THOUSANDS of Essequibians, on Monday evening, joined the rest of the country in celebrating the Hindu festival of Diwali, the Festival of Lights.

Families began lighting of their diyas as early as 18:00 hrs after conducting their Lakshmi puja. Rangolis and diyas adorn the entrance of the homes of most families.

According to Pandit Avinash Sharma, the essence of the festival lies in its spirit, ‘Tamaso ma jyotirgamaya’, which means “Lead me from darkness to light”— awareness of the ‘inner light’.

“It is this light that has the power to outshine darkness and clear all obstacles in life. It is this light that leads us from an inner state of inertia towards exuberance and awareness to lead a truly fulfilling life,” Sharma said.

A drive through villages revealed that persons made extra efforts in lighting more diyas this year after the COVID-19 lock down. Housewives were busy in the kitchen preparing sumptuous delicacies to be shared with friends and families. They also cleaned their homes days ahead of the festival as it is believed that the goddess enters a devotee’s home that is clean and has welcoming energies.

Prior to the celebration of the festival, a series of activities were held by the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha in Essequibo, starting with Deep Jale and the motorcades.