Indian
Culture
Behind the Lights: An Analysis of the Festival of Diwali
by Rajiv Bansal
Over one billion in the world. Over 350 000 in Canada. Those numbers represent the number of Hindus living in the world and in Canada. This is one of the most practiced religions in the world and Diwali (also known as Deepavali) is its largest festival. I wanted to learn more about the story of Diwali and how it is practiced in Canada.
Before delving into why Hindus celebrate Diwali, it is important to note that Diwali is celebrated by a variety of religions and for many different reasons. In Sikhism, Diwali is celebrated because Guru Hargobind Ji was released from prison along with 52 other princes. For Buddhists, Diwali marks the day where Emperor Ashoka stepped away from his life of war and bloodshed and sought peace in Buddhism. Jains celebrate Diwali because it marks the day when Lord Mahavira attained moksha and nirvana, liberation and eternal bliss.
In Hinduism, Diwali is celebrated because of the return of Prince Ram to Ayodhya. He was exiled for 14 years because his stepmother wanted her biological son, Prince Bharata to become king but Ram was next in line for the throne. Ram was accompanied by his brother, Lakshman, and wife, Sita, for his exile. During their exile, Sita was kidnapped by the demon king Ravana, and taken to his kingdom in Lanka. Ram and Lakshman then ventured to Lanka to rescue Sita and were accompanied by Hanuman, a Vanara, meaning a forest-dwelling man, and his army of monkeys. A war was waged between Ram and Ravana, and Ravana was ultimately defeated and Sita was rescued. After rescuing Sita, they all returned to Ayodhya and Bharata gave the crown to Ram, as he too believed that Ram was the rightful king. The citizens of Ayodhya lit rows of clay lamps to celebrate the return of their king. ‘Clay lamps’ translates to ‘deepa’ in Hindi, and ‘rows’ translates to ‘avali’, hence the name Deepavali.
With this background knowledge of Diwali, I wanted to learn more about how the festival was celebrated in Canada, and in broader terms, more about how Hinduism is practiced in Canada. I was fortunate to sit down with Pandit Pankaj Dixit, a Hindu religious minister, at the temple at which he practices, The Bhartiya Cultural Society of Alberta in Edmonton, and he told be about the story of Diwali as well as some of the changes he has observed in Hindus in India versus Hindus in Canada. He was very adamant about communicating the teachings of Hinduism to the next generation. He believed that a future for the religion in Canada existed primarily on the basis of the children of Hindu immigrants understanding the teachings. In relation to this, he had mentioned that a major key to understanding Hinduism was understanding the ancient language of Sanskrit, and many children of immigrants do not understand Hindi, let alone Sanskrit. His strategy to combat this barrier was very evident in the Diwali ceremony performed at the temple, in that he was explaining to his audience what he was doing and the significance of certain rituals not only in Hindi but also in English.
The style in which the Pandit’s teachings were delivered was not the only thing that changed about the festival after being brought to Canada. As many individuals may know, Diwali is often dubbed ‘the festival of lights’, and is iconic for the firecrackers and outdoor celebrations that individuals partake in both at temples as well as their homes. However, due to various regulations in Canada differing from those in India, not every individual can light firecrackers at any location, as a result, firecrackers that are often lit near individuals’ neighbourhoods in India, are restricted to parking lots of Hindu temples elsewhere. Another change that I witnessed in the festival was that many individuals in the Indian community had brought their non-Indian, or non-Hindu guests to the temple, and I believe this showed how in Canada, Diwali has transcended the limits of a religious festival and welcomes all those who value togetherness, the ability for good to conquer evil, and the empowerment of the inner light present in all mankind.
Other than changes in the festival itself, the Pandit had also mentioned how some Hindu immigrants do not put as much focus on their religion and the Hindu community, as he would like them to. He is not ignorant to the challenges that immigrants are faced with after moving to a new country, as he too has only been here for twelve years. He acknowledges that the priorities that come with working somewhere new and integrating into a new society can outweigh those that come with supporting any, not just the Hindu community. He does believe that once individuals have successfully integrated into their new societies, it is imperative that they come back to support their traditional communities, otherwise they risk losing their identity, and he believes that without an identity, individuals are nothing.
In order to get a fuller understanding of the festival, and learn what locals interpreted the significance of the festival, when I went to observe the festival, I spoke to some locals at the temple. From these informal discussions, there were five recurring themes, including the importance of family, different religions uniting showing pluralism, serving without expecting a reward, overcoming negative tendencies to brighten the inner light, and respecting and praying to women. The importance of family was often related with the Ramayana in that many characters throughout the story go to extreme lengths to unite their respective families, and the way Diwali is practiced, it is often celebrated with the family, and the principle of togetherness is given great importance. As mentioned earlier, many different religions celebrate Diwali for different reasons, but the fact that their devotees can celebrate their most important day of the year in harmony shows a standard for the coexistence of religions that other regions comprising of many religions can also achieve. Diwali is often a time where individuals donate more generously and do more volunteer work, and is reflected in the Ramayana in that Hanuman helps Prince Ram and does not expect a reward, he does so simply because he has the ability to do so, and this way of thinking should be ideally practiced throughout the year but is especially given importance during Diwali. Diwali is often dubbed ‘the festival of lights’ and is known for its fireworks, but many Hindus believe that the moniker is given because it represents the internal light not the external. This internal light is positive energy and the Ramayana tells the story of good conquering evil, and similarly, Diwali is a time where negative energy is defeated. For example, individuals attempt to get rid of bad habits and companies start a new financial year. The final common theme was that Diwali was especially a time to show women the respect they deserve (also should be practiced year- round) and that they should be prayed to. Families often pray to the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, during Diwali and Hindus believe that the power of the gods is strongest in young girls, and during Diwali, special prayers are performed to show respect to these young girls.
Through my own research in addition to speaking with Pandit Pankaj Dixit, as well as some locals, I am glad I have been able to learn about a festival important to so many people in Edmonton, Canada, and even beyond. In conclusion, I hope that you, as the reader, have also learned something about those living in your community and I would like to wish you all a Belated Happy Diwali!
