Amongst the most favored festivals in Hindu mythology, Diwali, or the Festival of Lights, signifies a meaning deep enough not to be confined by religious barriers. It is celebrated as a victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and hope over despair with colors and illuminated homes adding to the joys. Though it has its roots in Hindu mythology, the spirit of Diwali is universal.

Diwali: Illuminating pathways to peace and harmonyDiwali in Bangladesh, therefore, is an occasion to be celebrated for the shared values, besides being a religious ritual. The qualities it preaches through resilience, inner light and forgiveness send messages that can help individuals and communities strive towards a better future. Through an understanding of its origin and related rituals, one can appreciate the universal messages that the occasion is trying to impart.

Diwali is celebrated with great fervor by Hindus around the world, although the way it is celebrated does vary from region to region. The origins of Diwali are steeped in ancient legends from Hindu mythology; all these tales provide one and the same message: light has ultimately triumphed over darkness. The most popular Diwali legend recounts the return of Lord Rama, accompanied by his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana, to his kingdom of Ayodhya after a long exile that lasted 14 years. It was during this time that he fought against and defeated the demon king Ravana— a victory of righteousness over tyranny. People in Ayodhya welcomed their true king with lightning rows of clay lamps, and that is another reason Diwali is called the ‘festival of lights’.

According to one more legend, Diwali celebrates the goddess Lakshmi, the god of wealth and fortune, who emerged from the ocean of milk during the great churning of the Ocean of Milk.  This story symbolises how beauty or plenty might come out of difficulties in life, much like the lotus flowers which bloom delicately out of murky waters. Identification with Diwali by Lakshmi overhauled the idea that true prosperity comes out of resilience, positivism and hard work.

Diwali celebrations span over days, replete with rituals of cleaning, decorating, sharing varieties of sweets, lighting lamps, and praying. The first day brings the drive to clean homes to usher in positive energy and is believed to symbolise the cleansing of negativity from within oneself. The second day, Naraka Chaturdashi, (the killing of the demon Narakasura by Lord Krishna) inclines the idea that evil and impurities must be removed from life.

On the main day of Diwali, Lakshmi Puja is performed, when all the family members gather together and pray for prosperity, peace and harmony. Lighting lamps and placing them around the home is custom, signifying the victory of knowledge over ignorance and good over evil. Every diya or oil lamp represents an inner awakening, reminding us to develop our inner light, which shall guide us in crossing life’s hurdles.

The rituals of Diwali have come to be metaphors for what everybody, irrespective of faith, would wish to achieve in inner cleansing, renovation and resolutions towards goodness. The hidden note of Diwali is essentially that of hope. It is a sign that just as night follows day after the darkest periods of life, light and happiness can come around. The mythology and the rituals incite us to hold on to the possibility of resilience and restoration. Diwali reminds us that just as Rama came back to Ayodhya after so many years of exile and adversity, so we may make our way back to hope and joy after times of distress have passed.

Then again, Diwali is a time not only for individual strength but also for the power of collective bonding. Traditionally, Diwali was looked upon as that time when families came together in love and communities bonded with one another setting aside differences. During the festival, they exchange sweets, visit neighbors, and share in the joy of the season. Such bonding reinforces the bonding of unity at a time when there is so much division and misunderstanding around. Emphasising reconciliation, Diwali gives recognition to forgiveness as a tool towards resolving conflicts and making each other understand. This would make the festival an important one that can inspire positive change.

Diwali offers a meaningful celebration from the perspective of values shared in humanity within this rich cultural and religious diversity in Bangladesh. These themes of light, hope, unity and forgiveness in the festival are relevant to all people irrespective of religion. It acts as a bridge between the cultures, extending the way in which a festival so deeply rooted in Hindu tradition can have universal relevance. Let this Diwali remind us that the light of compassion, resilience, and forgiveness is the best gift we all can offer to light up lives and promote a peaceful future for all.

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The writer is a master’s student in Autonomous Vehicle Engineering at the University of Naples Federico II, Italy