Overseas Diwali Celebrations

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DIWALI CELEBRATION OUTSIDE INDIA

Diwali is celebrated in all parts of India with a few variations in keeping with local conditions, customs and needs. With a large number of Indians having settled abroad, Diwali has been “exported” to several parts of the world and celebrated enthusiastically.

The legends associated with the festival also vary from place to place. The most widely held belief is that Diwali celebrations mark the return of Rama to Ayodhya after killing Lanka's demon king Ravana and freeing his spouse Sita from Ravana's captivity.

USA

Diwali is one of most important festivals among Hindus in USA. Diwali is celebrated to commemorate the coronation of Lord Rama as king after his return from 14 years of exile. Much like India, earthen lamps are lighted here in rows, sometimes, making beautiful images of these lamps that look beautiful when the lamps are lighted in the darkness of the night. Temples are also decorated with colorful lights. In the evening, Diwali celebrated with Community Gathering, Cultural programs and Fire Works. People distribute sweets and snacks among friends and relatives.

MAURITIUS

About 63% population in Mauritius has Indian origins and 80% of them are Hindus. Naturally Diwali is one of the main festival among Indians. Here, Diwali is celebrated to commemorate the coronation of Lord Rama as king after his return from 14 years of exile. Much like India, earthen lamps are lighted here in rows, sometimes, making beautiful images of these lamps that look beautiful when the lamps are lighted in the darkness of the night. Temples are also decorated in different way, sometimes with colorful light, sometimes with colored paper. Goddes Lakshmi is worshipped and crackers and fireworks are burnt to ward off the evil spirits.

NEPAL

The only Hindu Kingdom of the world, Diwali is known as 'Tihar' in Nepal. Lakshmi and Ganesha are worshipped here. On the 1st day of the 5-day long festival, the cows are revered as Goddess Lakshmi and are fed with cooked rice. On the 2nd day, dogs are revered as the carrier of Bhairava and are fed with delicious food, especially prepared for them. On the 3rd day, houses are illuminated and decorated with lights and lamps and delicacies are prepared and fireworks and crackers are the favorites of the day. On the 4th day, prayers and offerings are made to Yama, the Hindu God of Death, to please him and be blessed by him with long life. On the 5th and the last day, Bhaiya Dooj / Bhai Dooj is celebrated in which sisters pray for long life and prosperity of their brothers.

MALAYSIA

Malaysia has about 8 - 10% Hindu population who celebrate Hari Diwali that symbolizes triumph of good over evil. Festival usually starts off with the traditional oil bath of South India and then visit the temples and pray. Small earthen lamps with coconut oil are lit to commemorate the victory of Lord Rama over the demon-king Ravana. Rooms and Doors are decorated with lamps and colorful paper. Diwali is celebrated in most parts of Malaysia except in the regions of Sarawak and Federal Territory of Labuan.

INDONESIA

Though most of the Indonesian population follows Islam, Diwali is celebrated among Hindus. Hindus constitute only 2% of the population. However, the island of Bali is famous for Diwali celebration as majority of its populations consists of Indians. The rituals and the celebrations are mostly similar to India. Diwali celebrated with Regional Gathering and Cultural programs and Fire Works.

All this illumination and fireworks, joy and festivity, is to signify the victory of divine forces over those of wickedness.

Diwali is celebrated in various parts of the world, in countries such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Suriname, Canada, Guyana, Mauritius, Fiji, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Australia, much of Africa, and the United States. With more and more Indians and Sri Lankans now migrating to various parts of the world, the number of countries where Diwali is celebrated has been gradually increasing. While in some countries it is celebrated mainly by Indian expatriates, in others it has become part of the general local culture. In most of these countries Diwali is celebrated on the same lines as described in this article with some minor variations. Some important variations are worth mentioning.

