Diwali – a festival that transcends boundaries

The Holiday season in the West begins with the turn of Autumn. A steady descent in temperatures, the reticent sunrises, and the early sunsets mark a change in atmosphere and mood. A mellowness of heart creeps into our being. The fierce summer heat alchemizes into a gentle warmth that drapes and caresses our souls and skins. During this time, we unconsciously steel ourselves for a period of joy and restoration. Yes, restoration – to heal our frayed psyches, cleanse them of the burdens and scars of the year, and revitalize the body and mind for the promise of a new beginning. Half a world away, In India, Diwali, the crown jewel of all the Indian festivals celebrated on the 12th of November, carries a similar spirit. It marks the end of a long list of religious events that punctuate the Indian holy calendar. And it is the most secular of all the festivals. An earthly constellation of a million lights will be lit this weekend across the country. In every village, in every city, lamps of joy and happiness will shine bright and festoon the verandahs, window ledges, walls, sidewalks, trees, and every nook craving light; their collective effulgence will brighten the skies, the earth, and the hearts of countless people. For a couple of days, at least, the night’s dominion is abolished.

Mercia Eliade, the great Romanian historian of religion, in his fascinating book “The Sacred and the Profane” distinguishes two kinds of time: the temporal and the sacred. Temporal time, he writes, is irreversible; it is the chronological journey of our daily lives with its aches, pains, hopes, and joys; on the other hand, sacred time is reversible; we step away from the chimes of the clock and dip into the timelessness of our religion symbols and ontologically relevant rituals. Whether it is Christmas, Ramadan, Yom Kippur, Navroz, or Diwali — festivals are about recreating myths, resurrecting traditional symbols that have held meaningful resonances in Human history, and in many cases, an attempt to revive the primordial acts of the Gods themselves – during a time when the veil between the spiritual and the mundane didn’t exist, and everything that man saw, felt and did was filled with wonder and awe. Scientifically inclined minds may dismiss such notions as superstitions. Still, for those who believe and have faith in the sanctity of these ideas, religious festivals celebrated in the spirit in which they were conceived, provide a rift in temporal time, cleavage in the fabric of our daily lives, and allow one to step into deeper time, and a more expansive state of being.

Of all the religious festivities that grace the Indian subcontinent, none parallels the sheer joy, exuberance, and bonhomie that Diwali brings to the hearts of millions. Though there are quite a few religious allusions to Diwali in history, it is still uncertain what is the conclusive origin story of this nearly three to five-day festival. To some, it marks the triumphant return of Rama, the protagonist of Valmiki’s epic poem Ramayana, to Ayodhya with his wife Sita following a triumphant victory over demon king Ravana; to others, Diwali honors the downfall of demon Narakasura by Krishna, the mischievous deity of the Indian pantheon. Still, others celebrate Mother Kali, the terrifying symbol of creation and destruction. Among the Jains, Diwali is the day Mahavira attained enlightenment, while the Sikhs commemorate the return of Guru Hargobind – the sixth Nanak – to Amritsar after his imprisonment in Gwalior. These are but a few of the myriad reasons to celebrate Diwali. However, like the land of India itself, there could be many more – equally enthralling and steeped in the ethos of the land – myths and legends that may not be mainstream, yet they are reasons enough to celebrate Diwali.

The word Diwali is derived from the Sanskrit root “Deepavali” which literally means “rows of lamps”. In southern India, the festival is still known as Deepavali, and not as Diwali. However, except for the name, everything else about the festival has a national flavor to it. The uniformity in celebrations illustrates the cultural unity underlying the diversity of India. Irrespective of which faith one belongs to, or to the strata of society one comes from, lamps will line the terraces and front porches of every home. Gifts and sweets will be liberally exchanged and the joy from such acts of giving and receiving will spread contagiously across communities. The eve of Diwali is particularly spellbinding – the air vibrating with the exuberant peals of children at play, the uninhibited merriment afforded by the holiday spirit, and the vivid procession of people adorned in their finest attire. Along with these overwhelming sensations, the reverberating sound, crackle, and hiss of firecrackers will paint the dark skies of the lunar month with their enchanting hues, mirroring the kaleidoscopic and colorful tapestry of activities on Earth below. Above all – this is important – during Diwali, a strong positive energy field envelopes the nation, binding it as one people, one ancient civilization, embracing and absorbing everyone in its joy and meaning.

Even though there are subtle differences across the country in the rituals of Diwali, the common thread that runs through them is the worship of the Goddess of wealth and prosperity. Doors are left open, homes are kept well-lit and decorated, hoping to entice Lady Wealth to grace our homes. This is not blind greed; on the contrary, it is respect for wealth – which is indispensable for growth and progress. Without wealth and leisure, no culture can flower. Therefore wealth is deified during Diwali in the hope that we become prosperous enough to have the leisure to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives. The spirit, then, behind Diwali, is celebrating wealth as a means to an end, not as an end in itself. Each family celebrates the festival on the scale they can afford, there is no fixed standard to adhere to. Comparing whose celebration is more extravagant than the other has no place here; after all, every lamp glows with the same luminescence, and every morsel of sweetness offers the same delight. There is a deeper personal meaning to Diwali as well. It is about taking stock of oneself, letting go of petty interpersonal scars, and opening up our hearts and homes to friends and families. Life is too short to carry our hurts and scars for long. We need such moments that festivals like Diwali usher in to break free of the stranglehold of alienation and estrangement – the byproduct of our fast-paced, stress-filled, self-driven lives in modern society. Diwali affords an opportunity to cherish and honor all the relationships we have cultivated over the years, welcome the new ones that have just blossomed, and look forward to fresh connections waiting to unfold.

Over the years, Diwali has transcended national boundaries. It is celebrated across the world. I would go so far as to make the claim that Diwali is perhaps the only Indian festival that is known widely across the world. The reason, I think, why Diwali touches a chord in so many people from diverse cultures is that it is not particularly bound to any specific religious practice. Its essence is cosmopolitanism and love for life. As a child, I have always looked forward to Diwali, among all the other festivals. From sporting new clothes to bursting firecrackers, to the abundance of sweets, and the presence of family and friends, Diwali has its unique charm that just refuses to go away. And this is true for most Indians who have lived their early years in India and have fond memories of this day. No other event held more joy, surprise, and fulfillment for me than Diwali did. Even today, this is the only festival I really care about. I make it a point to send wishes to everyone I know regardless of my proximity to them. Diwali fosters such an egalitarian spirit.

Happy Diwali to all.