Obama Celebrating Diwali
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U.S. President Barack Obama smiles after signing an Executive Order restoring
the White House Advisory Commission and Interagency Working Group, and
observing Diwali in the East Room of the White House in Washington, October
14, 2009.
Diwali, the festival of lights, is one of the most important festivals in India and is mainly observed by the Hindus. Also known as Deepavali
or Deepabali, Diwali marks the homecoming of Rama, the king of
Ayodhya after 14 years of exile in the forest where he defeated Ravana. The king was
greeted back by the people of Ayodhya with lights. The word ‘Deepavali’ gets
its form from the conjunction of the two terms ‘deep’ (lamps) and ‘avali’
(lines or rows). This festival of lights also signifies the illumination of
our inner souls as well as the celebration of the destruction of the evil.
But the Jains, Buddists, Sikhs, who all have different significance for the
festival. Lord Mahavira whom the Jains worship attained nirvana on this day.
In Sikhism, Diwali is important as Guru Har Govind Ji returned
from the imprisonment of Mughal Emperor Jahangir. Diwali is also popularly observed in Nepal. Diwali is celebrated across the globe in USA, UK,
Australia, Canada and many other countries.
In Bengal, Diwali is connected to Kalipuja, which takes place on the new moon that
follows three weeks from the starting of Durga Puja. Durga Puja is the
biggest festival of the autumn, and Kali Puja probably is the second biggest.
The eve of Kalipuja, known as the ‘Bhoot-Chaturdashi’ (Bhoot: ghosts or souls; Chaturdashi: 14 th day) is the night when the
souls of the deceased is
believed to visit the earth and 14 candles are lighted in memories of the
deceased soul. Kalipuja is also the night of worshiping the deadly-beautiful and
powerful goddess Kali. It is believed to
be the night when the ghosts and spirits are at loose. It is the most
important new moon of the year to the believers of
dark magic and necromancy. Kalipuja is
celebrated in the autumn, and in the last new moon of the Bengali month
‘Ashwin’ or the first one of the Bengali month ‘Kartick’. And interestingly
it is right around the autumn harvest. Kalipuja, though has connection to the
dangerous and the dark. is also the time of fireworks and crackers.
(Deuteronomy 18:9-12 ) "When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God
giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those
nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or
his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an
observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or
a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are
an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the Lord thy
God doth drive them out from before thee.