Diwali, a "festival of lights" cuts across many faith communities-Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, and Sikh. Diwali comes from the word听Deepavali, 鈥渁 row of lights.鈥� Observants light rows of clay oil lamps in their neighborhoods. This can represent the victory of light over darkness and/or knowledge over ignorance.
In the Hindu faith, there are multiple narratives that are celebrated during Diwali. They focus on the victory of goodness and light over evil. In southern India, it is the victory of Lord Krishna鈥檚 destruction of the demon Naraka who imprisoned and tortured women. In northern India, Diwali honors the return of Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana, from a 14-year exile in the forest.
In the Sikh faith, Diwali is also known as Bandi Chhor Divas and is a story of the struggle for liberation, and honours the conviction and compassion of the sixth guru, Guru Hargobind. In 1619, he was imprisoned under Emperor Jahangir along with 52 princes. When granted his freedom, he refused to leave the prison until all of the princes could come with him.
Did you know that Canada has one of the largest Sikh populations outside India? Or that Hinduism is Canada's third-largest religious group? This means that a wide range of Diwali festivities can be found in Canada, including oil lamps, colourful floor arrangements (rangoli), gatherings of friends and family sharing incredible food, bigger events hosted by temples and community organizations, singing, and dancing. A former student, Karuna Kapoor, PhD Plant Science. shared what the holiday meant to her from the Hindu perspective:
"Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is widely celebrated in India - irrespective of people's religion. There are several reasons for celebrating Diwali, from welcoming back Lord Rama from his fourteen years of exile, to celebrating goddess Lakshmi's birthday. But, for me, Diwali is all about new beginnings, the faith that the goodness in ourselves will always triumph over the evil, and bringing the best version of ourselves into the world. Celebrating Diwali is one of the ways for me to keep grounded and to stay connected to my roots and my culture."
For a story from a Sikh perspective,听that was just posted on the University of Alberta's student blog.
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