The lighting of Diyas at the Promenade Garden. 

Diwali is a unique Hindu Festival whose origin dates back to Satyug or the Golden Age. This festival is celebrated on Amawasya or the New Moon Day in the Hindu month of Kaartic. Diwali means a cluster of lights.
Its significance is very deep and is traced to the worship of Lakshmi. The word Lakshmi occurs in the Rig Veda with the sense of good fortune, abundance, and prosperity.
Diwali is celebrated over a period of three days commencing on Triyodasi, 13th day of Kaartic, when a single diya is lit in the name of Yama reminding mankind of our own immortality and the eternal light that burns within.
The second day is called Narak Chaturdsi, the day when Lord Krishna destroyed the wicked Narkasur and brought liberation to the womenfolk and children.
The third day Amawasya or New Moon is Diwali, and thousands of diyas lighted symbolically driving away all darkness. Diwali is popularly associated with the return of return Shri Raam after an absence of 14 years to rule his country.
In ancient times the farmers would have finished reaping their crops about this time and the people therefore are generally in a mood of happiness and paying homage and gratitude to that Supreme Being.
The Festival of Diwali serves to refresh the spirit and provides the atmosphere for a happy and inspiring life. It ushers in the mood of reverence, removes feeling of despair and inspires high thinking and optimism and strengthens the belief that evil and all its attendants will ultimately be conquered. The principal theme of Diwali is the emergence from darkness to light (Om Asato ma sad gamaya).
It is that Divine light that one must seek to capture at Diwali time and illuminates not only our lives but extend it to all those whom we come into contact with.
With the passage of time several incidents occurred, which enriched and deepened the meaning of this festival in the hearts of all Hindus.
Diwali like every other Hindu festival injects new hope and enthusiasm and awakens man from the dull drab routines and inspires in him optimism and determination for a better and happier life. On this day there is renewed vigour and energy as is seen in the movements of people in all walks of life, young and old, rich and poor, the spirit and feeling of renewal and revival is everywhere.
From time immemorial the persistent search of the Hindu heart is for light. In our Gayatri Mantra, our greatest prayer the words “dhiyoyona prachodayat” occur a petition for the light of intellectual alertness (very appropriate for students). In another of our prayers the words “tamosoma jyotir gamaya” redeem us from the darkness of ignorance to the emergence of the light of wisdom.
To a blind or ignorant person the beauty of millions of lighted diyas mean nothing. Our eyes face the external world only and when we hold the diyas outward we are only able to look at others. At Diwali we must be reminded to turn the diya to see our self, our own faults and frailties.
When we are aware of the shining flames inside, our outer vision is cool, loving, humble and caring. Our thoughts, our words, our actions are no longer angry, paranoid or destructive. Instead, they reflect the inner brightness, the mental coolness, the Divine Love and Spiritual Peace. Let us, who have eyes, and diyas, not have our hearts dark; not make our minds muddled; not to make our brains become befuddled.
Hindus should continue to reject envy, jealousy, and dishonesty. Otherwise a million flames will only burn and not beautify our minds and our strength.
This Diwali, all of us should resolve to dedicate ourselves dutifully to the light of Sanatan Dharma. All of us should actually do something constructive or positive, or desist from speaking, acting or thinking destructively. We must be like the real lighted diya and burn away all obstacles in the path to unity and divinity. Lip service alone is like a pretty picture, to remove the real darkness we must actually dedicate out energies to preaching, teaching and living the tenets of Dharma.
A HAPPY DIWALI TO ALL OF YOU!

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