In his homily at the Diwali (also called Deepawali or Deepavali) mass, Archbishop Peter Loy Chong of Suva spoke of the one God.

The Catholic Church believes and teaches the same God that is present in Christianity is also present in other religions - a belief which is the foundation of interreligious dialogue.

Interreligious dialogue calls for understanding and respect for different religious traditions, which in turn helps us learn more about God, he said.

Turning his focus to Diwali, Loy Chong discussed the festival's symbolism: the victory of good over evil.

"It is with each Deepawali and the lights that illuminate our homes and hearts that this simple truth finds new reason and hope.

"The Deepawali lights and firecrackers remind us of our commitment to truth and goodness. The Christian Festival of Easter also celebrates the victory of Christ over darkness of sin and death."

Chong also spoke of the richness and blessings diverse faith communities offer Fiji.

"In the history of humankind, God has revealed divine truths through religious traditions. Divine truths form the basis of a good and just society. Therefore religion and faith have a public value.

"In other words, religion and faith have a public character and, as such, must be valued for their contribution to society. Religion cannot be removed to the private sphere of society.

"Fiji is blessed with a diversity of religious traditions. May our religious diversities be a source of strength, unity and richness," he said.

Source

• Fiji Times
• Image: Fiji Sun

He has sent a message of greeting to "all our Hindu brothers and sisters as you celebrate one of the most important and brightest celebrations, "Deepawali" or "festival of lights".

"I take this opportunity on behalf of the Catholic Church in Fiji to wish you all a very joyous and meaningful Diwali."

The Archbishop said,"Our religious beliefs, values and traditions are at the core of our identity as people. They can help us learn from each other's rich traditions and to create a just and peaceful human family."

Chong said Deepawali's basic message is the triumph of good over evil, a conversion from darkness to light, from captivity to freedom.

It is about forgiveness, reconciliation and peace.

So it carries a similar message to that of two important Christian celebrations namely Easter and Epiphany.

"Both of these celebrate Jesus Christ's victory over the darkness of sin and death. They reveal Christ as the light of our lives and of our world, a light that dispels darkness and restores our relationship with one another and with God."

The message of Deepawali communicates to us the goodness of God who enables us to banish all darkness and evil from our lives and the world.

Source

• Fiji Times
• Image: Fiji Live

Diwali, a Hindu festival, which signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and hope over despair, involves followers of the religion decorating their homes with lights and setting off fireworks in celebration.

It is celebrated in countries such as Fiji, Guyana, Pakistan, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Singapore and Sri Lanka. It is a big occasion in India and Nepal which have large Hindu populations.

In his Diwali message, Fiji's prime minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama asked every Fijian to take time during the celebration and reflect on the source of strength as united citizens of this country.

"It always makes me proud that, year after year, our society has shown that our different faiths are a source of harmony, peace and togetherness."

"As Fijians, we share in the joy of each other's festivities and we treat our fellow Fijians with the utmost respect," he said.

The Methodist Church in Fiji has extended its well wishes to all its fellow Fijians of the Hindu faith community

Methodist Church president Reverend Dr Tevita Banivanua said: "The fact that we live in a country, that since independence has not only acknowledged the different faith communities, but also celebrates together our diverse experiences and expressions of faith, is proof that Fiji, despite our many differences can be one nation."

The people of Fiji celebrate Diwali with elaborate lighting and candle decorations. They exchange greetings, sweets and gifts of love.

Several schools also organise Diwali celebrations to help children understand its social, cultural and religious significance.

They have singing, essay writing, quizzes, rangoli making, and Diwali greeting card designing competitions besides hosting talks in Hindi, English and Fijian languages.

Some schools carry out Lakshami Pooja one of the the important rituals performed during the festival of Diwali.

Source

• thenational.ae
• fijitimes.com
• fijitimes.com
• Image: fijilive.com

Diwali, the Hindu festival celebrating victory of light over darkness, falls on November 11 this year.

However, the council-controlled Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (Ateed) had planned to hold Diwali celebrations in the city in mid-October. Continue reading

This is the hope expressed by the Vatican Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue as it acknowledges the the celebration of the Hindu Festival of Light.

The Festival is more commonly called Diwali in North India and South India it is mostly called Deepavali. The meaning of both the words is the same.

"As people grounded in our own respective religious traditions and with shared convictions, may we, Hindus and Christians, join together with followers of other religions and with people of good will to foster a culture of inclusion for a just and peaceful society." says the president of the Council, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran.