Deepavali Diwali India Delhi Mumbai Kolkata Chennai Diwali Bangalore Hyderabad Deepavali Chandigarh Guwahati Assam Shillong Silchar Jaipur Rajasthan UP Uttar Pradesh Kanpur Allahabad Varanasi Bhopal Guwalior Nagpur Pune Orissa Cuttak Patna Bihar Goa Ahmedabad Gujarat Surat Gandhinagar Raipur Deepavali Diwali Dipawali Deepawali Depawali Depavali USA UK Europe Australia Canada US United States United Kingdom England London New York Germany France Japan Asia Singalore Diwali Dipawali Deepawali Depawali Depavali Guyana, Fiji, Malaysia, Nepal, Mauritius, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Trinidad & Tobago, Britain, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Africa, Australia Diwali Deepavali Deepawali Dipawali Dipavali

Celebrating Diwali in Mumbai

Diwali was so special during childhood because it was associated with the diwali vacation too. Diwali simply suggests unbounded joy and everything new.

People living abroad totally miss celebrating Diwali in Mumbai. Bursting crackers, meeting people, and even that ambience is so sorely missed by me. We do celebrate Diwali here, but it is obviously not like back home. We don’t even get crackers here in Denver! We try and make up for the lack of the atmosphere in Mumbai by wearing nice traditional clothes and having lot of sweets.
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In Maharashtra, Diwali starts from Vasubaras which is the 12th day of the 2nd half of the month of Ashwin. This day is celebrated by performing an Aarti of the cow and its calf- which is a symbol of love between mother and her baby.

The next day is Dhanatrayodashi (tra-3 dashi-10 i.e. 10+3=13th day) or Dhanteras. This day is of special importance for traders and business people.

The 14th day of Ashwin is Narakchaturdashi. On this day before sunrise, people wake up and bathe after rubbing scented oil on their body (they also bathe using Utna). After this the entire family visits a temple and offers prayers to their God. After this visit, everyone feasts on Faral which is a special Diwali preparation consisting of delectable sweets such as "karanji", "ladoo", "shankarpale" and "mithai" as well as some spicy eatables like "chakli", "sev" and "chivda".

Then comes Laxmi- poojan. It occurs on Amavasya i.e. no moon day. The dark night is illuminated by lamps and at dusk crackers are burst. New account books are opened after a pooja. The stock exchange performs a token bidding called Muhurta bidding. Generally the traders do not make any payments on that day (according to their belief Laxmi should not be given away but must come home). In every household, cash, jewellery and an idol of the goddess Laxmi is worshipped. Friends, neighbours and relatives are invited over and celebrations are in full swing. The broom used to clean one's house is also worshipped as a symbol of laxmi in some places .

Padwa' is the 1st day of the new month - Kartik in the Hindu calendar.

Bhaubeej - it is the time where in the bond of love between a brother and sister is further strengthened as the sister asks God for her brother/s long and successful life while she receives presents from her beloved brother/s.

Homes are cleaned and decorated before Diwali. Offices perform pooja. Bonuses and holidays are granted to employees on these auspicious days. People buy property and gold on these days too. Children build replica forts in memory of the founder of Maratha empire, Shivaji Maharaj. For children, Fire works, new clothes and sweets make Deepavali the most eagerly awaited festival of the year.



Diwali, the 'festival of lights', is the occasion of illuminating the flame of your heart with the love of lord Ram. It is the day which is connotes with the victory of truthfulness over the wickedness. In today's arena where people are running after money, diwali gives a chance to pause for a minute and create sweet memories with your family, friends. So in the midst of your mundane daily activities, stop for a while and express your gratefulness towards all your dear ones, laugh and enjoy for what god has given you. Celebrate the festivity of the day by gifting beautiful gifts, as a remembrance of love.

Sweets
Festivals without sweets is like surviving without water!So it is the time for have some barfi, ladoo, gulab jamun, rasgullas and have a delicious & yummy Diwali. Winsome, these are available in the attractive packing to be presented as the gift.

Gold and Silver Gifts
Wish a sterling and bright full Diwali to all your dear ones with the exquisite stylized gold and silver gifts. Extend your hearty wishes with the alluring compliment of silver and gold coins with the auspicious lord Ganesha idol.

Apparels
People wear new clothes in the Diwali night. So add dash of glamor and beauty in the festival by gifting stylish apparels to all your closed ones. Garments decked with the appealing hand embroidered with the unmatchable elegance are the perfect gift for the special occasion.

Candles
Incandescent candles, glittering with the flame of beauty and glory, are the nice gift option for wishing the lighting Diwali to all your closed ones. Illustrious candles remove all darkness of the night and make it more enlightening and fanciful.


