Guyanese light up Richmond Hill for Diwali
By Vishnu Bisram
Stabroek News
November 12, 2002
The large Guyanese population in New York celebrated Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, last Monday evening with an elaborate display of diyas, candles and electronic lights outside of their homes. And curious onlookers commented they had never seen so many lights for a celebration.
The spectacular display of lights could easily have been mistaken for a celebration in Guyana as thousands flocked to Richmond Hill to view the spectacular display of lights around homes.
Initially, the frosty weather and intermittent rain throughout the day had threatened to dampen the evening’s observance and the placing of diyas outside.
Weather forecasters predicted heavy showers for the evening. But by dusk, miraculously, the showers ended in time to commence the celebration. Hindus brought out their lit diyas and turned on their electronic lights which were in various forms and shapes on the exterior of their homes.
The Diwali festival is fast becoming a mainstream celebration among Guyanese and other Hindus in New York. They take pride in displaying diyas outside of their homes and switching on various forms of the latest designs in electronic lights (including icicle and swag lights) attracting curious onlookers eager to find out the meaning of the lit diyas.
The celebration has been featured in several ethnic and mainstream publications and more and more Americans are fast learning about it. The Caribbean publications featured stories about the festival and many businesses took out advertisements sending Diwali greetings to their Hindu clientele. Politicians also issued Diwali greetings which were published in the ethnic media as well as read to congregations in temples.
Now an annual tradition, many Hindu Guyanese prepared meals which were donated to homeless shelters. Some Guyanese also donated clothing for the homeless and offered cash contributions to various charities and donated to food pantries which feed the homeless. Guyanese also made contributions to their temples.
At dusk, in the Richmond Hill area where nearly 100,000 Guyanese are settled, beautifully lit diyas were observed on both sides of the steps in front of homes and around the yards in a colourful display. Entire blocks were lit up giving an impression that the whole of Richmond Hill is populated by Guyanese and Trinidadian Hindus.
Every year, a Guyanese home on 103rd Avenue and 121 Street is the centre of attraction and this year was no disappointment with hundreds of diyas encircling the lawn of the home.
There was a beautiful “OM” design made of lit deyas as well as electronic and other sophisticated lighting arrangements. There was no doubt in peoples’ minds that this home won the unofficial competition for the best lit home. Traffic on the avenue slowed as drivers gazed at the display.
On Sunday evening, on pre-Diwali night on Liberty Avenue, a ceremony involving inter-faith prayers was held to usher in the festival season which was followed by the symbolic lighting of Liberty Avenue, hub of commercial activities among Guyanese. The avenue was decorated on Saturday, thanks to sponsorship by the large number of Guyanese businesses.
A group of Guyanese organized the street lighting ceremony to kick off the celebration of Diwali, Thanks-giving, Eid, and Christmas. Huge colourful bulbs and artificial flowers now decorate the lamp posts. Lights were turned on in front of the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir on 127th Street and further down in front of the Al Abidin Masjid and the Christian church where Guyanese worship.
On Diwali evening, after prayers and lighting diyas, Hindus shared food, traditional delicacies and sweets to neighbours and friends. Some also hosted dinners and exchanged gifts with relatives and friends.
Later in the evening, thousands flocked to the mandir to propitiate Goddess Laxhmi who is worshipped during the festival. The Maha Laxhmi Mandir, Shri Laxhmi Mandir and the Trimurthi Mandir, all in Richmond Hill, were packed to the brim.
