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As most people would refer to it, Diwali is the “festival of lights” amidst the darkness. It represents the theme of good over evil. But who is good and evil? I‘m going to share a bit about the legend of Diwali from a Sikh perspective.
A brief history of Diwali from a Sikh perspective
Diwali is known as Bandi Chhor Divas for many Sikhs. The theme of courage, bravery and the good comes from the history of Sikhi. Growing up, I heard the history of the Bandi Chhor Divas, which means the release of prisoners. This day is celebrated widely worldwide by Sikhs to mark the day when Guru Hargobind Ji, the sixth Guru in Sikhi, was released from the Mughal Emperor Jahangir and the Guru helped release 52 Hindu Prince prisoners along with him from Jahangir’s hold. Upon this release, the Sikh diaspora has been widely celebrating this day for over 400 years.
To me, the history of my Sikh faith always acts as a reminder to stand up for myself and continue the path of justice, not just for myself but for others as well.
Diwali is celebrated by many Hindus because of the history with Lord Rama. I grew up hearing the tales of these stories in India and joined in with many celebrations with the community because, to me, Diwali is about connection and celebration with all.
Some facts about Diwali:
- Diwali isn’t just celebrated by Hindus; it’s a holiday shared by Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists and many others.
- Diwali is celebrated over the course of a week to a month for people, depending on where they live.
- The exact date of Diwali changes every year and falls somewhere around November.
- Diwali is celebrated widely across the world and is a holiday in over 10 countries.
How do I and others across the world celebrate Diwali?
I love to decorate my house with lots of colourful lights. It is common to see rangolis (art using sand or powder) drawn and painted everywhere outside and inside people’s houses, too.
People light up diyas and candles at their houses and also at Mandirs (Hindu place of worship) and Gurudwaras (Sikh place of worship). I go to the Gurudwara with my family every year in Edmonton and help light up candles along with thousands of people who also celebrate there.
Families gather to exchange gifts, arrange feasts and say their prayers to each other and at their place of worship. Some even consider Diwali or Bandi Chhor Divas to be the beginning of a new year and hold appropriate celebrations.
I also love dressing up for pictures with family, creating endless memories along the way. Growing up, I would look forward to my Nani (grandma) coming over so I could sit with her to spend some bonding time that we usually wouldn’t get due to the business of the world.
There are always so many Indian sweets everywhere! Guests would come over and not just give us a bundle of sweets but also some money as a token of gift — it was fun that way when I was growing up.
People light fireworks all around India to mark this day of celebration. Growing up, I used to love watching fireworks from a safe distance. My favourites were the sparklers.
No matter what background you are from, I hope you can celebrate this year’s Diwali joyously with your friends, family and coworkers. It’s all about the connections we make and celebrating those connections meaningfully together with others. Hope you have a great Diwali!