Source

• pcinterreligious.org
• Image: inksploration.com

"Most Fijians share a sense of excitement and goodwill about Diwali, no doubt looking forward to a feast of splendid lights, and of course to those delicious sweets," he said.

"But let us not lose sight of the deeper meaning of Diwali."

"Diwali marks the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness, happiness over sorrow, knowledge over ignorance, health over sickness."

He said Fiji had the unique cultural feature of celebrating significant Hindu, Muslim and Christian events with public holidays.

Source

• The Fiji Times
• Image: Screenshot YouTube

New Zealand's High Commissioner to the Cook Islands Joanna Kempkers and Principal of Tereora College (the National College of the Cook Islands) Bali Haque addressed the Diwali gathering as well as various Hindu community leaders.

But the leader of a small christian church, Bishop Tutai Pere of the Apostolic Church of the Cook Islands, says celebrating Diwali involves idolatry, which is a blasphemy against the Christian God,

He said is reported to have said that Diwali is "paganistic or heathenistic practice" He talked about "It's hidden spirit of sorcery and witchcraft" and urged that a stop be put "to this paganistic nonsense".
His remarks have caused Hindus world wide to express their concern:

Vijendra Prakash, the general secretary of the Sanatan Dharam, Fiji's biggest Hindu religious organisation says a Cook Islands Bishop is misguided for opposing the public celebration of the festival of Diwali on Rarotonga.

President of Universal Society of Hinduism Rajan Zed has written to the Cook Islands Prime Minister urging him to investigate the issue and ensure the Hindu community's religious rights are protected.

Read Bishop Tuati Pere's letter to the editor

Source

• NewsTalkZB
• Radio Australia
• Eurasia Review
• Image: images.indiascanner.com

The festival of Diwali symbolizes the victory of light over dark, good over evil and knowledge over darkness.

Diwali is one of the biggest festivals in the Hindu calendar and there are multiple reasons why Hindus celebrate this festival.

The most popular narrative, based in the ancient Sanskrit epic Ramayana, is of Lord Rama, his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana returning to their kingdom Ayodhya after defeating the demon king Ravana. On that dark new moon night, the residents of Ayodhya joyfully lit oil lamps to welcome Rama, Sita and Lakshmana back to the kingdom.

Following in that tradition, Hindus celebrate Diwali by lighting oil lamps, bursting firecrackers, cleaning and decorating their homes, distributing sweet delicacies and gathering with friends and family.

In Hindu homes around the world, people gather to offer prayers to Sita and Rama, Radha and Krishna, Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, Ganesh, the god of auspiciousness.

For many in the Hindu community, Diwali is also the beginning of a new year. A popular greeting around this time is "Shubh Diwali."

In the Sikh tradition, Diwali commemorates the release of Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh Guru, who was imprisoned by the Mughal emperor Jahangir.

Continue reading and see images of Diwali being celebrated around the world.

Source: Huffington Post

Image: AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade

Several customers The Fiji Times spoke to said despite the increase in prices of fireworks, milk and other groceries, they were still spending a reasonable amount because they wanted to celebrate Diwali well.

"Prices have gone up but we are willing to stretch ourselves because we want Diwali to be a memorable celebration for our family and our friends," Arvin Kumar, 35, of Seven Miles said. Continue reading

Such is the euphoria that even the non-Hindu population participate in fun and celebrations related to the festival of Diwali.

In his Diwali message, President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau said central to Hindu philosophy was the belief that there was something beyond the physical body and mind, which was pure, infinite and eternal.

"Our nation needs spiritual enlightenment to rid us from the evil of enmity, division and discord and to change our attitude, our thinking, the way we live and the way we are governed at all levels of society for the betterment of all," Ratu Epeli said.

Pandit Bhuwan Dutty said the prayers, which would officially begin on the eve of Diwali would centre on "having plenty for everyone in the country".

"We would pray for plenty of food for everyone everywhere and also pray for the wellbeing of all people," Mr Dutty said.

He said the Sabha's message for this Diwali was for everyone to be hard workers in order to have sufficient food for all to bring prosperity to the community.

Source

• Diwalifestival.org
• FijiTimesOnline - Pandit Bhuwan Dutty
• FijiTimesOnline - Ratu Epeli Nailatikau
• Image: 1neBrownGirl.com