{"id":2265,"date":"2015-10-27T00:00:16","date_gmt":"2015-10-27T00:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.sg\/stories\/deepavali-hindu-festival\/"},"modified":"2022-07-11T17:44:19","modified_gmt":"2022-07-11T17:44:19","slug":"deepavali-hindu-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.sg\/stories\/experience\/deepavali-hindu-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"Deepavali &#8211; A Festival of Lights"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>On 10 November this year, Hindus all across the globe will celebrate Deepavali, or Diwali as it\u2019s also known, the ancient Festival of Lights commemorated annually between mid-October and mid-November. Not surprisingly, and as the name suggests, it\u2019s the biggest and brightest festival in India, where the celebration originated. Here in Malaysia, Deepavali is the most important event of the year for the majority of Indians and those of the Hindu faith.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>The Meaning Behind the Festival<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3677\" src=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.sg\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/GettyImages-183632979.jpg\" alt=\"Rangoli Diyas Deepavali\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Deepavali commemorates Lord Rama and his wife Sita\u2019s return to Ayodhya, an ancient city of India, after a 14-year exile. Because it was a dark night when they returned, people lit up their houses with small lamps called <em>diyas<\/em> so that Lord Rama and Sita would be able to find their way. The practice gave rise to the name \u2018Festival of Lights\u2019. Hindus also celebrate Deepavali in honour of the goddess of wealth, Mother Lakshmi, and the lighting of their <em>diyas<\/em> serves to make it easy for Mother Lakshmi to find her way to their homes.<\/p>\n<p>Spiritually, Deepavali signifies the victory of light over darkness, or good over evil, the light here referring to not just a physical lamp but an \u2018inner light\u2019 as well. In today\u2019s context, while the festival\u2019s traditions and spiritual beliefs remain just as relevant as ever, there is an added dimension to the celebration. The <em>Times of India<\/em> put it this way: \u201cWhat the Festival of Lights really stands for today is a reaffirmation of hope, a renewed commitment to friendship and goodwill, and a religiously sanctioned celebration of the simple and some not-so-simple joys of life.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How the Festivities Unfold<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Traditionally, festival preparations and rituals take place over a five-day period, with Deepavali being celebrated on the third day. The day coincides with the darkest new moon night of the Hindu calendar month Kartika, which is also the Hindu New Year.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3678\" src=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.sg\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/GettyImages-532070213.jpg\" alt=\"Deepavali home visit snacks\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Having cleaned their homes prior to the day, on the morning of Deepavali, Hindus typically rise early for a ritual oil bath called <em>ganga-snanam<\/em>, which symbolises the cleansing of their body and soul of past sins and impurities. After that, dressed in their best clothes or new outfits, they conduct prayers at the family altar, with some Hindus also going to their temples for special ceremonies and worship.<\/p>\n<p>In Malaysia, the rest of the day is celebrated much like many of our other festivals \u2013 in the company of family and friends, with good food (traditional Indian dishes and sweets such as <em>ladu<\/em>, <em>ommapodi<\/em> and <em>murukku<\/em> are a must), the exchange of gifts and often fireworks. Beautifully intricate and vibrant pictures created out of coloured rice, called <em>kolam<\/em>, are also widely seen, particularly in shopping centres, hotels and homes.<\/p>\n<p>While a visit to Little India \u2013 there are two main areas: Brickfields and Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.sg\/Kuala-Lumpur.d180008.Destination-Travel-Guides\" target=\"_blank\">Kuala Lumpur<\/a> \u2013 is a great way to get a feel for the festivities, Deepavali is mostly celebrated in homes and as a family. The uniquely Malaysian practice of \u2018open house\u2019 \u2013 where neighbours and friends, regardless of their religion or ethnicity, are invited to join in the celebrations \u2013 are a common and much anticipated part of the day\u2019s festivities. Children are sometimes given purple or yellow packets that contain money, not unlike the Chinese New Year tradition of red packets.<\/p>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-3676\" src=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.sg\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/GettyImages-157858514-800x533-1.jpg\" alt=\"Deepavali Celebration Diyas\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/h2>\n<h2><strong>Deepavali in Other Parts of the World<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>Singapore:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Compared to neighbouring Malaysia, Deepavali celebrations in\u00a0Singapore are more understated and are mostly family affairs, although Little India is especially vibrant and colourful during this time. If you happen to be in Singapore during Deepavali this year, be sure to check out the Deepavali Festival Village, a bustling bazaar that promises everything from knick-knacks to traditional Indian delicacies.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>India:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>In\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.sg\/Udaipur.d6052923.Destination-Travel-Guides\" target=\"_blank\">India<\/a>, Deepavali is celebrated for five joyous, light-filled days. In addition to cleaning and decorating their homes, wearing new clothes, offering prayers and presenting loved ones with sweets and gifts, many also believe in doing charity by distributing food and essential items to the poor.<\/p>\n<p>Fireworks are an important component of the festivities, as their sound is seen as a way of conveying joy and happiness to God, who the people believe will hear the echoes from the heavens. And while Deepavali is celebrated by all Hindus, the names of the five days as well as the festival\u2019s various rituals can vary significantly among the people, depending on which part of India they\u2019re from.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>England:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>In England, where Indians make up the second largest ethnic minority, Deepavali is widely celebrated among the Hindus, both in their homes and with the community at large. The biggest public celebrations are usually held in Leicester and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.my\/things-to-do\/?location=London\" target=\"_blank\">London<\/a>, with often thousands of people turning up to experience the fireworks, street art and live entertainment.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3679\" src=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.sg\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/GettyImages-109943274.jpg\" alt=\"Floating Lanterns Diwali London\" width=\"800\" height=\"599\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Indonesia:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>As the only part of Indonesia where Hinduism is widely practised,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.sg\/Bali.d602651.Destination-Travel-Guides\" target=\"_blank\">Bali<\/a> celebrates Deepavali the best way it knows how \u2013 with lots of parties! Lights, floating lanterns and fireworks are all part of the celebrations, while the island\u2019s ancient temples see even more visitors and devotees from all over the region.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Japan:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Japan is probably one of the last places that comes to mind when you think of Deepavali, but the festival is even celebrated there! Despite the very small community of Indians who live in Japan, there\u2019s an annual celebration to mark Deepavali at Yamashita Park in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.sg\/Yokohama.d6048260.Destination-Travel-Guides\" target=\"_blank\">Yokohama<\/a>, complete with paper lanterns and fireworks.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><em><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">Image credit: Getty Images<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On 10 November this year, Hindus all across the globe will celebrate Deepavali, or Diwali as it\u2019s also known, the ancient Festival of Lights commemorated annually between mid-October and mid-November. Not surprisingly, and as the name suggests, it\u2019s the biggest and brightest festival in India, where the celebration originated. Here in Malaysia, Deepavali is the&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.sg\/stories\/experience\/deepavali-hindu-festival\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Deepavali &#8211; A Festival of Lights<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":2266,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[44,70,138,12,64],"tags":[347,106],"authors":[10],"class_list":["post-2265","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-activities","category-asia","category-cultural","category-experience","category-festivals-events","tag-cultural","tag-things-to-do-in-singapore","authors-expedia-singapore","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Deepavali - A Hindu Festival of Lights | Travel Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How is Deepavali celebrated around the world? 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