Diwali celebration in Maharashtra is interestingly different from what is seen in other parts of the country. In a typical Marathi family Diwali celebrations starts with 'Vasu-baras' that comes on tithi 'Ashwin krushna dwadashi' as per Marathi calendar. Vasu-baras is a celebration held in honor of cows - regarded as mother by Hindus. Following the rituals of the day married women perform 'puja' of cows having calf. The tradition symbolizes a woman’s gratitude towards cow for serving them and their children.

Dhanatrayodashi
Dhanatrayodashi is a popular name for Dhanteras in Maharashta. Some also celebrate Dhanvantari Jayanti on this day to honor the great ancient doctor Dhanvantari. On the day of Dhanatrayodashi 'Yama-Deep-Dan' is held wherein mothers and wives make one ‘divas’ each for all living male in the family. The diva, made from the kneaded flour is lit and offered to Lord Yama in the evening. As they perform the ritual womenfolk pray to Lord Yama - the Hindu mythological God of Death that their husbands and sons be blessed with a long life.

Narak Chatudarshi
Chhoti Diwali is popularly known as Narak-Chaturdashi in Maharashtra. On this day people celebrate Narakasur’s death by Lord Krishna. They get up early in the morning and massage their bodies with scented oil. And as a custom they use 'utane' or 'utanah' for bath instead of soap. This special bath is referred to as 'abhyang-snan'. It may be noted that 'Utane' is not the same as uptan. Utane is made of several things having ayurvedic properties like 'chandan' (sandalwood), 'kapoor' (camphor), manjistha, rose, orange skin and haldi (turmeric).

Diwali Celebrations - Lakshmi-Pujan
Lakshmi-pujan is celebrated on the Diwali evening. Believing that Goddess Lakshmi visits every house in the evening, people perform ‘Lakshmi Puja’. This is essentially a worship of Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Ganesh, money, jewelleries and the broom.

A variety of mouth-watering delicacies including chivda, chakali, shankar-pale, anarse, kadaboli, karanji, shev, chirote etc are prepared to mark the festival. Throughout Diwali, Marathi people hang 'Akash-kandil' / 'Akash-dive' and light up 'panti's outside their houses. Tradition of drawing colourful 'Rangoli's is also followed in Maharashtra as in rest or India.

Diwali Cha Padva
The third day of Diwali is also celebrated as 'Diwalicha Padva' by many. This is a celebration of togetherness of husband and wife and love shared by them. To mark the occasion wife does 'aukshan' of her husband and husbands present a special gift to their wife.

Bhav-Bij
The last day of Diwali festival is called Bhau Bij. In this sisters do 'aukshan' of their brothers and pray for their long life. Brothers, in their turn bless their sister and pamper them with loads of Bhau-Bij gifts.

Tulsi-Vivah
In Maharashtra, end of Diwali celebrations marks the beginning of Tulsi-Vivah. Under this people organize marriage of sacred tulsi (a basil plant) in their house. In Maharashtra the tradition is that people start organizing marriage ceremonies of their sons/daughters only once Tulsi-vivah starts. Celebration of Diwali ends with Dev-Diwali. source: wikipedia

Deepavali Diwali India Delhi Mumbai Kolkata Chennai Diwali Bangalore Hyderabad Deepavali Chandigarh Guwahati Assam Shillong Silchar Jaipur Rajasthan UP Uttar Pradesh Kanpur Allahabad Varanasi Bhopal Guwalior Nagpur Pune Orissa Cuttak Patna Bihar Goa Ahmedabad Gujarat Surat Gandhinagar Raipur Deepavali Diwali Dipawali Deepawali Depawali Depavali Mumbai Bombay India Deepavali Diwali Dipawali Deepawali Depawali Depavali

Celebrating Diwali in Delhi

Celebrating Diwali in Delhi, the capital city of India has a unique charm of its own. With traditional and classy neon lights brightly lit throughout the shops, houses and other establishments, the city seem to wear a new glittery garb to celebrate Diwali. With a cosmopolitan population, Diwali celebrations in Delhi represents the festival of lights with a special Indian flavor.

