THE country’s largest hindu organization, the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, is sticking to their call for Diwali to be celebrated on November 11. The Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan has declared November 10 as Diwali. The date declared by the minister is in harmony with the advice of a lesser known Hindu organisation called Viraat Sabha.
“A change in date doesn’t change our faith,” said the Dr Vindhya Persaud, the President of the Dharmic Sabha said today at a press conference.
The Dharmic Sabha has been advising the Guyana government of the Diwali date for the past 40 years.
According to the Dharmic Sabha, Diwali which occurs annually on Amawasya or the new moon day of the Hindu month of Kartik, is the 15th Tithi in the dark half of Kartik and the darkest night of the year.
And according to the Panchang/ Patra, this occurs on November 11.
“This coincides exactly with the western astronomers’ calculation of the new moon which is listed for Guyana as occurring on November 11 at 13:47 hrs. The new moon effect will be experience as darkness falls, the Dharmic Sabha said, adding that performing Maha Lakshmi Puja on November 11 would, therefore, be on new moon day as prescribed.”
The Viraat Sabhaa is arguing that what is explicit, as contained in the Kaashi Panchang/Patra – an annual publication on astrology and Hinduism – is that Pradosh Kaal, Nisheet and Mahaa Nischeet Kaal (all being auspicious times), are present on November 10.
With Amawasya (dark night) ending on 13:47 hrs on Wednesday, November 11, after which, automatically, a new moon begins, Viraat Sabhaa is arguing that this further confirms November 10 as the official day, since the festival cannot be observed in the new moon but must on the darkest night of the year.To further support their point, the body noted that the Panchangs/Patras also allude to world zones for these dates. The zone for Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname, according to them, shows the festival to be observed on November 10. Trinidad’s Swaha calendar confirms this, they say.