Happy Diwali

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In my obliviousness, I almost scheduled a meetup today. [Is it my fault that I celebrated Hanukkah more than Diwali as a kid?] To atone for this earlier oversight, therefore, I bring you the official Diwali greeting from the government of Canada:

“On behalf of Canada’s new government, I would like to extend my warmest greetings and best wishes to members of the Indo-Canadian community as you celebrate Diwali… Every year, this joyous occasion is celebrated by some one billion people of the Hindu, Sikh and Jain faiths around the world. And that includes some one million of our fellow citizens right here in Canada. Friends, as you gather with your loved ones amid a sea of flickering flames, please know that the thoughts of our government are with you. Over the years, the Indo-Canadian community has made a tremendous contribution to our great country. Your work ethic and commitment to family and community serve as an inspiration to all…Happy Diwali to all. Namaste. Sat Sri Akal. Thank you.” [Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada]

Why Canada? Well, Ottawa is closer to North Dakota than Washington DC is, but mainly it’s because Google News brought it to my attention, whereas I had to go rooting around for the American counterpart.

Not to be outdone by their neighbors up north, the White House celebrated Diwali with a party for the fourth year running, although Bush was away and so sent a written greeting instead. Here’s a description of the event:

The White House celebrated Diwali, the festival of lights, in the historic Indian Treaty Room in the Old Executive Building for the fourth successive year. More than 150 guests were in attendance, among them many prominent members of the Indian American community. President George W Bush, who was busy campaigning for his besieged Republican Party in Pennsylvania and Virginia, however failed to be there.

Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Karen Hughes keynoted the event as chief guest, and Jay Hein, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of the Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, lit the diya. [Link]

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p>BTW, I’m pretty sure that’s the “Native American treaty room” and not the “Brownz treaty room” but I’ll take what we can get especially since Diwali did not merit an official proclamation unlike “Leif Erikson Day, 2006“, “General Pulaski Memorial Day, 2006“, “Gold Star Mother’s Day, 2006” or “National Character Counts Week, 2006“. But who am I to complain – the White House at least knew when Diwali is!

Related posts: A stamp of approval, White House celebrates Diwali, In Barbie’s Closet

UPDATE:

I realize I may not have been clear enough about this originally. The President was unable to attend Diwali celebrations at the White House in part because he was campaigning for Senator Allen’s re-election bid:

President Bush last week helped raise money in two of the year’s most controversial re-election campaigns, stumping for Republican Rep. Don Sherwood in Pennsylvania and Sen. George Allen in Virginia. [Link]

179 thoughts on “Happy Diwali”

  3. Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Karen Hughes keynoted the event as chief guest

    Hughes is the U.S. government’s official chief of foreign propoganda. It is telling that she was the one sent to the Diwali meet-and-greet.

  6. Wolf said:

    Hughes is the U.S. government’s official chief of foreign propoganda. It is telling that she was the one sent to the Diwali meet-and-greet.

    Here’s the official explanation:

    On September 2005 President Bush placed Hughes, a former journalist and White House political adviser, in charge of U.S. international information programs and exchanges. In this capacity, she has made honoring different cultures and religions coexisting in America a hallmark of the U.S. government’s effort to tell America’s story abroad — a story of pluralism, tolerance and understanding central to a nation of immigrants. [Link]

    You’re right though – there is a big difference in emphasis between the Canadian and American approaches to Diwali. Canada celebrates Diwali as something that Canadian citizens do, whereas the US government emphasizes the foreign connection more. You can see both strands in Hughes statement here:

    … [Hughes] praised the role of the Indian American community stressing that the community numbering between 1.5 million and 3 million make a great contribution to the economic and political well being of the United States. There are some 80,000 Indian students in graduate and under graduate programmes of study in American universities and colleges and in a variety of disciplines. “I am confident that a bright future is ahead for U.S.-India relations,” Hughes said. [Link]
  8. Canada celebrates Diwali as something that Canadian citizens do, whereas the US government emphasizes the foreign connection more.

    Good summary of the two approaches. What does celebrating Diwali have to do with US foreign policy???

  9. Ottowa

    Ennis, Sorry to be picky… but the proud Canadian in me cannot let this go… It’s OttAwa!!!

    Happy Diwali everyone!

  14. A very Happy Diwali and a Happy New Year to everyone. I settled for Dim Sum at a food festival in Chinatown instead of desi sweets. Maybe tomorrow I’ll have some ladoos. I’m craving laddos like nobody’s business!

