Festival of Lights Diwali celebrations underway in city
BRISTOL is marking Diwali – the Festival of Lights celebrated all over the world – this week.
Tomorrow is the third day of the five-day festival and is considered as the main day of the festival. To celebrate, people will be lighting candles and setting off fireworks, to mark the triumph of good over evil.
During the celebration, temples, homes, shops and office buildings are brightly illuminated.
Many local schools are also hosting special lunch time menus and classes around the subject and a number of community events are planned.
Health and social care secretary Sajid Javid, who grew up in Bristol, spoke about how important Diwali was for the community.
Writing in the Eastern Eye newspaper, he said: “Even though my family didn’t celebrate it, I learned a lot about Diwali growing up and saw how much it means to people.
“From the kids bringing halwa and jalebi to the playground, to the decorations at Dr Gandhi’s clinic on Bristol’s Stapleton Road, it was always a point of light at a dark time of year.
“It speaks to how far we’ve come as a country that so many of us, regardless of our faith, can relate to the messages of Diwali: the triumph of light over darkness and the power of knowledge over ignorance.”
Originating in India, Diwali is celebrated across the world by many different religions.
It usually occurs during the end of October and start of November, with the date changing each year according to the lunar calendar.
This year’s celebrations began yesterday and run until Saturday.
Originating in India, Diwali is celebrated across the world by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, but for different reasons.
The Hindus celebrate the return of Lord Rama – an avatar of the Hindu supreme god Lord Vishnu – with his wife and brother to the Kingdom of Ayodhya after an exile of 14 years.
The streets and towns were lit up with Diwas (candles) to welcome them home.
In South India, Diwali is the day in which demon Narakasura was defeated by Sri Krishna and Satyabhama.
To others, Diwali is dedicated to the Goddess Lakshmi, who is believed to bring wealth and prosperity.
In many households, the celebrations include a puja (worship) of the Goddess to pray for health and happiness.
Sikhs, meanwhile, celebrate the release from prison of the sixth guru Hargobind Singh in 1619.
The Jains celebrate Diwali as Lord Mahavira, the last Jain Tirthankaras, achieved Nirvana.
According to the British Sikh Association, Diwali celebrations in UK cities have become probably the largest outside India.
A spokesman for the Hindu Council UK said: “Diwali has become a mega-event to celebrate the culture and traditions of India.
“It’s a family friendly event with lots of activities going on including music and dance performances, workshops and some kids activities.
“And there’s a huge array of Indian food to sample from food stalls and a massive firework display to end the festival.”