Diwali Fest—One occasion, many customs

Gear yourself up to be enlightened by the biggest, brightest and most popular event in the Indian calendar: Diwali.

Celebrated enthusiastically in India, Diwali means the worship of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth in her most benevolent mood, fulfilling the wishes of her devotees. Similar to Chinese New Year and Christmas, Diwali is also celebrated with family gatherings, new clothes, special treats, and fireworks that drive away evil spirits to bring luck and prosperity in the coming year.

Popularly known as the festival of lights, Diwali counters the darkest night of year. The eve of Diwali is also known as kalichaudas—Kali means dark (evil) and chaudas means fourteenth. The average time between a full moon and a new moon (and vice versa), or half a synodic month, is equal to 14.77 days.

Diwali counters the darkest night of year.

Thus, on Diwali people light special lamps, diyas, which bring supernatural brightness and joy with the hope of finding light in darkness. All homes are lit up and decorated with rangoli (a word derived from rang and aavalli, which refers to a row of colours), to welcome Lakshmi, while the scent of incense sticks hangs in the air, mingled with the sounds of fire-crackers, joy, togetherness and hope—all part of the customs that make the occasion so sacred.

So come in and discover Diwali Fest at this cultural extravaganza in the Vancouver spirit through various activities like traditional and contemporary song and dance performances, rangoli designs, diya painting, family workshops, cooking classes, fashion shows, dinners, family events and much more. Yes, indeed it is a mixed cultural melting pot that offers fun for all ages. On average, it is estimated around 5,000 people over the 10 days visit the festival, and the numbers keep growing every year!

The scent of incense sticks hangs in the air, mingled with the sounds of fire-crackers, joy, togetherness and hope—all part of the customs that make the occasion so sacred.

The organizers, Vineeta Minhas and Rohit Chokhani, have a wide array of experiences including events like Burnaby’s Festival of Lights Celebration and the RBC Torch Relay. They are gearing up together to make this fest more exciting.

Indulge yourself in something new with Diwali Fest 2013’s various activities and enjoy everything it offers—inclusive education, inspiration, and entertainment. Please check here to find out more. On Saturday, November 2, 3-9pm, the celebration is at the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Center. For tickets and further details please visit the Roundhouse website.

Please share your experiences with us—we’d love to hear your favourite Diwali customs.

By Geetanjali Rohatgi, Roundhouse Blog Team. Geetanjali is a committed marketing analyst and an MBA graduate with 3 years of success in delivering strategic direction and planning to assist various companies to achieve their marketing goals. She now works as a social media enthusiast on creating strategies to promote businesses on different social media platforms. A recent arrival to Canada, she is excited to share her unique perspective of Vancouver and the Roundhouse.