Diwali, the festival of light celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, begins on October 24 this year.
The holiday, for which there are a number of interpretations, goes back more than 2,000 years and is usually celebrated over five days.
The date of Diwali changes every calendar year, as it is determined by the position of the moon and marks the start of the Hindu new year. The celebration tends to fall in October or November.
Diwali's Origins
Dr Cogen Bohanec, of the Hindu Studies and Sustainability faculty at the Graduate Theological Union, said that the term "Diwali" is an abridgement of the Sanskrit term "dīpāvalī" which means "lamps" (dīpa) "in a row" (āvalī).
"There are a number of interpretations for the meaning of this holiday, but in general it is taken to be the triumph of light over darkness, where light represents all that is good in the world, spiritual illumination, etc.; and darkness represents ignorance, wickedness, etc.," Bohanec told Newsweek.
"For Hindus, the "lamps" (dīpa) denoted in the name of the holiday refer to the traditional offering of a light, in the form of a flame, to deities. For Hindus in particular, this practice descends from the ancient Vedic fire sacrifices which date back to Indian religious practices well before 500 BCE."
Dr Bihani Sarkar, departmental lecturer in Sanskrit at the University of Oxford, said the origins of Diwali are shrouded in mystery and that the festival means different things to different regions in India.
"The common element in all regions is the emphasis on light and its apotropaic quality: everywhere in India rows of lamps are lit at night on New Moon in the lunar month of Kārttika, when the sun is in Libra," Sarkar told Newsweek.
"The common belief is that on a night of no moon, inauspicious for this reason, the light from flame will ward away evil spirits, cleanse the atmosphere and remove inauspiciousness," she added. It has formed an ancient core to the festival.
While the holiday is associated with a number of Hindu deities, it is most commonly aligned with the episode of the Rāmāyaṇa, where the lamps were placed in a row along the streets of the ancient city of Ayodhyā in celebration of the triumphant return of the God Rāma to the city after 14 years in exile, Bohanec said.
"Rāma's return represents a triumph of good over evil since he is returning after having defeated the demon Rāvaṇa, who had kidnapped his wife Sītā. Rāma returned to Ayodya with Sītā after having rescued her following a great battle," he added.
Other Hindu interpretations link the holiday to the Hindu God Kṛṣṇa, Bohanec said.
For example, during the preparation of offerings to Lord Viṣṇu on Diwali, Kṛṣṇa's mother Yashoda was boiling kheer, a sweet pudding, while breastfeeding baby Kṛṣṇa. When the preparation began to boil over, she set him down, and he began misbehaving.
"Yashoda caught him and decided to bind him to a mortar. He willingly allowed her to do so, a willingness that symbolizes the belief that even God Himself can be subjugated by the love of his devotee," Bohanec said.
"For Hindus who believe that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme deity, the lamps of Diwali represent the "lamp of love" (prema-pradīpa) between God and his beloveds. When, during traditional worship, Hindus circle the flame in the process of offering it to the deity, this is likened to how mother Yashoda would lovingly circle her gaze around Kṛṣṇa's face and body to see if he was hurt in any way after his many childhood adventures. In this case, the lamp (dīpā) of Diwali represents auspiciousness, and in particular concern for the object of one's affection."
The festival celebrates prosperity, new beginnings and luck.
Sarkar said the festival is also associated with the Lakṣmī the beautiful, lotus-borne goddess of prosperity.
Pratap Kumar Penumala, emeritus professor of religion at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN) in South Africa, said Diwali traditions can also vary depending on geography. Durban, the capital of KZN, has the over a million Indian people living there.
"In the North Indian tradition, the origin of the festival is usually traced to the story of Rama in the epic Ramayana which deals with the victory of Rama over his demonic enemies and returning to his kingdom victoriously after 14 years of exile," Kumar told Newsweek.
"In the South Indian tradition, it is based on the mythological story in the book called Bhagavata Purana which deals with the victory of Krishna over his demonic enemies."
In essence, the story of Diwali revolves around the broad theme of victory of good over evil. Although, the festival is considered a Hindu one, both Sikhs and Jains also celebrate the holiday, which relates to broader Indian culture.
"As both Sikhism and Jainism have roots in Hindu tradition there are elements of Hindu culture [that] often become assimilated into the other native religions of India. For Jains it is a celebration of Mahavira's (Founder of Jainism) final release (Nirvana)," Kumar said.
"For Sikhs it celebrates the victory of 6th Guru—Guru Harobind Singh's release from Mughal emperor Jahangir's custody—Guru Hargobind was imprisoned by Jahangir for rebellion along with other native princes and was released in 1619 AD."
In more recent Diwali celebrations, fireworks have been used, and in traditional Hindu, as well as other Indian homes, clay lamps are lit and placed in the front courtyard to mark the joyous occasion of light symbolizing optimism and hope for the future.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jack Dutton is a Newsweek Reporter based in Cape Town, South Africa. His focus is reporting on global politics and ... Read more
