The Hindu community in Multan, Bahawalpur, and around the world celebrated Diwali today, the homecoming of their Lord Rama, his wife and brother to Ayodhya, by lighting diyas (lamps) and offering special prayers.
The festival is also called Diyari or Dipawali, which in Sanskrit means ‘rows of lighted lamps’ said the All Pakistan Hindu Panchayat Secretary-General Ravi Dawani. “This festival marks the victory of good over evil,” he added
Speaking about the origins of Diwali, Dawani recounted an event mentioned in their holy book, the Ramayana, that took place thousands of years ago. He said that Lord Rama, who is the 7th avatar of Lord Krishna, was sent to baswas (jungle) by his father, the ruler at the time, when his second wife asked him to fulfil his promise and exile Rama, the eldest of all sons, for fourteen years so that her son could be made ruler.
“Lord Rama went into exile to honour his father’s promise towards his wife. The event that followed after shows the commitment of his wife and brother, who also accompanied him. The exile finally ended when he took back Sita [his wife] from Ravana, a demon, who had taken Sita into his custody during his 14-year strenuous journey by killing him,” Dawani explained.
The festival starts in the evening with Ganesh and Lakshmi Pooja, the worship of their god and goddess of wisdom and wealth. The Hindus also prepare for the festival by cleaning and decorating their homes on the last day of the year so that they can enter the New Year with zeal.
However, according to Dawani, there are different views on the celebration. In south India, people celebrate Diwali to mark the defeat of Narakasura by Lord Krishna. In Jainism, the day is celebrated to mark the anniversary of nirvana or liberation of Lord Mahavira while Sikhs celebrate it as the day when their sixth guru, Guru Hargobind, was released from captivity.
The Diwali is usually celebrated in the month of October or November, which is the last day of the solar year followed by the Hindus. The harvesting of crop in the month of October and November is also one of the reasons to celebrate the festival.
The festival is celebrated for five days. It includes two days before the day itself and two after, which is the New Year. In Pakistan, more than 2.5 million Hindus will celebrate the religious festival out of which 75% of the total Hindu population lives in Sindh. According to Dawani, out of the total Hindu population of Sindh, Tharparkar district is home to half the Hindu population.
The festival is also called Diyari or Dipawali, which in Sanskrit means ‘rows of lighted lamps’ said the All Pakistan Hindu Panchayat Secretary-General Ravi Dawani. “This festival marks the victory of good over evil,” he added
Speaking about the origins of Diwali, Dawani recounted an event mentioned in their holy book, the Ramayana, that took place thousands of years ago. He said that Lord Rama, who is the 7th avatar of Lord Krishna, was sent to baswas (jungle) by his father, the ruler at the time, when his second wife asked him to fulfil his promise and exile Rama, the eldest of all sons, for fourteen years so that her son could be made ruler.
“Lord Rama went into exile to honour his father’s promise towards his wife. The event that followed after shows the commitment of his wife and brother, who also accompanied him. The exile finally ended when he took back Sita [his wife] from Ravana, a demon, who had taken Sita into his custody during his 14-year strenuous journey by killing him,” Dawani explained.
The festival starts in the evening with Ganesh and Lakshmi Pooja, the worship of their god and goddess of wisdom and wealth. The Hindus also prepare for the festival by cleaning and decorating their homes on the last day of the year so that they can enter the New Year with zeal.
The Diwali is usually celebrated in the month of October or November, which is the last day of the solar year followed by the Hindus. The harvesting of crop in the month of October and November is also one of the reasons to celebrate the festival.
The festival is celebrated for five days. It includes two days before the day itself and two after, which is the New Year. In Pakistan, more than 2.5 million Hindus will celebrate the religious festival out of which 75% of the total Hindu population lives in Sindh. According to Dawani, out of the total Hindu population of Sindh, Tharparkar district is home to half the Hindu population.
Prime Minister Imran Khan earlier today extended Diwali greetings to the Hindu community. “Wishing all our Hindu citizens a happy Diwali,” he tweeted.
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry also wished a happy Diwali to those celebrating the festival. “Happy Diwali to Hindus in Pakistan and around the world, Diwali symbolises victory of good over evil, the struggle is continuing ...,” he posted on Twitter.
Diwali falls between October and November of every year, but the exact dates change each year as it is based on a lunisolar calendar, which also takes into account the phases of the moon.
The occasion is considered auspicious for shopping, inaugurations of new homes, business deals or new ventures and projects.
The Sindh Government announced a three-day holiday for the Hindu community on account of the occasion, on November 7th, 8th and 9th.
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