Houston Hindus mark Diwali, celebration of hope, in year like no other
Diwali, one of the most popular Hindu festivals, celebrates the victory of light over darkness, the triumph of good over evil and the rise of knowledge over ignorance.
That message of optimism and hope seemed especially important to communicate this year to Arun Verma, founder and president of the nonprofit Shri Sita Ram Foundation, which hosts an annual celebration for thousands at the Sugar Land Skeeters stadium.
“The joy it brings to people, the hope and happiness — we needed to do that,” Verma said. “The evil of the coronavirus is the biggest evil. So we started brainstorming.”
In the early days of the pandemic, festival organizers assumed schedules would be back to normal by now, he explained. “But by May or June, we started thinking, this is not going away,” he said.
The usual celebration, Verma said, attracts 10,000 to 15,000 people. “But this year, because of the pandemic, we realized we could not do that,” he said.
Organizers considered a number of options, including a drivethru Diwali. Instead, they decided the safest option would be to go virtual.
On Saturday, the festival streamed live on Facebook and YouTube.
Singer Anuradha Paudwal, renowned for her work in Bollywood, performed live during the event, which included dances, highlights from past festivals, a parade and Ramlila plays, which depict the Hindu god Rama.
Ravan Dahan, a ritual burning of the effigies of evil king Ravana, and Maha Aarti, a Hindu religious ritual offering light to deities, were also part of the online lineup.
In addition, there was an international costume contest based on Ramayan, an ancient Indian Sanskrit epic. Participants from the U.S. and Canada competed live, and participants from other countries had sent in recorded entries. The livestream also showcased 40 Hindu temples from around the globe.
Around the world, Diwali officially will be celebrated Nov. 14.
Though several other local Diwali celebrations have been canceled, some temples are finding a way. At the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Stafford, the temple remains closed to the public. But organizers set up a reservation system with limited, by-appointment-only visits for the holiday. The slots have already been filled, and a waitlist has formed.
Hindus of Greater Houston are participating in a communitywide effort, the Sewa Diwali initiative, which focuses on service during this time. Organizers are collecting food to donate to local pantries.
Arya Samaj Greater Houston, 14375 Schiller, will host a drivethrough Diwali celebration for the Houston community from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13, complete with pre-packed food boxes, fireworks and music. Registration is required and available online.
“Diwali is a major festival, and we don’t want to deprive our families from this great celebration,” coordinator Sanjay Jain said. In the past, Jain explained, Arya Samaj Greater Houston hosted a fireworks show, food stalls, music and religious offerings. To accommodate COVID-19 restrictions, organizers were innovative.
“Our team came up the idea of a drive-thru with the same activities,” Jain said. “People can stay in their cars, socially distanced, and enjoy. It is a great plan, and I am looking forward to it.”
The program will start with Yajna — offerings to a sacred fire. The prepackaged boxes will contain sweets, traditional lamps and fireworks packets for attendees who are able to use them in their neighborhoods.
A virtual event will also be held by on Nov. 15 for students from the DAV Sanskrit and Montessori school to participate via Zoom. The students will create a cultural program of music, dance, yoga and crafts.
Jain said that hosting a contactless drive-thru Diwali adds to the theme of the victory of good over evil, by finding a safe way to honor the holiday.
“COVID cannot stop us from celebrating,” he added. “Nothing will stop. We will work around whatever the situation is, but we will not sit at home and say we can’t do it. That’s a message of hope.”
Diwali, traditionally known as Deepawali, translates to “a series of lamps.” Usually, homes are decorated with lights and lamps for the occasion.
Verma explained that one reason for the formation of Shri Sita Ram Foundation 10 years ago was to bring celebrations such as the Diwali festival to the forefront in Houston.
“We felt that the big festivals which happen in India were missing here,” he added. “Youth who are born and raised here do not know what these festivals are. We decided, ‘Let’s start a festival,’ and that’s the origin of this whole thing.”
In years past, the Houston Diwali festival attracted visitors from across the U.S. and India and have honored special guests including Mayor Sylvester Turner and Gov. Greg Abbott.
The Skeeters stadium, decorated for the occasion with millions of lights, could be seen from miles away. Hundreds of booths sold traditional Diwali items and vegetarian food from India.
Children enjoyed free henna booths, face painting, rides and a petting zoo while stages presented folk dances and plays depicting Hindu scriptures. Last year, the festival expanded to celebrate other countries, and organizers invited consulates in Houston. That sparked the idea of making the virtual event even more international.
“We thought, ‘Let’s connect the entire world. Let’s showcase temples out there in other countries so people can know the architecture,’ ” Varma said. “We talked to their managers and their head priests, and they were excited about it. We got a tremendous response.”
Temples in Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New Jersey will be part of this year’s broadcast, as well as those in Canada, Thailand, India, Burma, New Zealand and the U.K.
The Houston festival was already on the international radar, he added. In fact, a popular channel on India television filmed the event in 2018. “They were so impressed, they showed it in 89 countries,” Verma said.
Through the costumes, skits, traditional dance and parade, he explained, the festival offers a number of educational opportunities.
Verma said that the festival is usually held the week before Diwali, to herald the holiday and to allow families to hold their own celebrations during the actual event.
Montgomery resident Jeanette Allan has been attending the event since the beginning and has known Verma for years.
“What he has done with the Diwali festival is amazing,” Allan said. “Every year, more and more people attend.”
She said the event is inspirational and has helped her learn more about Indian culture and traditions.
“The work that goes into it, the food and the group of people who come together, I can’t say enough about it,” she said. “It’s a great, uplifting experience.”
Allan is glad to see the celebration continue — even if it’s virtual this year.
“Diwali will not end; it will continue,” she said. “Arun had to get creative this year, but hopefully next year, it will open back up again, and we can continue going.”