One of the most loved, enchanting and popular celebrations among Hindus is the Festival of Lights, also known as Diwali or Deepavali.
It is of great significance that many cultures depict the Divine as Light. We may often have heard the phrase ‘Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya’ (lead us from darkness unto light).
Light is the ultimate goal. It is from darkness that we all strive towards becoming the best we can. With that said, Diwali is perhaps the most well-known of the Indian festivals. It is celebrated throughout India, as well as in Indian communities throughout the diaspora. This festival of goodness over evil is the pinnacle of all religious activities for the year. Diwali is characterised by rejoicing, mutual friendship and sharing. The celebration of this joyous festival signifies the removal of all darkness, jealousy, greed, envy and other negative emotions.
In its place shines the light of wisdom and knowledge.
Celebration of light and life
This festival does not only unify Hindus of all castes and nationalities, but in reality, it blankets the whole world with feeling and thoughts of goodwill, love, brotherhood and charity. This festival – with its sanctity, splendour, rejoicing and festivity – has tremendous significance because Deepavali is a celebration of light and life. The external ethics of Deepavali – heralding happiness, stability, security, peace and prosperity – is profoundly meaningful to our world. The festival marks the victory of good over evil, of light over darkness, from untruth to truth, from ignorance to knowledge, and from bondage to liberty.
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The emancipation of man, represented in the vanquishing of Ravana by Lord Rama, is symbolic of the triumph of good over evil. Diwali commemorates the homecoming of the goodwill and faith of Lord Rama after a 14-year-long exile. In joyous celebration of the return of their King, the people of Ayodhya illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas and by letting off fireworks. The celebration is marked by illumination everywhere, with rows of lamps filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil, within every human being; the triumph of light over darkness; and knowledge over ignorance.
The oil or ghee in the lamp symbolises our vaasanas or negative tendencies and the wick, the ego. When lit by spiritual knowledge, the vaasanas are slowly exhausted and the ego too finally perishes. This while the upward movement of the flame beckons man to pursue the road to progress and urges him to ascend spiritually through sacrifice and service to mankind. The clay lamp – burning with ease and grace, equally brilliant whether in a hut or bungalow – imparts the lesson that all humans are born equal, irrespective of their colour or creed.
The lamp is a reminder of the upliftment of the individual – free of linguistic, social, cultural, religious, political and other dividing influences that separate us from one another. The significant spiritual meaning is the awareness of the inner light. When we say “the celebration of Diwali is the victory of good over evil”, this refers to the light of higher knowledge, dispelling all ignorance – the ignorance that masks one’s true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite and transcendent reality. With this awaking comes universal compassion, love and the awareness of the oneness of all things.
Inner joy
This brings Ananda (inner joy or peace). May the Festival of Lights continue to transcend barriers in the true spirit of Lord Rama and Mother Sita, and that this auspicious occasion will be celebrated with joy, fervour and gaiety by young and old, rich and poor in a symbolic gesture of overcoming darkness with light and out-flanking evil with the goodness of humankind.
May the fullness of God permeate our very being so that we dispel all hatred, jealousy and negativity within, us that so we can achieve unity in diversity, reconciliation, nation-building and peace. Let us pray and hope that the light of Deepavali will illuminate our hearts and rekindle the divine spiritual spark within us. In the life of Lord Rama, each facet of human personality is seen projected to absolute perfection.
Therefore, one must be imbued with a definite conviction about the supremacy of moral principles, ethical values and spiritual ideals.
These ought to guide one’s day-to-day actions and serve as a powerful means for the culture of the human personality. Let us all strive to imbibe and possess the virtuous qualities that are extolled in the Ramayana and exemplified in the life of Lord Rama.
Hindu Dharma
To save ourselves, mankind needs to learn from the lessons of universalism and humanism of Deepavali and Hindu Dharma that is enshrined in such basic tenets as: the world is one family; may we look at all with a friendly eye; God is one (and the wise describe the one Supreme Being in various forms). It is only when we understand that God is present in all things that we recognise the sanctity of all beings, respect the dignity and divinity in all beings, and treat all life as sacred.
Our sincere thanks and appreciation goes to all sponsors and donors, both businesses and individuals, for their kind and generous donations in cash and kind towards our annual Diwali grocery hamper collection drive that made it possible once again for the Estcourt Hindu Cultural Society to distribute 200 Diwali grocery hampers to indigent and needy families in Estcourt and surrounding areas.
On behalf of the officials and members of the Estcourt Hindu Cultural Society, I would also like to wish all matric learners best wishes and every success in their forthcoming National Senior Certificate Examinations and also convey heartfelt wishes to all Hindus for a prosperous, blessed and joyous Diwali.
May the Festival of Lights continue to transcend barriers, illuminate our hearts, rekindle the divine spark within us, and help bring back love, goodwill, harmony, peace and a sense of brotherhood among all, thereby uniting all of mankind.
May the loving Lord light up the lives of all human beings with peace, prosperity, harmony and happiness.
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