Venkat Raman –
One of the most endearing aspects of a Festival is that it brings together people communities, and families, greet and share the joy of the occasion.
That was how it began when people began to mark some events in their religious and social calendar with passion and fervour. Hinduism, stated to be the oldest religion (many call it ‘a way of life’) accounts for events covering all the seasons of the year, not only to mark the ‘changing moons and moods’ and usher in periods of prosperity but also to pardon each other’s transgressions and trans-intrusions and rejoice in a festive atmosphere.
Positive Vibes
‘Love and share,’ ‘give and take’ and ‘forgive and forget’ are among the qualities that are inbuilt in this great religion. In fact, these form the core of all other religious beliefs, social conventions and community initiatives.
More than 60 years ago, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, one of the greatest Statesmen and Philosophers of India (he was also the First Vice-President and Second President of Independent India) said, “We live in a world of turmoil of guided missiles and misguided men. We need to realise the folly of confrontation and take the path of reconciliation with the spirit of trust, goodwill and friendship. We should prevent the world from descending into depths of depravation and death. Everything that mankind has earned is at peril.”
Those were not words of disdain but of wisdom, to lead the world through pleasantness and understanding, not pain and intransigence, through mutual respect and trust, not contempt and suspicions, and most important of all, through love and care, not greed and warfare.
Universal Good
Conquest of Evil by the Virtuous and destruction of the Bad by the Good and the Triumph of Truth over Untruth is not exclusive to Hinduism. In fact, every religion is based on the concept of ‘Brotherhood of man transcending the sovereignty of nations’ and ‘Good deeds please the Almighty.’ How far man has strayed away from this concept and taken the world towards the precipice of disaster is yet another subject that we will discuss elsewhere.
Spirit of Unity
Back to Diwali, this is a Festival that promotes the spirit of unity that is inherent in human beings, sometimes submerged in thoughts of conquest, jealousy, power, status, greed – everything in fact that generates the superiority or inferiority complex, which in itself is the precursor to all troubles. Diwali is a reminder to people that life, like evil itself has a short span and that ‘it is better to be good than bad, for in the end, the Righteous will prevail.’
Take the ‘Diwali Festivals’ the major ones, held in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, under the aegis of the Wellington based Asia NZ Foundation and organised by respective City Councils (in Auckland by the Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development –ATEED- agency). These events bring together hundreds of thousands of people of various ethnicities to experience Indian culture, enjoy Indian cuisine and learn Indian hospitality. The fact that the events are organised, not by Indians alone, but by people of European, Maori, Polynesian and Asian origin, has the wider participation of South East Asian communities is reflective of the ‘Unity Spirit.’
The Auckland Festival, held on October 17 and October 18, 2015 at Aotea Square in the Central Business District was the first of many around the country. We have a special report on this event elsewhere in this Special.
The Hindu Mythology
Some Hindu festivals have a mythological aspect but some scholars have interpreted them as ‘merely story-telling’ and that it is the purpose of these festivals that are important.
People in North India consider the return of Lord Rama with His Consort Sita and Brother Lakshman after 14 years in exile, after vanquishing Ravana of Sri Lanka and after a number of other ‘Deeds’ to which He was Ordained as the Avatar of Lord Vishnu. Gujaratis and Rajasthanis begin their new financial year with the Festival.
This is often misinterpreted as ‘Hindu New Year.’
For, people in South India interpret and follow Diwali in a different light (pun intended).
According to their belief, Diwali is a celebration of ‘Naraka Nivaran Chaturdashi,’ popularly known as ‘Naraka Chaturdashi.’ Observed on the second day of the five-day Festival, it commemorates the destruction of ‘Narakasura,’ a demon, by Lord Krishna and Goddess Kali (or Durga or Shakti). The day is marked by early morning religious rituals.
According to another interpretation, the Festival is called, ‘Kali Chaudas,’ in which ‘Kali’ means ‘Dark’ (eternal) and Chaudas means ‘Fourteenth,’ that is celebrated on the 14th day of ‘Dark Half’ of the ‘Kartik’ month.
In some regions in India, ‘Kali Chaudas’ is the day allotted to the worship of Mahakali (or Durga or Shakti) on the day She killed Narakasura.
From a more practical and social point of view, ‘Naraka Chaturdashi’ is meant to get rid of negative thoughts and idleness and entertain positive thoughts and active life.
The actual day of Diwali is on Wednesday, November 11, 2015. Like in India, Hindus in New Zealand will celebrate the Festival with their families, friends and members of the community in their homes and other places of congregation. Temples and Gurdwaras around the country will conduct special prayers and witness the gathering of thousands of men, women and children.
We have reports on these in this Diwali Special.
