Diwali celebration sheds light on Indian culture
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/11/2016 (3242 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
India’s biggest festival of the year, Diwali, lit up the Ukrainian National Home on Saturday night.
Also known as the festival of lights, Diwali gets its name from the row of lamps that the people of India light outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects us from spiritual darkness. Vandana Jamadagni, organizer with the Canada India Friendship Association, likens the festival to Christmas.
“Back in India, we have holidays … family and friends gather for lunches and dinners. For months we get together we make sweets and we bake … kids, and some adults, light firecrackers in the streets,” Jamadagni said. “It’s very nostalgic for us.”
The most important tradition of Diwali is the lighting of the lamp, Jamadagni said. As the lamp is ready to be lit, the lights are dimmed in the hall, leaving the lights hung on the wall twinkling almost as brightly as the matches lighting the lamp.
Afterwards, the lamp is whisked away to open the stage for celebration. Various dances are performed, as well as a fashion show-like display of brides of India and Canada, where elaborate gowns from different areas of India are shown off.
“We like to dress up,” Jamadagni laughs. “We like our diamonds and gold.”
It’s not only the Indian community invited to take part, as CIFA has a solid membership of both Indians and Canadians, Jamadagni said.
“As you look around, we have almost half and half of Canadians and Indians coming together,” Jamadagni said. “We work together and try to bring the cultures together.”
» edebooy@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @erindebooy
