Description:Text: Rajinder Kumar Dudrah
Diwali is a festival of lights celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs during the winter months of October and November. The date of Diwali changes each year due to the fluctuations of the Hindu calendar. In the Hindu faith, Diwali is a triumph of good over evil where Lord Ram defeats the demon king Ravan in battle and rescues his wife Sita whom Ravan had abducted. It also marks the end of Ram and Sita’s 14-year exile from their kingdom. In Sikhism Diwali celebrates the release of the 6th Guru, Guru Har Gobind, together with 52 others who were imprisoned by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. In both stories Diwali is celebrated through the lighting of lamps as a symbolic sign of the triumph of goodness and the awakening of inner spirituality.
Some weeks ahead of the main festivities, the lamp posts of Soho Road are decorated and illuminated with coloured light bulbs. As Diwali approaches, fresh Indian sweets are made, bought and sold and people shop for fireworks and purchase presents for each other. Rooms are lit with oil lamps and candles. Celebrations move from preparation to participation on the day itself. Hindus and Sikhs attend their places of worship at one of the local mandirs or gurdwaras. Diwali evening becomes party time as the Handsworth skies come alive to the sounds, colours and flashes of fireworks that are set off from the gardens of British Indian homes.
Saveeta, a 13 year old Hindu girl who lives in Handsworth, describes what Diwali means for her: “It means the festival of lights, a time for all family members to come together and celebrate the uniting of Ram and Sita together. I enjoy watching the fireworks display with my family and the giving and receiving of gifts to friends, family and neighbours”.