Last night, the sky was brightly lit up by the moon and the darkness of the night was decorated by the lights of firesorks. The sound of fireworks is the portend of another festive day for the country, Malaysia. And the festival that is celebrated today is Deepavali, the festival of lights; a celebration of the triumph of good over evil, the victory of light over darkness, celebrated by the Hindus and the Sikhs in Malaysia.
On Deepavali day our Hindu friends light oil lamps in their homes in the morning. By lighting the oil lamps, the Hindus thank their gods for the happiness, knowledge, peace and wealth that they have. The Hindus consider Deepavali as one of the most important festivals to celebrate.
There are a number of legends connected to Deepavali. We have the story of the demon, Narakasura who ruled the Kingdom of Pradyoshapuram. This demon brought a lot of hardship and cruelty to the people. When lord Krishna saw such wickedness, he killed the demon and the people celebrated the day with Deepavali.
According to another legend, it was Rama's victory over the demon king, Ravana, and his return after fourteen years of exile to be united with his wife, Sita. This was celebrated with a row of lamps; thus its name Dipawali.
Another legend has it that Deepavali marks the day when the proud and evil Mahishasura was destroyed at the hands of the goddess Kali.
So, as can be seen from the legends, no matter which prevails, Deepavali is the celebration of the removal of evil, of the victory of all things good.
As for me, a monotheist, I visited my Hindu friends to wish them a happy Deepavali, to make the occassion an even joyous one. It was a time to be united again as friends, a time to help each other rejoice in our relationship and to have them know that we can always be together during all times.
It was not so much the food but the company that make such visits memorable; the closeness, the respect for each other's religious belief and cultures, the understanding of other people's belief. All these things are important in our relationship with each other as fellow humans.
Of course, it is also the opportunity to enjoy the various types of food typically Deepavali.
May we always foster even greater understanding among ourselves to rid this world of religious and cultural disrespect. For, we all are created by the same God, no matter what name humans have given Him. As God is all powerful, and I expect everyone; except atheist, of course; to agree with me when I say that God is all powerful, then we ought to realise that He controls all things, not any power-crazy human.
Let us all think of God on this day.
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