, diyas, and candles are lit every year at Gurudwara Data Bandi Chor, the site of Guru Hargobind’s imprisonment. Many Sikhs will also make a pilgrimage to the Golden Temple, their most sacred site.

For Jains, Diwali marks the day their spiritual teacher, Lord Mahavira, reached Moksha, the end of the reincarnation cycle. Today, Diwali celebrates his many teachings, including compassion, justice through nonviolence, the importance of life, and even social, political, and economic equity. Lamps are used to commemorate his teachings and the enlightenment of humanity. Sweets are also distributed to celebrate his contributions to humanity. The day after Diwali, begins the Jain New Year. Jains partake in the holiday by fasting, singing hymns, chanting mantras, and giving to charity. It is a time for families to celebrate new beginnings, so new clothes are often purchased.

Hindus celebrate Diwali for different reasons depending on the region of India, where they live or where their ancestors lived. In Northern India, Diwali celebrates King Rama’s return to Ayodhya after he defeated the Demon King, Ravena, who abducted Sita, his wife. To do this, King Rama, who is also an incarnation of Vishnu, the God of Protection, used a divine arrow to shoot down Ravena during his 14-year exile. As Rama and Sita returned home, people left diyas on their doorsteps to light their way. In Southern India, many consider Diwali as a celebration of the day Lord Krishna defeated the demon Narakasura. In Western India, many observe it as the day Vishnu banished the demon King Bali to rule the underworld. There are many other meanings behind Diwali not listed here that readers can learn about in the Hindustan Times.

While Diwali is celebrated for many different reasons, a consistent theme behind each event and story is the victory of good over evil, like light overtaking the dark. Diyas represent the light, but rangoli, fairy lights, lamps, and firecrackers are also common fixtures of the holiday. To find out more about the celebrations, I spoke with sophomore and President of the Multicultural Student Association, Manisha Menon. She explained how her family participates in Diwali and what it means to her.

What is Diwali and how is it special to you?

It’s essentially the celebration of the New Year. So, basically Indian New Year. It is also called the Festival of Lights, which celebrates light over darkness. It’s special to me because it is a time when family comes together, dresses up, and lights diyas to celebrate the past year and the victory of light over darkness.

What traditions does your family keep during this time?

To celebrate, I usually dress up in Indian clothes, and we light diyas to put outside of our house. We use sparklers too, and we eat together afterward.

So, when you say it is a celebration of “light over dark,” what do the light and the dark each represent?

So, there’s a story behind Diwali and the main character, Rama. Rama gets exiled to a forest for 14 years. During the exile, he fought a battle and won. So, the light over darkness represents his victory over evil. Light is his victory, and darkness is evil.

Is the story true or is it a metaphor for life?

Rama is a god in the Hindu religion, so the story is up to one’s belief. It’s not necessarily a metaphor for life, but there is a theme and message [to take] from it.

To my understanding, Diwali is over 2,500 years old, so is the story of Rama still being retold year after year with the same emphasis?

Yes.

As the President of the Multicultural Student Association (MSA), can you share if MSA is planning anything to celebrate Diwali this year?

Yes! We have our first event on November 8th at 7:00 pm in the SUB! We’re going to be painting diyas and giving out free t-shirts.

Is anyone welcome, or just those who are members of MSA?

Yeah, everyone is welcome! We’re trying to bring back MSA as a bigger organization, so this is our first event of the year.

Last question, would you like to see Centenary do more to recognize Diwali, or is it preferable to keep the holiday intimate just among the Indian community?

For me, I like to celebrate with family and friends who truly appreciate the culture and holiday. I think it's different at Centenary because I am the only Indian person, so I feel like most people wouldn’t really understand the full significance behind it. It would be nice for Centenary to recognize Diwali, so that’s why I’m really excited about our first event!