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Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, is Monday. More than a billion people around the world are celebrating the five-day festival.
(Courtesy Srinivasan)
Courtesy Srinivasan
(Courtesy Srinivasan)
Courtesy Srinivasan
(Courtesy Siva Subramanian)
Courtesy Siva Subramanian
(Courtesy Siva Subramanian)
Courtesy Siva Subramanian
(AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh
(AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
AP Photo/Manish Swarup
Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, is Monday. More than a billion people around the world are celebrating the five-day festival.
Diwali is derived from the word “Deepavali,” which means “a row of lights.”
Virginia State Sen. Kannan Srinivasan, who represents eastern Loudoun County, said Diwali brings people of all faith together to celebrate the triumph of light over darkness.
He pointed out that thousands of different kinds of sweets will be exchanged along with gifts, like clothes, during the festival.
“Look at the shopping. Oh, my God, this is the number one shopping time in India. And you’re talking about a country of more than 1.3 billion people. It is a massive shopping day,” he told WTOP’s Jimmy Alexander.
People light candles, set off fireworks, or light diyas — small oil lamps made of rounded clay.
“There’s a tradition of doing firecrackers,” he said.
Srinivasan, who grew up in the southern Indian city of Chennai, said it also represents the light inside us.
“We, as a human race, have to strive to do the right thing always,” he said. “It’s a celebration of knowledge over ignorance and also good over evil.”
It’s also a day of service and charity, Srinivasan said, adding they also pray “for the world’s prosperity.”
“It doesn’t matter where people live, these are the principles of making sure that we improve everyone’s life in the Commonwealth, that we improve people across the board. And that is what Diwali signifies. We want prosperity all around,” he said.
Dr. Siva Subramanian, the chief of neonatology at Georgetown University Hospital and a co-founder of the Council of Hindu Temples of North America, said there is no “Indian festival that is not accompanied by extensive food.”
Other than sweets like pista burfi (sweet milk squares with pistachios) celebrants eat a variety of delicious meals, including biryani (rice with vegetables and meat), potato and pea samosas or pani puri (crispy puffed bread filled with spices and vegetables).
“In your home or in your personal life, appreciate the light that comes to remove the darkness,” Subramanian told WTOP.
Here’s where you can celebrate Diwali around the D.C. area:
DC
The Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs will be hosting the city’s annual Diwali celebration on Thursday, Oct. 30. The event is free and open to the public.
Maryland
CoHNA, the Coalition of Hindus of North America, is hosting a Diwali celebration on Sunday, Nov. 16, at the Elkridge Library. the event is free but registration is required.
Virginia
The Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Diwali Festival is held in Woodbridge until Tuesday night at 9 p.m. There will be light displays, fireworks and food.
Happy Diwali from WTOP!
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Ciara Wells
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