Dawn of light enfolds Hindu New Year

Diwali comprises five days of devotions and blessings

By Nancy Haught, The Oregonian Oct 24,2000

 

     Kalki and his wife, Vijnanamayi, are getting ready for New Year’s.  No, they aren’t occupied with long-range planning, they’re attending to last-minute details: The Indian New Year is upon them.

     The five-day celebration that surrounds Diwali, the festival of light, begins today, with different customs for each day, said Kalki, who has taught Hindu scripture and Eastern philosophy at Portland State and Marylhurst Universities.  Kalki and his wife founded MahaKali Mandir, a Portland temple and community of about 50 families devoted to the goddess Kali, or Divine Mother, in 1989.

     Diwali, from the Sanskrit deepa, “light,” and avali, “row,” is an ancient celebration of the triumph of good over evil, symbolized by the lighting of oil lamps as darkness falls.  Several legends account for its origins, said Kalki, who adheres to the Indian spiritual custom of using only one name.

     Some say the festival marks the marriage of Vishnu, the god of preservation, with Laxmi, goddess of fortune.  Others say it celebrates the victory of Rama, an incarnation of God, over Ravana, a demon king or that of Lord Krishna over the wicked Narakasura.

     Over the years, the celebration of Diwali, which falls on a new moon night in October or November, grew form a single day to five, each with its own customs, Kalki said.

     The first day of the festival, today, is devoted to Laxmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and Ganesh, the remover of obstacles.  The second day, the festival of righteousness, focuses on Lord Krishna’s triumph over evil.

     The third day, Diwali itself, is the most important of the five days, Kalki said.  People pray for the goddess Kali’s blessing on their ancestors; husbands and wives honor each other; and homes are decorated with twinkling lights.

     In Portland, Kali devotees will gather at Mahakali Mandir for an evening of fireworks, spiritual discourse, prayer and chanting, culminating in a holy fire ceremony and the offering of sanctified food.  Visitors are welcome, Kalki said.

     On the fourth day, the festival of power, thanks are offered to Krishna for his protection from Indra, the god of rain.  “In many Hindu homes it is the custom for wives to put a red mark on the forehead of their husbands,” Kalki said, “and honor them with garlands.”  Husbands respond with gifts for their wives.

     The fifth and final day is the festival of love, with an emphasis on brothers and sisters.  Families spend the day visiting and exchanging gifts and blessings, Kalki said.