NYC to Recognize Lakshmi Puja Day

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NYC Rules May Recognize Hindu Holiday

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/28/AR2005092801656.html

"Diwali is the festival of lights, a time of triumph of good over evil. In many

Hindu homes, it is common to see small candles or lamps, called diyas, lit and

put all over the place. The festivities last for several days, but the bill

would suspend parking only on one of them, the day of Lakshmi Puja, considered

the holiest time."

By DEEPTI HAJELAThe Associated PressWednesday, September 28, 2005; 4:03 PM

NEW YORK -- It's a fact of life in New York City _ street-cleaning rules that

force you to move your car to the other side of the road on certain days of the

week to make way for sweepers.

Except, of course, for those special days when the street-cleaning rules are

suspended to mark state, national, cultural or religious holidays. There are

about 40 such holidays, and in this diverse city, they run the gamut: Columbus

Day. Purim. Christmas. Asian Lunar New Year. The Immaculate Conception.

Now the city is about to add another _ Diwali, which marks the start of the new

year for many Hindus. The City Council voted 45-0 Wednesday to put Diwali on

the list of recognized holidays.

Advocates say the addition of Diwali to the parking calendar is a milestone for

the Indian community in New York. According to 2004 estimates from the Census

Bureau, there are just over 213,000 Indians in the city, compared with under

100,000 in 1990.

"It is a direct reflection of the strength and the important contributions of

the Indian American community here in New York City," said Councilman John Liu.

"It is quintessential New York."

Diwali is the festival of lights, a time of triumph of good over evil. In many

Hindu homes, it is common to see small candles or lamps, called diyas, lit and

put all over the place. The festivities last for several days, but the bill

would suspend parking only on one of them, the day of Lakshmi Puja, considered

the holiest time.

The holiday is based on the lunar calendar, and usually falls around October or

November. This year, Lakshmi Puja falls on Nov. 1.

The city already recognizes a long list of holy days for other religions.

Christian holidays include the Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Christmas, the

Solemnity of Ascension and the Immaculate Conception. Jewish holidays include

Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Passover and two days of Sukkot, among others. For

Muslims, there is Eid-al-Fitr and Eid-al-Adha.

But this would be the first Hindu holiday to receive alternate-side status.

"Our important days should also be recognized because our contribution is not

less than anyone else's," said Shiv Dass, a store owner in Queens.

At a council subcommittee hearing last week, Bernard Sullivan, chief of cleaning

for the sanitation department, came out against the measure, as the department

has on similar requests. He said adding another day to the many holidays the

department already recognizes would cut back on the agency's ability to

maintain clean streets.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has up to a month to veto the measure or sign it into law.

The push to get recognition for Diwali is classic ethnic politics, said Michael

Jones Correa, associate professor of government at Cornell University.

"It's an attempt to gain equal recognition," he said. "It's about not simply the

practical aspect but ensuring one has a place at the table."