Deepavali which falls on the 17th October is an important autumn festival celebrated all over India by all people regardless of caste and religion. Deepavali or Deevali, as the North Indians call it, is the festival of lights. Homes and public places are illuminated with oil lamps and electrical lights. Goddess of wealth, Lakshmi and Lord of auspicious beginning, Ganesha are worshipped in the morning for shubha(well-being) and laabha(prosperity).

This festival is important for businessmen and traders. They exchange gifts among the stakeholders to build and strengthen network and camaraderie. Students send gifts to their teachers, business people to their customers, employers to their employees, wards to their parents, and all kinds of relationships are renewed on the auspicious occasion of Deepavali.

Devotees visit temples to pray, supplicate and thank God. Deepavali also is a reminder of the impending winter cold and hybernation of nature. It is time for stocktaking and spiritual renewal. Colorful fireworks light up the Deepavali night and the boom-boom of loud crackers keep the revelers awake through the festivities. It is also believed that such display of colour and sound keeps evil and negative forces away and spiritually purify the environment.

Scientists may dispute this claim and say that instead fireworks only pollute the atmosphere. But at the end of the day, it is popular beliefs, practices and enthusiasm that matters. Though these days government and schools discourage polluting fire works, consumption of high calorie sweets and forest gulping paper packing. The modern mantra is 'green Deepavali'.

Deepavali is a celebration of victory of good over evil, light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, love over hate, unity over division, spirit over matter and God over mammon. Light is a symbol of consciousness that illumines the theatre of mind and the play of thoughts. Deepavali is the day when the Ravanas, Hiranyakshas, Chanda-Mundas, Duryodhanas and Kamsas see the light of their soul.

When we light the deepavali lamps, we are lighting the lamp of wisdom in our hearts, lighting the lamp of love in our homes, lighting the lamp of compassion in our community and lighting the lamp of peace in the world.
Light is a metaphor for God. God is consciousness, wisdom, love, compassion and peace.

And God lives in our hearts.
Happy Deevali! Happy Deepavali!

Swami Bodhananda
Sambodh Centre for Human Excellence
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Friday, October 16, 2009