City of lights celebrates the festival of lights

Hindu community members mark festival at Swami Narayan Temple

KARACHI: Sixteen-year-old Bharti lit earthen oil lamps on Diwali as an age-old tradition in the backyard of the Swami Narayan Temple.

"It's a festival for which we keep waiting throughout the year," she said, explaining that Lakshmi Pooja will be done late in the evening and is a compulsory component of Diwali celebrations.

Another young member of the Hindu community, Larish, was busy preparing the rangoli, a colourful pattern created using coloured rice, dry flour, coloured sand or flower petals on the floors of living rooms or courtyards, and said the community starts preparing for Diwali at least a month before the actual day.

According to her, they clean their homes, decorate them and offer each other sweets and exchange greetings on Diwali. The festivities usually continue till late in the night and the younger members of the community celebrate the festival by setting off fireworks and fire crackers.



The Swami Narayan Seva Garba Mandal president said that Diwali marks Lord Rama's homecoming and subsequent crowning.

“The festival of lights is the most awaited festival among Hindus, celebrated to mark the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after a 14-year exile, as described in ancient epics,” said Nand Lal, an aged member of the community, who rested on a charpoy within the temple compound and watched the younger members excitedly move about.

According to him, Hindus celebrate Diwali with religious fervor, devotion, traditional zeal and great enthusiasm around the world, especially in Pakistan where a sizeable Hindu community live. He said that Diwali sends a message of brotherhood.

He added that the new year in the Hindu calendar will start today (Friday) and celebrations will continue for three days.

Lal remarked that the Ramlila (the enactment of the legendary war between good and evil, which ended in the Dussehra) is usually held 20 days before Diwali but was postponed for three consecutive years in respect for the Islamic month of Muharram.