Naval Bajaj lights the earthen lamps and sets them in rows around his Brampton home creating an ethereal glow.
Naval and the wife, Rashi, who stumbled on Canada eight years back, are usually in celebration mode for Diwali, the festival of lights, which marks the triumph of fine over evil plus the beginning of any New Year good Hindu calendar.
In terms of Diwali, we celebrate within the same traditional approach we take to liquidate India. The property is decorated with lights. We use traditional oil lamps inside and out. We pray and celebrate with near and dear ones,” says Mr. Bajaj, a fiscal executive for 7-Eleven.
For Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, Diwali could be the festival of joy, signifying the conquest of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. More specifically it marks the afternoon when Lord Rama returns to his Kingdom Ayodhya after having a 14-year exile towards the forests after he destroys the demon king Ravana. Prayers are offered to Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth when families take away jewellery and silver coins. Also, many business people do the Chopra pujan prayers offered for accounting books to begin with their fiscal year.
Naval and the wife, Rashi, who stumbled on Canada eight years back, are usually in celebration mode for Diwali, the festival of lights, which marks the triumph of fine over evil plus the beginning of any New Year good Hindu calendar.
In terms of Diwali, we celebrate within the same traditional approach we take to liquidate India. The property is decorated with lights. We use traditional oil lamps inside and out. We pray and celebrate with near and dear ones,” says Mr. Bajaj, a fiscal executive for 7-Eleven.
For Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, Diwali could be the festival of joy, signifying the conquest of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. More specifically it marks the afternoon when Lord Rama returns to his Kingdom Ayodhya after having a 14-year exile towards the forests after he destroys the demon king Ravana. Prayers are offered to Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth when families take away jewellery and silver coins. Also, many business people do the Chopra pujan prayers offered for accounting books to begin with their fiscal year.
“For anyone who is in business, you then pray for better business and wealth. This puja devotion takes approximately 2 hours and is also performed at 4 a.m. your next morning,” says Mr. Bajaj, who performs three distinct prayer ceremonies conducted by a priest on Diwali.
The festival is another the perfect time to meet and greet family and friends.
In Richmond Hill, Alka Pandit has spent the final 10 days in preparing sweets and savouries. She could distribute these homemade goodies to friends and celebrate the festival with husband, Vikram, and sons Mohan and Aditya.
“For us, this is a time for reflection, a time for joy because family gets together,” says Ms. Pandit which will wear a glittering sari and jewellery for the occasion.
Following prayers, the family unit will head to Mr. Pandit’s mother’s house where they may celebrate the festival by lighting firecrackers and provides gifts together.
“Diwali entails that you simply begin to make your goals to the coming year. It sets out to pave right onto your pathway for next year – self motivation, success and achievement of one's aspirations,” says Ms. Pandit
