Deepavali literally translated means “Row of Lights”.
IT celebrates the victory of goodness over evil and light over darkness. For this event people are cleaning their houses and wearing new clothes. Of all the festivals, Deepavali is by far the most glamorous and important. Enthusiastically enjoyed by people of every religion, its magical and radiant touch creates an atmosphere of joy and festivity.
This festival commemorates Lord Rama’s return to his Kingdom Ayodhya after completing his 14 years of exile.
Homes are decorated, sweets are distributed by everyone and thousands of lamps lit to create a world of fantasy. It is celebrated for five consecutive days, where the third day is celebrated as the main Deepavali festival. On this day, people light up diyas all around their homes. They perform Laxhmi puja in the evening and seek divine blessings of the Goddess of Wealth, Light, Prosperity and Wisdom, but also to God Ganesh, the ‘Remover of Obstacles’ or the ‘Lord of Beginnings’.
While Deepavali is popularly known as the “festival of lights”, the most significant spiritual meaning is “the awareness of the inner light”. Vital to Hindu philosophy is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman. Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Deepavali is the celebration of this inner light, in particular the knowing of which outshines all darkness (removes all obstacles and dispels all ignorance), awakening the individual to one’s true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite reality.
With the realization of the Atman come universal compassion, love and the awareness of the ones of all things (higher knowledge).
This brings joy or peace. While the story behind Deepavali and manner of celebration varies, the essence is the same – to rejoice in the Inner Light or the underlying reality of all things.
As we light up our light, meaningfully on Wednesday night, let us light up our spiritual and divine light with kind words and deeds, loving thoughts and actions and rekindle and preserve our rich cultural and spiritual values. Let the light of our flickering and twinkling diyas burn brightly, dispelling, banishing and extinguishing from our lives’ path all gloom, darkness and ignorance and ushering in an atmosphere of enlightenment, peace and material and spiritual prosperity.
Deepavali is celebrated unanimously throughout the world as a gesture of goodwill. It ignites the values of self confidence, love for humanity, peace, prosperity and above all eternity which goes beyond all mortal factors.
On this festive and joyous occasion of Deepavali, the executive and members of the Guyana Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha and its Youth Group wish to extend a happy Deepavali greeting to all Guyanese, especially our Hindu brothers and sisters.