Diwali

Word Diwali is the Punjabi version of the Sanskrit/Hindi word Deepawali a derivative of the word Deep that means source of light, i.e. lamp. The Punjabi version of the word Deep is Diwa (pronounced as Deewa) from which the word Diwali originated. Deepawali or Diwali is primarily a socio-religious and cultural festival day for the Hindus and the Sikhs. The Hindus observe the auspicious aspect Diwali by supplicating to the Wealth and prosperity goddess, called Lakhmi, Lashmi or Lakshmi. And the festivities aspect includes illuminating lamps or lights, fire works and feasting on sweets.

The Hindu festival of Deepawali dates back to the prehistoric period i.e. circa 5^th or 6^th millennium BC when the Hindu god-king Rama is said to have returned with his wife Sita, (Seeta) whom he had rescued from Sri Lanka’s king Ravana’s captivity. The Hindu populace of Rama’s kingdom celebrated the triumphant occasion by lighting rows and rows of earthen oil lamps (deepavali).

According to Ramayana, the Hindu mythical legend Sri Lanka’s evil-genius King Ravna cunningly abducted Hindu god-King Rama’s beautiful wife Sita. The god-king Rama is said to have had a bridge built, linking Southeastern tip of India with northwestern tip of Sri Lanka and waged war and defeated King Ravana with the help of the Hindu monkey-god Hanuman and his army of monkeys. According to unconfirmed information, remnants of a bridge-like structure have been discovered and its picture published in a magazine recently at a purported underwater location in the vicinity.

The Sikhism’s link to Diwali is much more recent. The Sikhs are said have started celebrating Diwali when Guru Har Gobind Sahib was released from Gawaliar fort circa 1612 A.D. According to intertwined history of the tyrannical Mogul dynasty that ruled India for two centuries, and Sikh Guru incarnates, Guru Arjun Sahib was tortured and martyred in 1606 AD at the behest of zealous Mogul King Jahangir. Guru’s successor, his son Hargobind discerned that he had to choose between either annihilation of blossoming Sikhism and India’s non-Islamic religions by state perpetrated Jihad or to champion the cause of universal religious freedom. Against the overwhelming odds Guru chose the latter that entailed preparing Sikhs to thwart the portentous genocidal attacks on universal religious freedom. Jahangir misconstrued Guru’s resolve to defend universal religious freedom as a threat to Jihad and/or his tyrannical autocratic rule. He imprisoned the guru in the Gawaliar fort in circa 1610 A.D.

Since, as per Sikhism’s salient tenet, ‘every day is an auspicious day’ the Sikhs consider the festival of Diwali as a socio-cultural occasion with historical significance. However since the Diwali Day is a holiday in India and it coincides with the Halloween week in the western world, the Sikhs decorate Gurdwaras with lights and hold religious services. At homes they celebrate with special feasts, fireworks and lights.

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