Diwali

Sooooooo I think Diwali was my next adventure... I'm figuring out dates by looking at my pictures, haha.

Diwali was on October 28th, a Tuesday. Diwali is another Hindu holiday. Professor Ramchand had been looking for somewhere for us to celebrate for awhile, and he informed us shortly before that we had been invited to a home in a small Indian village near Chaguanas.

I had been to the Diwali celebration at Colgate, which is always lovely, but usually is more of an excuse to go get free Indian food than anything else. I can’t understand what is going on, and the significance of the holiday as anything more than the “Festival of Lights” is lost on me. I was definitely really excited to witness and participate in a more traditional variation of the festival. When it came to late afternoon on the day of, we piled into the cars and headed towards Chaguanas (central Trinidad). We arrived at our destination, Cunupia, just in time to watch a family perform the Diwali puja. It was a man and his three sons- I feel awful but I can’t remember their names. They were so welcoming! It was really interesting to watch them. Each person participated in the puja in some way, while making sure to touch the person next to them the entire time. I noticed this immediately, so when given the opportunity I asked about it. They explained to me that touching the person next to you is basically a way of completing each part of the puja without physically doing it. If the person next to you carries out a certain step and you are touching him, there is a connection flowing between you that make you a part of his motions and his motions a part of you. When everyone is in a semi-circle touching each other, that connection moves through each person. In this way, everyone participates. I found that very meaningful- in my eyes it increases the spiritually of each action, because everything you do is being shared in a very personal manner with someone of the same faith. You are acting for and with at the same time.

After watching the puja, we moved next door to the house of an absolutely lovely couple. We sat down, learned a bit about their family, discussed Diwali, had our questions answered, and followed along as a prayer was said. It was so sweet- they printed out the prayer in Hindi (or Sanskrit…? I can’t remember, to be honest. I am not all that great at telling the two apart) as well as English, so that we could hear and understand. The main deity worshipped during Diwali is Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Part of the tradition is that the house must be cleaned and the doorstep swept. However, this must happen before 6 p.m. because after that there is the danger of sweeping Lakshmi out the door.

Then we helped light the deyas. That part was great! Deyas are the bowls I mentioned that we had seen when we went to the potters in Chaguanas. There were so many. They are little clay bowls filled with oil or wax with a wick in them that you light and place around the house, particularly near the road. Their lighting is related to the return of Lord Ram to Ajodhya. He returned to the north of India on the darkest night of the year, so thousands of lights were placed along the path leading back to the temple to guide his way. It was very neat to be able to help light the deyas. Everyone in the area was doing it, so it not only connected us to the holiday and the family we were with, but to everyone else there as well. It really made me feel like we were a part of Diwali, which was amazing

After an absolutely fantastic dinner, we walked through the village. It was BEAUTIFUL! All the lights were shining, people had them positioned in different places and patterns, and everyone was so friendly. People were out in the streets, saying hi as we passed. A young woman let her little daughter come out and say hi to us- she was soooo cute. There were popping firecrackers everywhere, and music and chatter coming from each house. At the end of our walk we were treated to a variety show of sorts by a family in the village. Different members of the family performed acts, ranging from traditional Indian music, to dance, to reading about the history of Diwali. It was really interesting to see from an educational standpoint, but it was also just amazing to witness a family coming together to celebrate a holiday that is so important to them. They were all enjoying themselves, if something went a little wrong they just laughed, there were no snide remarks or intense arguments. They were clearly happy to be in each other’s company and to have us and others as visitors. They even got us up to dance! There was also a group of tassa drummers who wanted to play specifically for us. It was very flattering and the music was amazing!

I learned a lot about Diwali from this trip, both about its history and how it is practiced now. But what stuck with me the most was the sense of community and family that was present throughout the entire evening. People were happy to be celebrating, and also genuinely enthusiastic about sharing their night with us. They sent us home with lots of treats, firecrackers, well-wishes, and invitations back. It’s absolutely amazing to me. I try and think of what would happen if this were to occur at Thanksgiving in the US, or Christmas. Although I’m sure there are definitely many people who would bring in a group of foreign students to teach them about the holidays, it’s still hard to picture it being as easy-going as our Diwali experience was. I feel like it would be awkward, like people would feel as though someone was intruding on their family time and personal holiday. Here, it seems like the more people to celebrate, the better. The holidays are not just for one specific religion or ethnic group- they have become a part of Trini society and have people from every background participating. I know that part of the danger of this is that Diwali is also getting more commercialized and does not hold the religious value for everyone and in each setting, but that is what made our night so special. The people of the village included us, helped us to participate and feel welcome, while still maintaining the history and importance of Diwali as a sacred holiday. That is amazing, but at the same time so typical of our experiences in Trinidad so far. We’ve been incredibly lucky.

Needless to say, I left Cunupia with a new favorite holiday! Not just because it was a fun experience but also because there is so much spiritual significance of the day and the practices. I no longer see it as a day for free Indian food (although that is still always exciting!) but as a festival I can attend, understand, and appreciate.

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures from Diwali, but I'm sure some of the other girls do so hopefully I'll get them and can show you when I get home. If not, we can always Google it!

Love and miss you all!
xoxo