Sri Lanka “Festival of Lights” : Triumph of good over evil

Todayisthe‘festivaloflights’intheTamilHinduCalendar;Deepavali.

Celebrationsandpujaswillbeheldthroughoutthedayattemplesandhomeswhilethenighttimewouldbereservedforthelightingoflampsandfirecrackers.Thefestivalcelebratesthetriumphofgoodoverevil,intheformofLordKrishnavanquishingthedemonNarakasura.

Hencethisfestivaliscelebratedwithlightstoshowcasetheusheringinaneraoflightafteraneraofdarkness.

NarakasuraaccordingtoSouthIndianandSriLankanHindumythology(thereareotherversionsinotherregionsofIndia),issaidtobethesonofMotherEarth(Bhudevi)andLordVishnuinoneofhisincarnationsasaboar(Varaha).Hehadboonsandblessingsfrombothhispowerfulparentsforecastingthathewouldbeamightyandinvinciblewarriorwhowouldlivealongandvictoriouslife.Unfortunately,hefellintobadcompanyandusedtheprowessinvestedinhimforthepropagationofevilratherthangood.

LordVishnu

Havingconqueredthewholeofearth,hethensethissightsonSwarloga(heaven),makingeventhatplacehellishforitsinhabitants.Indra,thekingofheavencouldnotwithstandthedemon’sonslaughtandsoughtthehelpofLordVishnu.VishnupromisedtotakecareofthematterinhisincarnationonearthasKrishna.

Thusitwas,longyearslaterthatLordKrishnatookonNarakasurawhohadbeenplaguingearthandheavenforeonsandsubduedhim,eventuallykillinghim.Beforehedied,Narakasuraissaidtohaverepentedandaskedthathisdeathanniversarybemarked;henceDeepavali.

ThepeopleofEarthandthedevas(celestialbeings)ofHeavenaresaidtohavecelebratedwithfirecrackersandlightassoonasNarakasura’sdeathwasannounced,andthetraditioncontinuestothisday.

Hindusobservingthisfestivaltodaywouldhavegotupbeforesunrisetohaveatraditionaloilbath,completewithorganichome-madeshampoosofarappuorshikakai(inruralvillages,thisisstillthepractice.Theshampoosaremadeofgroundlocalherbs).Therewillbemuchmakinganddistributingofsweetmeatsandsavouriesduringtheday.

Peoplewouldhavespring-cleanedtheirhousesoverthepreviousdaysinanticipationofthisevent,whichissupposedtoharbingerbrightnessandprosperity.Hindutemplesalloverthecountrywillbethrongingtodaywithpeopledeckedoutinfinenewclothescarryingpujabaskets.Eventhosewhodon’tattendtemplesregularlywillbemakingapointofpayingtheirrespectstoGodtoday.

Hinduhouses

TherowsoflampslitforDeepavaliisnotsomuchafacetobservedinSriLankaasitisinIndia.Here,itisthefestivalofKarthikaiDeepam(dedicatedtoLordMurugan)thatiscelebratedasthe‘festivaloflights’,moreprevalently.KarthikaiDeepamthisyearisfallingafewdaysfromnowonNovember25.

Nevertheless,DeepavaliwhichismuchcelebratedinIndiaasthefestivaloflight,isgainingprominenceinSriLankatoowithmanyHinduhousesnowlightingrowsoflampsintheevening.Firecrackerswillbegoingoffthroughoutthenight,afacetthatworriesmanyelderlypeopleandanimallovers.YouthsalloverSriLankalovetocelebratewithfirecrackers;vendorsofthecrackerswouldhavebeendoingbriskbusinessoverthepastfewdays.Theseareundeniablycolorfulandcheerfulaspectsofthecelebrationsbuttheirside-effectsalsoneedtobeconsidered.Petownersoutthere,becarefulofyourpets’wellbeingtoday.

Acommunityofpeoplearehappyandcelebrating.Maytheirhappinessandwell-wishesruboffoneverybody.Inthiscelebrationoflightoverevil,mayallbeingsbehappy.