Happy Diwali everyone! Diwali is an official holiday in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore and Fiji. More greetings: Diwali ki Shubhkamnayein (दिवाली की शुभकामनाएं): (The greeting in Hindi) Diwali Mubarak (દીવાળી મુબારક): (The greeting in Gujarati) Shubh Diwali / Diwalichya hardik Shubhechha (शुभ दिवाली / दिवाळीच्या हार्दिक शुभेच्छा ): (The greeting in Marathi) Deepavali Nalvazhthukal (தீபாவளி நல்வாழ்த்துகள்): (The greeting in Tamil) Deepavali Shubhakankshalu (దీపావళి శుభాకా౦క్షలు): (The greeting in Telugu) Deepavali Aashamsagal ( ദീപാവലി ആശംസകള് ): (The greeting in Malayalam.) Deepavali Habbada Shubhashayagalu (ದೀಪಾವಳಿ ಹಬ್ಬದ ಶುಭಾಶಯಗಳು): (The greeting in Kannada) Tuhanu diwali diyan boht boht vadhaiyan (ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਦਿਵਾਲੀ ਦੀਆਂ ਬਹੁਤ ਬਹੁਤ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ ਹੋਣ ): (The greeting in Punjabi) Subho Deepabalir Preeti O Subechsha (শুভ দীপাবলীর প্রীতি ও শুভেচ্ছা): (The greeting in Bengali) Deepavalira Anek Shubhechha (ଦୀପାବଳିର ଅନେକ ଶୁଭେଛା): (The greeting in Oriya) *(Thanks to Wikipedia for the translations.) For all our friends who may be unfamiliar, from hafsite.org/media/pr/diwali-2013 Diwali, the “Festival of Lights” which symbolizes the victory of dharma and good over evil, is one of the most celebrated festivals in the Hindu diaspora. The word is a variation of the Sanskrit word Deepavali, and refers to the rows of earthen lamps celebrants place around their homes. Hindus believe that the light from these lamps symbolizes the illumination within the individual that overwhelms ignorance, represented by darkness. In addition to the lighting of lamps, many in India celebrate the night of Diwali with colorful firecrackers. This year, Diwali is celebrated globally on November 3, 2013. Many Hindus recognize Diwali as a day celebrating the return of the avatar Lord Rama (the incarnation of Lord Vishnu), His wife Sita and brother Lakshman to their capitol, Ayodhya, after 14 years of exile. The residents of Ayodhya, overjoyed at the return of their beloved King, lit lamps in His honor. Thus, the entire city looked like a row of lights. Other Hindus commemorate Diwali as the day Lord Krishna defeated the demon Narakasura. In addition to the spiritual significance the day holds for Hindus, Sikhs celebrate the release of the Sixth Guru, Hargobind, from captivity by the Mughal Emperor Jehangir, and Jains commemorate Diwali as the day Lord Mahavira, the last of the Tirthankaras, attained Nirvana, or liberation, after his death in 527 B.C
Posted on: Sat, 02 Nov 2013 22:06:09 +0000