Diwali: A Youth Perspective

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Growing up, the beginning of fall, the preparations for Halloween, and the sudden change in weather (leaves) meant one thing: Diwali was coming soon. Getting to dress up in a kurta, waking up early to do a coin-based Lakshmi Puja with my grandfather, and spending time with all my cousins were all time-honored traditions of my family’s Diwali. My aunts would recount the story of the Ramayana, my cousins would crowd together to take the lead in aarti, and, at night, and my uncles would light up the night with awe-inspiring fireworks. It was the perfect day.

Diwali is a time for many followers of Dharmic religions to get together with family, dress in cultural clothing, and truly connect with their religions. Whether it is by different religions, sects, or regions, Diwali is celebrated in many unique ways, mirroring the immense diversity within Sanatana Dharma. Desi Talk reached out to five members of the South Asian youth to further understand how the future generation of the diaspora will be celebrating the festival of lights.

“We call it Deepavali,” said Aadithya Srinivasan, a Tamil student at the University of Pennsylvania.  “Our day starts with an early oil bath and making kolams at the front of our houses, kind of like rangoli.  While I would also hear stories about Rama and Sita, we celebrate Deepavali more as Krishna defeating Narakasura. Though I don’t consider myself very religious, there’s something about those pujas that always made me feel really uplifted.”

As aforementioned, Diwali is not exclusive to those who follow Hinduism.  Sikhism celebrates the same day as Bandi Chhor Divas, the day that Guru Hargobind Sahibji, Sikhism’s sixth guru, defeated Emperor Jahangir who held him captive.  Tapleen Kaur, a high school senior from Carteret, NJ told Desi Talk, “Nowadays this history may seem to be lost and Diwali may only be seen as the festival of lights which is why I believe it’s important to remember the history behind the holidays we celebrate today.”

Karishma Rampersed, a freshmen at Rutgers University, reflected on the importance of Diwali as part of a mixed family. “As someone who is mixed, the best way to find common ground between my two cultures was my religion. While being half Indian and half Trinidadian many things about these cultures are different. But my religion was the same and so are many of the practices.”  She went on to say that her family would clean the house and carry out prayers to Maa Lakshmi, offering a plethora of sweets like barfi, kurma, pholourie, and more.  She described the whole day as lit up, starting with lighting diyas and ending with a festive display of fireworks.

Ahana Sonpal, who grew up in Mumbai, told Desi Talk about her experiences celebrating Diwali across two faiths.  “My Dadi is Jain, and, while we normally celebrate Diwali in the common Hindu way, we would always visit the Derasar(Jain temple), and I would always admire the beauty of the temple solely lit by diyas.  It was really cool to me that I could celebrate both Rama’s return and Mahavir’s liberation on the same day, spending the day listening to the Ramayana and chanting the Navkar Mantra.”

Akshata Pradh, a student at Fordham University, enlightened Desi Talk with the lesser known Nepali Hindu Diwali celebrations.  “In Nepal, we celebrate Diwali as Dashain tihar. It is celebrated over the course of a few weeks where families get together, participating in different ceremonies and acts of worship. ‘Kukur Puja’ and ‘Bhai Tika’ are two traditions, honoring dogs and siblings respectively.”

The New York Times published an article highlighting the recent “All That Glitters Diwali Ball” attended by several Desi-American celebrities, with many interviews of the attendees. Hasan Minhaj, celebrated comedian and television host, told the NYT, “I just love the idea of us highlighting light over darkness, especially given everything that’s happening in the world.”  Despite following a different faith, Minhaj beautifully understood the essence of Diwali, which truly transcends religion. There is an abundance of injustice and evil in the world, and as the future of this world, we, the youth, must further the lesson that has underscored the stories we’ve grown up with; good always prevails over evil. Whether it is by rituals and prayers, lighting lamps and fireworks or simply remembering the stories behind the holiday, let us all live by this moral. Happy Diwali! Happy Bandi Chhor Divas!