The word Diwali is derived from the Sanskrit word Deepavali (Deep = light / avail = rows) meaning Rows of Light.
Observed by more than a billion people across the globe, Diwali or Deepavali is celebrated over five days across diverse faiths, including Hindus in Southeast Asia, Jains, Sikhs and Newar Buddhists in Nepal. While each religion has its own historical narrative behind the celebration, and traditions and customs may vary, Diwali’s central message is the beauty of new beginnings, and the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.
Diwali is celebrated all over India and throughout the Indian diaspora based on the lunar calendar, during the month of Kartik which usually falls on the new moon day between late October to mid-November.
The Jain community celebrates Diwali as the day of spiritual enlightenment and liberation (moksha) of Lord Mahavir, the most recent Thirthankara, from the cycles of mortal life and Sikh community celebrates it as Bandi Chhor (‘Liberator Benign’) divas or day of liberation, to commemorate the sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji’s release from Gwalior prison where he also facilitated the release of fifty-two other Hindu political prisoners. Though not a major festival for Buddhists, Newar Buddhist’s in Nepal commemorate Diwali as the day Emperor Ashoka’s converted to Buddhism in 3rd Century BCE.
Just as the legends of Diwali differ from region to region so, too, do the holiday’s rituals. What most have in common, though, are distributing sweets and savories, wearing new clothes, fireworks displays, enjoying family gatherings, and the lighting traditional clay lamps in homes and places of worship (deyas) that symbolize the inner light that protects each household from spiritual darkness.
Lightning the lamps or deyas is also symbolic of lighting one’s inner spiritual lamp to recognize or be aware of the three eternal qualities or states of being of humans – ‘tamas’ (ignorance/ apathy/ destructive), ‘rajas’ (attachment/ action/ passion or desire that ties us to materialistic gains) and ‘satvik’ (virtuous/ enlightened/ disengaged / liberated).
The symbolism of light also reminds us to reflect on our true purpose in life, which Diwali advocates is to ultimately reach a liberated state of pure energy consciousness.
Diwali also denotes the cyclic nature of light over darkness, day over night, virtue over vice; with the full awareness that both are part of the duality and complexity of life, where both are equal, nothing is ever truly binary; and that our focus must remain on unity in diversity.
How do we embody those essential values of unity and rebirth and how can everyone celebrate Diwali irrespective of who, what, how or where we are?
By transcending boundaries and self-limiting beliefs through awareness.
Awareness that we are more alike than we are different, that in the midst of darkness there is always light; and that it is through our intentional acts of selflessness and compassion that we reflect the light we wish to see in the world.
Hence Diwali, the Festival of Light, is ultimately a celebration of cross cultural, pan national and international siblinghood, love, compassion, selflessness, and the values that makes a being, human. A joyful, liberated one at that.
This is the message we would like to spread this Diwali, let’s celebrate our families, our friends, colleagues, teams, all those people in our lives, and most importantly the ones we often don’t have enough time for. Let’s reach out and wish them a good morning or a good evening, and Shubh Diwali / Happy Diwali!
This Diwali let’s celebrate light as we transcend boundaries.
Harikrishnan Gopalakrishnan Nair
Co-Chair, WCH Corporate Equity Committee