Diwali celebrations in Delhi represents the festival of lights with a special Indian flavor. The 'Diwali fever' in Delhi commences days before the actual Diwali day. Just after Dussehra festival, people in Delhi start making preparations for Diwali. Renovations, whitewashing a nd spring-cleaning both at personal and commercial establishments are carried out at full swing for the Diwali day.

On Diwali day, shops in Delhi remain open till the afternoon, believing that good sales on Diwali day predict a prosperous year ahead. In the corporate sector, the process of buying and distributing Diwali gifts begins several days before the big day, and slowly picks up pace. Sweets and dry fruits are the most common gifts, as are silver coins. But gifts also range from silver dishes and other household gifts to suit pieces.
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Diwali Celebrations Defy Delhi Bombers

The sound of firecrackers greeted the dawn in Delhi today as the city began the Hindu festival of Diwali in the wake of bomb attacks at the weekend that killed 59 people. Defiant shopkeepers decorated their stalls with glowing lights and shiny tinsel to mark the festival of lights -...

The sound of firecrackers greeted the dawn in Delhi today as the city began the Hindu festival of Diwali in the wake of bomb attacks at the weekend that killed 59 people.

Defiant shopkeepers decorated their stalls with glowing lights and shiny tinsel to mark the festival of lights - representing the triumph of good over evil - but security was tight as investigators continued their hunt for the bombers.

Police sifted through millions of mobile telephone call records, trying to uncover who had carried out the attacks, and checkpoints were set up around the city.

Anguished and weary relatives continued to look for loved ones among rows of bodies charred in the deadliest terrorist attack on the Indian capital.

The atmosphere was sombre. Sonia Gandhi, the head of India's ruling alliance, and the prime minister, Manmohan Singh, both cancelled celebrations.

Randeep Ramesh, Guardian correspondent in New Delhi, reported that the streets were much quieter than in previous years.

India remains on high alert. More than 2,500 police were drafted in to bolster the city's 70,000-strong force ahead of the holiday season, which begins with Diwali and ends with the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr on Friday or Saturday, depending on the sighting of the moon.

Apart from the fear of more attacks, there are concerns the bombings, at such a sensitive religious time, could trigger communal violence.

In Mumbai, India's financial and entertainment capital, Reuters reported offices and houses illuminated and decorated with sweet-smelling garlands and traditional clay lamps. "The Delhi blasts have slightly dampened the spirits and people are scared of going into crowded areas," resident Rajesh Didwania told the news agency. "But one has to get on with life."

Three blasts, all within an hour, ripped through a bus and two crowded markets on Saturday in an attack claimed by a group called Islami Inqilabi Mahaz (Islamic Revolutionary Group).

Analysts said it had ties with or was a front for the Pakistan-based Lashkar-i-Taiba, an Islamic group fighting Indian rule in Kashmir. India blamed Lashkar for an attack on the country's parliament in December 2001 which left 15 dead, including five attackers.

India prepared for war after the 2001 attacks but relations between the two neighbours are now much improved. General Pervez Musharraf, the Pakistani president, yesterday condemned the bombings as a "dastardly terrorist attack" and said his country would cooperate in any investigation.

However, a spokesman for Mr Singh said the prime minister had told Mr Musharraf by telephone that he "continued to be disturbed and dismayed at indications of external linkages of terrorist groups with the October 29 bombing".

Two banned Pakistani militant groups today denied Mr Singh's claims that Pakistani-based insurgents had been behind the blasts. Spokesmen for Jaish-i-Mohammed and Jamiat-ul-Ansar both insisted that India-based militants had carried out the attacks.


© Guardian News & Media 2008
Published: 11/1/2005
Deepavali Diwali India Delhi Mumbai Kolkata Chennai Diwali Bangalore Hyderabad Deepavali Chandigarh Guwahati Assam Shillong Silchar Jaipur Rajasthan UP Uttar Pradesh Kanpur Allahabad Varanasi Bhopal Guwalior Nagpur Pune Orissa Cuttak Patna Bihar Goa Ahmedabad Gujarat Surat Gandhinagar Raipur Deepavali Diwali Dipawali Deepawali Depawali Depavali

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Diwali in Delhi Diwali Deepavali Deepawali New Delhi India

In Delhi, Diwali festivities start at Dussehra. From then on, as people set out on a frantic spree of shopping, spring-cleaning, whitewashing and redecorating, the shops and market places embark on a frenzy of sales and promotional offers. Market places are festooned with streamers; melas and fairs crop up everywhere. Many people buy new clothes to wear on Diwali, and on the day of Dhanteras, traditionally, a kitchen utensil of some kind is purchased.

