The Big Global Bang of Diwali

[Guest guest]

October 19, 2006: Diwali has become a global festival today - thanks

to Non-Resident Indians (NRIs).

 

Wherever Hindu NRIs live in sizeable numbers, be it Australia, Hong

Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, the Middle East, South Africa, to Europe,

North America and the Caribbean, Diwali has the same colour, feasting,

gifting and sparkle as in India, dominated by the worship of the

goddess of wealth, or Lakshmi Puja.

 

For many years it has been officially celebrated at the House of

Commons in London, a carnival at Trafalgar Square, the biggest

festival outside India in Leicester with a main street lit with

hundreds of thousands of lights, a special event in all major cities

of North America, an official holiday for Hindus in Kenya and

Mauritius, and a national event in Caribbean islands.

 

In Britain, there is pressure by the NRIs to declare it a public holiday.

 

At Britain's biggest Hindu temple, the Swaminarayan temple in London,

NRIs come from all over Europe to participate in Diwali and get

blessings in the form of food and a calendar.

 

In Melbourne and Sydney, NRIs have many events for Diwali.

 

Everywhere it has some common festivity - a Diwali 'mela' or fair for

shopping and gorging Indian delicacies, or a formal dinner party with

top entertainment and prizes, a community gathering with firecrackers

and a mass Lakshmi Puja followed by community dinner.

 

The Gujaratis have a bigger celebration on the day following Diwali as

they celebrate their new year according to the ancient Indian system

hailing Emperor Vikramditya or the Vikram Samvat.

 

The Western calendar is based on the sun, in which a year is the time

required for the earth to complete one orbit around the sun. The

Indian calendar is ingeniously based on both the sun and the moon. It

uses a solar year but divides it into 12 lunar months. Since Vikram

Samvat began in 56 B.C. it is 56 years ahead and so the New Year will

be 2062.

 

Thousands of NRIs are logging on to religious websites in the run up

to Diwali, thanks to a number of portals offering services like online

praying and blessings.

 

Now NRIs can perform Lakshmi Puja on the net Oct 21 for $30 to $57.

 

Just surf www.saranam.com or www.pariharam.com and register yourself

by paying this amount and a priest will perform this ritual for you.

You will get a CD of this ceremony with pressed flowers and 'prasad'

or blessed food by mail. Simple!

 

The grand homecoming of Lord Ram after 14 years marks Diwali or the

festival of lights.

 

But Diwali has a strong Krishna connection too, explained Swami B.S.

Tirtha Maharaj during his interview with the BBC in Birmingham. He

revealed that one of Lord Krishna's exploits is the basis of Diwali

celebrations.

 

A former business executive with an international corporation, Swami

Tirtha Maharaj has totally devoted himself to spreading the love of

Krishna by founding Gaudia Vaishnava Association, an international

spiritual body serving NRIs. It is similar to the Hare Krishna movement.

 

But how are Ram and Krishna ignored on Diwali and everyone focuses on

Lakshmi?

 

Swami Tirtha explained that Lakshmi is the consort of Lord Vishnu who

created the world. The original goddess of wealth is Lakshmi, whose

incarnation is Sita. But forgetting Sita, materialistic people today

worship Lakshmi.

 

So we should refocus our devotion to Lakshmi and try to see Sita in

her, the Swami advised his British listeners getting ready for Diwali.

 

Do NRIs celebrate Diwali with more gusto than Indians back home? Yes

and No.

 

Yes, because with their high incomes, they want to be as good if not

better than Indians back home. No, because sometimes the government

rules do not allow them to light firecrackers as in the US and forbid

large gatherings.

 

But not all NRIs are lucky to be part of a community.

 

"I wonder how many more Diwali-less years I have to endure," moans a

lonely computer programmer.

 

Another writes: "Am missing Diwali, my home, the smell of crackers,

the thrill of new clothes, the sweets, the noise, the atmosphere of my

hometown... and here I am in a strange land where people ask curiously

about 'D-Wolly'."

 

So to the millions of lucky people in India... Have a happy Diwali and

keep in mind the unlucky outside India celebrating Diwali only in

their minds.

 

SOURCE: Telugu Portal. Specials : Big global bang of NRI Diwali. By

Kul Bhushan, who previously worked abroad as a newspaper editor and

has travelled to over 55 countries. He lives in New Delhi and can be

contacted at kulbhushan2038

URL: http://www.teluguportal.net/modules/news/article.php?storyid=18193

[Guest guest]

, "Devi Bhakta" <devi_bhakta

wrote:

>

> October 19, 2006: Diwali has become a global festival today - thanks

> to Non-Resident Indians (NRIs).

 

OOOOOOOOOOO Sooo that is what it means . NRI = Non-Resident Indians. I

thought it mean : Not required in India.