The light, this Diwali will bring tomorrow is special. Never in our generation have we struggled so much with darkness and uncertainty in the face of a relentless epidemic. In March 2020, a virus chose to surreptitiously seep into the fabric of our lives, our relationships and change the way we lived. A blanket of anxiety had enveloped the world, and it needed all the resources, intelligence, and human ingenuity we could muster, to win the race against a slice of DNA gone rogue. We are not completely ahead yet, but close. We are finally beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The COVID-19 epidemic was frightening and chastening at the same time. On the one hand, It made us cringe in fear at the speed and virulent spread of the virus, and on the other hand, it exposed our vulnerability and the fragility of our anthropocentric sense of superiority. It forced us to rethink our priorities.
The Holiday season in the Western hemisphere begins soon, and in India, Diwali, the crown jewel of all the Indian festivals, marks the end of a long list of religious festivals that punctuate the holy calendar throughout the year. A million lamps will be lit this weekend across the Indian subcontinent. In every village and every city. Lamps of joy and happiness will shine bright, and their collective effulgence will brighten the skies, the earth, and the hearts of countless people.
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 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, one can stop the clock and dip ourselves into the timelessness of our religious symbols and ontologically relevant rituals. Whether it is the Christmas of the Western tradition, or the Ramadan of the Muslims, or the Yom Kippur of the Jews, or the Navroz of the Persians, or the Diwali of the Indians — festivals recreate myths, resurrect traditional symbols and attempt to revive the primordial acts of the Gods. A scientific mind may dismiss such notions as superstitious and without rational basis; but for those who believe and have faith, these religious festivals do provide a break in temporal time, a break from the rut of daily living, and allow one to take a step back and relax into a more expansive and stress-free time.
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 of Indians. Though numerous early spiritual texts have references to Diwali, it is still a matter of theological debate between scholars about the origins of this five-day extravaganza. To some, it marks the day when Rama, hero of Valmiki’s epic poem Ramayana, returned to Ayodhya with his wife Sita after a triumphant victory over Ravan; to some, Diwali is a celebration of the destruction of the demon Narakasura by the naughty incarnation of God in the form of Krishna; for many others, Diwali celebrates Mother Kali, the terrifying symbol of creation and destruction; to the Jains — Diwali is about Mahavira’s enlightenment; and to the Sikhs, it marks the return of Guru Hargobind, the sixth Nanak, to Amritsar from his imprisonment in the jails of Gwalior. These are but a few reasons for the celebration. There are many more, equally enticing, ancient, full of rich meaning, as the land of India itself.
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. Like a subtle thread running through a necklace of pearls, it is the striking similarities in the celebration of Diwali that strike the eye of a visitor. The uniformity of the celebration illustrates the cultural unity that underlies the diversity of the Indian people. Lamps line the terraces and front porches of every home; Families, friends — and strangers — let go of their inhibitions and grievances to mingle freely with each other; gifts and sweets are exchanged; contagious happiness spreads across communities; the very atmosphere reverberates with the sound, crackle, and hiss of firecrackers that color the dark skies of the lunar month with enchanting hues; brand-new clothes and fashionable attire will be on display, and above all, a strong energy field envelopes the nation, binding it as one people, one ancient civilization, embracing and absorbing everyone in its capacious circle of celebration.
The rituals of Diwali vary across the states of India. But the common thread the runs through is the worship of the Goddess of wealth and prosperity. We leave our doors open, well lit and decorated, hoping she can be enticed to cross the threshold. Contrary to popular historical opinion, India venerated and respected wealth without succumbing to excesses. During Diwali, we deify wealth and pray to the forces that we become prosperous enough to lead fulfilling lives. Diwali celebrates wealth as a means to an end, not an end in itself. That’s a great thought. Diwali is also about cleansing one’s heart of hurt, pride, and cynicism, and opening it up, unconditionally, to others. It commemorates a renewal of the individual spirit and strengthens the sense of belonging to the community we live in. Diwali is not just an individual celebration or a private ritual; it is deeply communal. We cast aside differences of caste, creed, or religion. In this process, barriers break down, and a renewed sense of interconnectedness emerges.
In times like these, we need the power of bringing people together. If this pandemic has taught us anything at all, it is this simple fact: we don’t live in islands anymore, we are interconnected, our destiny as a human species is not the matter of any one nation, or people alone. We are collectively responsible, and only collective well-being is the true measure of human progress. Diwali celebrates such a spirit. It is secular, universal in its intent, and speaks directly to the heart.
Wishing all NIITian’s a peaceful and joyful Diwali.
God bless
Yours in mortality,
Bala