Diwali

Yesterday was the end of Diwali, one of my favorite multi-cultural holidays
along with the Holi Festival.

Indian food, especially curries, Indian holidays, Indian weddings, Indian saris,
Indian-American authors, dreams of an extended trip to India...
maybe my burgeoning list of fascinations with such a colorful culture
says something about where my next big trip may be.

Celebrated by Jains, Sikhs and Hindus alike, this 5-day festival celebrates the end of the harvest, and the beginning of the new year, wishing everyone a "Saal Mubarak" in Hindi. The little earthen lamps are called Diyas, signifying the triumph of good will over evil. The house is cleaned and lit to invite the goddess Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity (materially and spiritually), fortune and embodiment of beauty.  

While Diwali is popularly known as the "festival of lights", the most significant spiritual meaning is "the awareness of the inner light". Central to Hindu philosophy is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman. The celebration of Diwali as the "victory of good over evil", refers to the light of higher knowledge dispelling all ignorance, the ignorance that masks one's true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality. With this awakening comes compassion and the awareness of the oneness of all things (higher knowledge). This brings anand (joy or peace). Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Diwali is the celebration of this Inner Light.While the story behind Diwali and the manner of celebration varies from region to region (festive fireworks, worship, lights, sharing of sweets), the essence is the same – to rejoice in the Inner Light (Atman) or the underlying Reality of all things (Brahman).

photos via {google}
information via {wikipedia}