EXPATRIATES in Bahrain are gearing up to celebrate the cultural festival of lights, Diwali, today, with a range of community and family events.
During the festival, which is celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists, diyas (earthen oil lamps), candles and lanterns are lit, most prominently seen around the 200-year-old Shreenathji Shree Krishna Temple in Manama.
The festival symbolises the spiritual victory of good over evil, and is also marked with lavish feasts and the exchange of gifts.
Diyas are lit and placed in rows along temples and houses during Diwali
“The temple grounds have been decorated and will be lit up on Diwali and in the days before and after the main festival,” temple honorary secretary Mahendra Bhatia told the GDN.
“On the main festival day, devotees can join us for festive prayers. Our main cultural programme will take place on Thursday evening since Diwali is on a weekday this year.”
On Tuesday, the temple, located in the Manama Suq, will have a special Govardhan Puja – a regional ritual held the day after Diwali to mark the child form of Lord Krishna – from 10.30am onwards.
On Thursday, after a feast for Brahmins, the Bhatia community will get together for a cultural programme featuring dance performances, skits and more, including Annakut Darshan – a ritual during which a mountain of vegetarian food is offered to the deities in gratitude for the past year, and to seek blessings for the year to come.
In addition, Indian families, some of whom have been here for the last century and longer, will also be hosting gatherings for their friends, family and loved ones to mark the occasion.
FLASHBACK: Shaikh Mohammed during the visit to the Asarpota family’s Diwali celebration last year
Last year, on behalf of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, his son Shaikh Mohammed bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa visited the Muljimal, Kavalani, Thaker, Kewalram, Asarpota and Bhatia families to mark the festival.
Thattai Hindu Merchants Community, Entrepreneurs Organisation and Rotary Club of Manama past president and National Trading House chief executive Bob Thaker added: “This exemplifies what Bahrain is all about and it’s something we truly appreciate.
“My wife, Sunita, and I have lit up our house in red and white lights, with flowers throughout, and prepared special sweets for the occasion.
“My 90-year-old mother will also be part of the festivities, as well as my brother Dilip and his family.
“My daughter Sanchita and her husband Sohail, and their two children, have flown in from London to be with the family, and although my son in San Francisco, the US, is unable to be here in person, he will be joining us online for some of the prayers.”
FLASHBACK: Shaikh Mohammed meeting the late Mr Baboo Kewalram during last year’s Diwali celebration
This year, the Kewalram family will be marking the occasion privately and not hosting a public gathering out of respect for the passing of the family patriarch, the late Bhagwandas ‘Baboo’ Haridas Kewalram, who died in March this year.
Other communities will also be marking the occasion with more intimate family gatherings as well as special prayers.
The Sikh Gurdwara in Budaiya is holding a special Diwali programme this week, and the Nepali Embassy will be organising a celebration this evening at 6pm, and on Wednesday at 7.30pm.
Better known as Tihar festival amongst the Nepali community, the five days of the festival include celebration and worship of the four creatures associated with the Hindu god of death Yama, with the final day reserved for people themselves. It is the second biggest Nepali festival, and is usually allocated a three-day-long national holiday in their home country.
The Bharathi Association marked Diwali in grand fashion over the weekend with a gala celebration at the Golden Eagle Club in Salmabad, bringing together Indian families and the wider community in festive spirit.
The evening featured a lively Pattimandram debate moderated by renowned Tamil orator Dindigul Leoni, alongside cultural performances celebrating Tamil heritage.
Diwali is celebrated across India and various other countries. The most common mythological significance of Diwali is the return of Lord Rama, along with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana, to the city of Ayodhya after 14 years of exile and victory over the demon king Ravana.
The people of Ayodhya illuminated the entire city with lamps, thus starting the tradition of lighting diyas (oil lamps) during the festival.
People decorate their homes, exchange gifts and wear new clothes. In some countries and neighbourhoods, they also light fireworks and light up their houses with ‘diyas’ and decorative lights.
The festival is a time for families to come together, perform prayers and offer sweets and delicacies to deities.
It is believed that Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, visits homes that are clean, well-lit and welcoming during Diwali.
The festival also holds cultural significance and is a time when people indulge in delicious sweets and savouries, visit friends and relatives, and engage in festive activities like playing games, dancing and singing.
naman@gdnmedia.bh
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