OF ALL our national holidays, religious or secular, Deepavali or Diwali is arguably the most spectacular of all. Even Easter with its kites, Phagwah with its wet sense of frolic, or Christmas with its buzzing commerciality and all the “festive season” hype, do not match up to the spectacle of profuse numbers of little lighted clay lamps adorning verandahs, fences, driveways and yards around Guyana.
Every year, thousands of us – a large number, Non-Hindus – are drawn like insects to the countless flickering diyas that adorn the landscape. But there is, of course, more to this holy holiday than an enormous light show. The festival of Deepavali is one that is, for Hindus, heavy with spiritual significance.
The word Diwali, or Divali, is a distortion or abbreviation of the Sanskrit compound word Deepavali (deepa, `light’ and avail`“row’) meaning literally `row of lights’. But the simplistic name of the festival itself belies firstly the profound message of hope that the little diyas symbolise; and secondly, the many varying religious stories, and the messages contained in these as well, that are associated with the festival.
On one level, Deepavali is a sort of grandiose and extended puja or worship ritual in honour of Maha Lakshmi. The goddess Maha Lakshmi or Lakshmi is the consort of Lord Vishnu, the provider. Lakshmi is associated with a complex system of religious connotations in Hinduism. While she is popularly associated with the accumulation of wealth, as the wife of a supreme deity, Lord Vishnu, she symbolises also the ideal state of the human soul, liberation from the cycle of karma, or true enlightenment. And stemming from this, she is also associated with Saraswati, the Goddess of Knowledge. Perhaps less relevant to the festival of Deepavali, though not of a trifling significance in itself, is Lakshmi’s status as the symbol of the perfect wife. The Hindi word for housewife, “grihalakshmi”, is – as should be obvious – derived from the name of the Goddess.
So when Deepavali is celebrated, a very major part of it is dedicated not only to the Goddess Lakshmi simply as deity, but it is a celebration of most of what she symbolises: wealth, knowledge, and closeness to a state of salvation.
The entire Festival of Deepavali is celebrated over five days, each with its unique set of legends from Hinduism. The festival begins on the thirteenth day of the dark half of the Kartik month, according to the Hindu Panchang calendar.
The first day is called Dhanteras or more properly Dhantrayodashi. The latter word is another compound Sanskrit word: dhan meaning `wealth’ and trayodashi which means thirteen. The first day is primarily in commemoration of the return of Ram (Lord Vishnu incarnate) and Sita (Lakshmi) after the defeat of the demon king, Ravan – in which he (Ram) was aided by the monkey king, Lord Hanuman. Hence the textbook explanation that most Guyanese non-Hindus have of one aspect of the complex Deepavali festival; that of the triumph of good over evil.
On dhanteras, Hindus across the world, especially businessmen and shopkeepers for whom dhan has obvious special significance, observe the day by renovating, cleaning and decorating their homes and businesses. Diyas are lit to welcome Lakshmi, bringer of wealth and prosperity.
Another story surrounding this day concerns the young king, Hima and Yama, the God of Death. King Hima was destined to die by a snake-bite on this day which also happened to be the fourth day of his marriage. The King’s wife, learning of his horoscope-decreed demise, decided to defy fate. That night, she piled heaps of gold and silver ornaments and jewellery at the door to her husband’s room, lit hundreds of lights and kept him awake, singing songs and telling stories. When the Lord Yama arrived in the guise of a serpent, he was blinded by the dazzling lights and so entranced was he by the queen’s singing and storytelling that he spent the entire night lying on a heap of gold listening to her. In the morning, he went away, sparing the king’s life.
Thus dhanteras is also know as yamadeepaan; lamps are kept burning throughout the night in honour of Yama.
The second day of Deepavali is called Narakchaturdashi. Narakasur, the demon king of Pragiyotishpur waged war against his neighbours, kidnapped sixteen thousand of the daughters the gods and saints to people his personal harem, and stole the earrings, the kundale, of Aditi, mother of the gods. He was defeated by Satyabhama with the aid of her husband Lord Krishna and all his concubines were set free. In celebration, the women drew “rangoli” and lit lamps. Here again is the symbolism of good over evil.
There is another legend traditionally associated with this day, one which again concerns an overly ambitious king. The king Bali grew so powerful that he had conquered every last bit of space. With his arrogance came grand displays of largesse where he routinely gave away vast wealth to some, while humiliating and shaming others. Lord Vishnu assumed the form of Batu Vaman, a diminutive beggar, and begged alms of the great King Bali. In his mocking way, the king offered Batu Vaman as much land as he could cover in three steps. Vaman assumed the form of Vishnu and in one stride covered the earth, with the next he covered the heavens and then he requested of Bali where he should take the third. The vanquished King requested that the next step be taken on his head; Lord Vishni pushed him to the underworld where he remained King. Acknowledging his generosity even though he was a tyrant, Vishnu gave him the Lamp of Knowledge and allowed him to return to his former kingdom every year to help lighten the darkness that he was once responsible for.
The third day is the actual Deepavali day, dedicated to Maha Lakshmi, the day of Lakshmi-Pujan. The night is said to be the darkest night of the year. Lakshmi is said to descend on earth, called by the innumerous lights and the merrymaking that takes place on that night. For a fleeting moment, there is believed to be a flicker of global enlightenment. A general sense of happiness and brotherhood is said to pervade the atmosphere, as the goddess arrives. At the end of the day, home-made sweet-meats are offered to the goddess in the form of naivedya and to family, friends and neighbours as prasad.
The fourth and fifth days of the diwali festival do not seem to have as much significance in Guyana or Trinidad, or in most other places where there is a large Indian Diaspora (Thailand, Fiji, Malaysia), as they do in India.
The fourth day is Varshapratipada and is dedicated to the coronation of King Vikramaditya. It is also the day of Govhardan-Puja. Govhardan is a hillock in the state of Braj. It is said that the people of the village of Gokul usually honoured Lord Indra after the torrential rains known as the monsoon season. When Krishna one year prevented the people from paying homage to Indra who in turn grew angry and continued the heavy rains in order to flood Gokul. Krishna, however, saved the village by lifting the hill, Govhardan, over it.
The fifth day of Deepavali is called Bhaiya-Duj and is a celebration of the love between sisters and brothers (yes, much like Raksha Bhandan). It also concerns the god of death, Yama who was said to have visited his sister Yami on this day. According to the story, they had an especially enjoyable time, and parted by giving each other gifts. In India, it is a social custom for brothers to visit the house(s) of their sister(s) on Bhaiya-Duj; much like the expected social visits to friends and family on Boxing Day during the Christmas season.
Ever since Deepavali was made a national holiday, Guyanese across racial, social and religious barriers have given it their acceptance again and again, every year it is celebrated. The little diya is held in a reverence not given to even the enduring but far more superficial fairylight. What is perhaps most important is that the spirit of Deepavali is able to permeate us all, spreading the hope of the triumph knowledge over ignorance, of good or evil, and yes, a little dispelling the ever-creeping darkness.