On Diwali day, shops in Delhi remain open till the afternoon, believing that good sales on Diwali day predict a prosperous year ahead. In the corporate sector, the process of buying and distributing Diwali gifts begins several days before the big day, and slowly picks up pace. Sweets and dry fruits are the most common gifts, as are silver coins. But gifts also range from silver dishes and other household gifts to suit pieces.

Delhi get crowded with shoppers and shopping bonanzas. Around every street corner can be found the temporary stages for holding the Ramlila - a dramatic rendition of the story of the Ramayan, which continues for several evenings, culminating in the defeat of Evil (Ravanna) by Good (Ram) on the Dussehra Day.

Houses are decorated and on Diwali evening Lakshmi puja is organized. Often the women of the house do "aarti" to their husbands, garlanding him and putting a "tika" on him, while praying for his long life. In some houses, there is a ritual of immersing a silver coin in a tumbler of milk. The milk is then sprinkled lightly in the rooms of the house. The Prashad is kept in front of the idol throughout the night. source: http://www.diwalifestival.org/diwali-in-delhi.html
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People enjoy Diwali in delhi all through out the day and night, most of the markets remain busy with festive mood, people buys sweets, gifts, new cloths etc. These days most of the shopping malls remain full of people buying different household items and gift packets etc. Market associations decorated marktes like Karol Bagh, Chandni Chowk, Sarojini Nagar Market, Grater Kailash etc.

About Diwali:
Deepavali, or Diwali, (Markiscarali) is a major Indian festival, and a significant festival in Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism. [3] Many legends are associated with Diwali. Today it is celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs across the globe as the "Festival of Light," where the lights or lamps signify victory of good over the evil within every human being . The festival is also celebrated by Buddhists of Nepal, particularly the Newar Buddhists.

According to one theory Diwali may have originated as a harvest festival, marking the last harvest of the year before winter. In an agrarian society this results in businessmen closing accounts, and beginning a new accounting year. The deity of wealth in Hinduism, goddess Lakshmi is therefore thanked on this day and everyone prays for a good year ahead. This is the common factor in Diwali celebrations all over the Indian subcontinent.

In many parts of India, it is the homecoming of King Rama of Ayodhya after a 14-year exile in the forest.[4] The people of Ayodhya (the capital of his kingdom) welcomed Rama by lighting rows (avali) of lamps (deepa), thus its name, Deepawali, or simply shortened as Diwali. Southern India marks it as the day Lord Krishna defeated the demon Narakasura. In western India it is also in honor of the day King Bali went to rule the nether-world by the order of Vishnu. (There is another festival 'Onam' which is celebrated in Kerala around the month of August to mark this legend)

Diwali is celebrated on the first day of the lunar Kartika month, which comes in the month of October or November.

In Jainism it marks the nirvana of Lord Mahavira, which occurred on October 15, 527 BCE. The Sikhs celebrate Diwali for a different reason; on this day, the Sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind Ji, was freed from imprisonment along with 52 Hindu Kings (political prisoners) whom he had arranged to be released as well. After his release he went to Darbar Sahib (golden temple) in the holy city of Amritsar. There, he was greeted by Sikhs and many other people. In happiness they lit candles and diyas to greet the Guru. In India, Diwali is now considered to be a national festival, and the aesthetic aspect of the festival is enjoyed by most Indians regardless of faith.

Kali Puja is light-up night for Kolkata, corresponding to the festival of Diwali (pronounced Dipabali in Bengali), where people light candles in memory of the souls of departed ancestors. The Goddess Kali is worshipped at night on one night during this festival. This is also a night of fireworks, with local youth burning sparklers and crackers throughout the night. Kolkata had to pass legislature a few years back to ban fireworks which break the 65 decibel sound limit, as ambient noise levels were going up to 90 decibels or more in parts of the city. source: wikipedia

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