In respect: Diwali celebrations put off
The Pakistan Hindu Council arranges a musical night every year at Diwali.
KARACHI:
The Diwali celebrations scheduled for October 29, Saturday, have been postponed by different organisations in part out of reverence for Begum Nusrat Bhutto.
The annual Arts Council event will now be held on November 14 instead, said Raja Chauhan, the founder and organiser of the group Culture Creators, while talking to The Express Tribune.
The triumph of good over evil, colorful rangolis and firecrackers are the highlights of the Hindu festival, but for the people of Sindh this year’s celebrations have already been marred by two tragedies - the flood and the death of Begum Nusrat Bhutto - a family much loved and supported by the Hindus.
The Pakistan Hindu Council arranges a musical night every year at Diwali but it has been cancelled. Instead, the council will hold a combined wedding ceremony for needy couples on November 12. Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, who is the patron in chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council, explained that the spirit of celebration was already low because of the floods. Numerous Hindu families living in Sindh’s countryside have been severely affected by the floods and are internally displaced at the moment, he said. But the death of Begum Nusrat Bhutto has further lowered spirits among the Hindus of the province as they have always been great supporters of the Bhutto family.
He said that in view of the dismal state of flood-affected families the council is planning to arrange a combined wedding ceremony for as many couples as possible. “We are gathering resources to marry off as many as 120 couples this time, which is more than previous years.”
In Karachi, temples will, however, mark the occasion with pooja ceremonies. The largest gathering usually takes place at the Swami Narayan Mandir near the city courts, said Raja Assermal.
There are four more temples that attract people as well. They include the Temple of Laxmi Narayan at Native Jetty, Hanuman Mandir at Soldier Bazaar, Sheetla Mata temple at Bheempura and the Shiv Mandir.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 25th, 2011.
The Diwali celebrations scheduled for October 29, Saturday, have been postponed by different organisations in part out of reverence for Begum Nusrat Bhutto.
The annual Arts Council event will now be held on November 14 instead, said Raja Chauhan, the founder and organiser of the group Culture Creators, while talking to The Express Tribune.
The triumph of good over evil, colorful rangolis and firecrackers are the highlights of the Hindu festival, but for the people of Sindh this year’s celebrations have already been marred by two tragedies - the flood and the death of Begum Nusrat Bhutto - a family much loved and supported by the Hindus.
The Pakistan Hindu Council arranges a musical night every year at Diwali but it has been cancelled. Instead, the council will hold a combined wedding ceremony for needy couples on November 12. Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, who is the patron in chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council, explained that the spirit of celebration was already low because of the floods. Numerous Hindu families living in Sindh’s countryside have been severely affected by the floods and are internally displaced at the moment, he said. But the death of Begum Nusrat Bhutto has further lowered spirits among the Hindus of the province as they have always been great supporters of the Bhutto family.
He said that in view of the dismal state of flood-affected families the council is planning to arrange a combined wedding ceremony for as many couples as possible. “We are gathering resources to marry off as many as 120 couples this time, which is more than previous years.”
In Karachi, temples will, however, mark the occasion with pooja ceremonies. The largest gathering usually takes place at the Swami Narayan Mandir near the city courts, said Raja Assermal.
There are four more temples that attract people as well. They include the Temple of Laxmi Narayan at Native Jetty, Hanuman Mandir at Soldier Bazaar, Sheetla Mata temple at Bheempura and the Shiv Mandir.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 25th, 2011.