  15. I went to Rajbhog in Jackson Heights last weekend to pick up some mithai. It was quite cold, and the subway rumbling above was louder than any of the music blasting from cars, but the lit up trees were lovely and reminded me that this is a real holiday too.

  16. Happy Diwali everyone. This year marks the first ever I’ve received Diwali greetings from friends, acquaintances and colleagues – an indication of how my circle has changed since last year – and I’m really touched. I just lit a candle for the first time in months. Rock on.

  17. Tamasha, I got the same feeling just now buying diyas and ghee in Berkeley. It was nice. 🙂

    Happy Diwali everyone! Best wishes to all the Mutineers, and thanks to the Mutineering Team in Dakota for providing such a warm and bright space for our celebrations!

  20. Well, for that last couple of years at least, the GOI (government of India) has been putting out ads in the newspapers warning people against the use of explosive firecrackers and other fireworks during Diwali. During this time of year in the part of India I am usually in, the streets become ablaze with tumultuous noise (they sound almost like bombs, very shocking and rattles your brain/body for like a whole 10 minutes after) and sparkling fireworks that do sometimes burn and really damage people for life. There is no telling that crowd however to refrain from such things. I think the GOI has more success with it’s message in metros than in small towns and villages.

    For Ram Bhaktas Diwali is very significant as it pertains to Ram Lila and even for Krishna bhaktas – they have their own interpretation as to what the deeyas signify within the Lila of Sri Krishna’s manifested advent and adventures on this earth.

    Govardhan puja, or the worship of Govardhan Hill in the area Braj is also done around this time with great fervor. Literally thousands upon thousands of bhog items (food offerings) are offered at the “foot” of Goverdhan Hill by the Brij basis and out of towners who come there just for the occasion.

    It commemorates Sri Krishna’s lifting of the Hill 5,000 years earlier.

    Tonite the whole of Goverdhan will be covered in firey deeyas. And yeah, the firecrackers and almost atomic bombs will be going off there too, all night, way into the wee hours of the morning.

  21. In stark contrast to PG’s depiction of the Indian festivities, our family will be celebrating by not eating the salmon I put in the fridge to marinate after forgetting that we’re supposed to eat all vegetarian today. So it’s sweet potatoes and salad for this Punju family. Any fire will be from an excess of hot sauce or the overconsumption of achar with dinner.

    Happy Diwali to the SM community!

  22. HAPPY DEEPAVALI TO ALL OF YOU!!!

    make sure you eat some wobatu, you k-digaz out there!!!

  23. America can be a very, very, very boring country at times. Especially at times like these, when India is jumping with activity day and night.

    Happy Deepavali!!!

  26. Shubh Deepavali to everyone who celebrates it.

    May your new year be filled with light, luck, love and a lack of lame comments from annoying people. That last bit is money, y’all, don’t act like you don’t know. 😉

  27. Forgive me, but I do believe the bhav comes from within each person, so…

    Yes, I’m defensive. America may be a lot of things, but boring it is not.

  29. I ain’t never said I was bored. My family with only salad and sweet-potato casserole is too much for most mere mortals to handle, nohow.

    Firecrackers? We don’t need no steenkin’ firecrackers.

  30. America can be a very, very, very boring country at times. Especially at times like these, when India is jumping with activity day and night.

    Pardesi, I’m going to give you the benefit of my doubt, but that comment reeks of eau de Troll. This is an America-based blog, with American bloggers. A good portion of our audience is American. It’s weird and a little uncomfortable if not downright inappropriate to bait people in to sticking up for their birthplace/country when they’re just trying to marinate in the joy of a precious holiday. As such…

    Happy Deepavali!!!

    …typing that doesn’t take away the sting. An insult then “Happy Diwali!”? Not kosher, IMO.

    Let’s keep the thread festive from now on, shall we?

  31. May your new year be filled with light, luck, love and a lack of lame comments from annoying people.

    Do some people consider the Deewali the start of a new year? I never came across that before? In which region of India?

  34. My inbox is filled with emails from mutineers, each wishing me a happy new year. I’m Christian, so it’s not MY new year, but I appreciate the kind wishes for good stuff in the coming year which I’ve received from my Punjabi/Mallu/Bong Hindu friends. Just because one region doesn’t do something, doesn’t mean another one won’t…that seems like South Asia 101, to me.

  36. It is not equivalent to Chinese New Year

    I stand corrected. In addition to Jain calender, others too see it as a start of New Year too.

    According to the Purnimanta (“ending on the full-moon”) version prevalent in northern India, the 5-day celebration is spread over the last three days of the month of Ashwayuja and the first two days of the new month of Kartika. According to this calendar, the festival of Deepavali marks the new year’s day of this calendar and is therefore an especially significant festival.

    I would say in practical terms, it is that businessmen across India irrespective of religion use Diwali to start new ventures/ new bookkeeping………….new, new, new.

  38. This year marks the first ever I’ve received Diwali greetings from friends, acquaintances and colleagues – an indication of how my circle has changed since last year – and I’m really touched. I just lit a candle for the first time in months.

    This Diwali is special for me too. Thanks to the SM community for making Desh and desis occupy a bigger portion of my mind. I wouldn’t even have noticed otherwise since there aren’t kids setting off huge “bombs” near my ear. Didn’t you live in Thiruvanthapuram, though, Nina?

    Is Kerala the only state where most people don’t care much about Diwali (some communities do)? Anyone here know about whether the “seven sisters” (Arunachal,Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur) have Deepavali? Do Hindus in Bangladesh and Pakistan celebrate it? Tamils in Sri Lanka sure do. I’d be curious to know how the role of Lanka in the Ramayana colors the celebrations there.

  40. Happy Deepavali everyone!

    Also: Mumbai felt like a freaking warzone – uff! It’s the festival of lights people! Not the festival of sound!

  42. the GOI (government of India)

    You’re a legend PG! I think before you came on the scene I was totally disengaged with my culture and focussed on the depraved west…

    You keep it so much more real than any of us ever can…throwing in little bits of authentica wherever possible, who could forget that classic lingam reference…In fact I think you should write a big fat chick lit novel about mangoes, snakes, gurus, elephants, curry and YOU 🙂

    As for those who taunt you, don’t be daunted…find peace deep within the ‘om’ of ‘home.’ It should be pretty obvious to your haters that someone who gave themselves a name that means ‘Foreigner / White’ clearly, clearly deserves an honorary doctorate in postcolonial studies.

    I have a theory that you’re a fat brown guy who’s just sitting there tap-tap-tapping away at your computer, withholding your email address and laughing like hell at those who pick up your bait. Either that or someone’s been slipping something into what you consume at the ashram…

    Happy Deepavali to you too 🙂

  43. Is Kerala the only state where most people don’t care much about Diwali (some communities do)? Anyone here know about whether the “seven sisters” (Arunachal,Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur) have Deepavali? Do Hindus in Bangladesh and Pakistan celebrate it? Tamils in Sri Lanka sure do. I’d be curious to know how the role of Lanka in the Ramayana colors the celebrations there.

    Well, the first time I heard Deepavali is celebrated for Rama killing Ravana (or coming back to Ayodhya..whatever it is..) or it is the start of the Gujarati new year is when I attended a Diwali function in US .. I was surprised to see Ravana’s image with 10 heads being burnt and then found out from my friend.. (that was before wiki) It is celebrated for different reasons by different people all over India.. In the south (atleast in TN) it is celebrated because some Goddess killed Naragasura.. People just have fun having new clothes/ good food/ bursting crackers and don’t really mind why it is celebrated.. 🙂

  44. A couple of things: (1) Tash – can I be your best friend?

    (2) When I read this:

    In the south (atleast in TN)

    I seriously thought, “Tennessee?!?!” which proves that I have indeed disengaged with my culture.

    (3) When speaking of how Diwali is celebrated in different parts of India, I would like to add that it is celebrated differently in different families as well. My family focused less on (what we called) the “stories” of the Ramayana, and more on the idea of celebrating knowledge and awakening. For Diwali, we give each other gifts of books. It’s a personal tradition that I’ve always been quite proud of.

    (4) Wiki on Diwali in other parts of the world.

  45. Just in time for Diwali, the latest issue of Kahani is called Holidays. It’s got stories on Diwali, Eid, Navratri, Thanksgiving – our way of making sure that 10 years from now, our SA kids will not be echoing Tamasha’s sentiments in #1!!

  46. I think before you came on the scene I was totally disengaged with my culture and focussed on the depraved west

    Maybe in the New Year you’ll resolve to leave the depraved West for the pious lands of Arabia. Happy Diwali to you too 🙂

  50. Kurma:

    Didn’t you live in Thiruvanthapuram, though, Nina?

    I left TRV late August 2002. No Diwali during my stay, but I was there for Onam. I remember the awesome paper lanterns.