Indian Hindu Holiday (Diwali) Lamp: "Diva"

This is an Indian Hindu lamp, called "diva," used to celebrate Diwali. Diwali is one of the major religious festivals in Hinduism, lasting for five days sometime in late October and November.

The name for the festival is derived from the Sanskrit term dipavali meaning “row of lights.” Small clay lamps are lit on the new-moon night to request the presence of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.

The story of the Ramayana is told during this festival. In the story, Sita, the wife of Rama, who is one of the appearances of Vishnu, is kidnapped by a demon. Rama calls upon the monkey king Hanuman to help him battle the demon. Together they kill the demon and his army. Rama, Sita, Rama’s brother Lakshmana, and Hanuman return to the city of Ayodhya, where Rama’s rule of righteousness would commence, showing that good always conquers evil.

During the festival, small earthenware lamps filled with oil are lighted and placed in rows at temples, in the windows and outside the front door of houses, and set adrift on rivers and streams. Hindu families decorate their houses with glitter and tinsel. They also create "rangoli" patterns with colored rice or sand to decorate their homes. All these decorations encourage Lakshmi to visit.

Hinduism is the oldest living religion, about 4,000 – 5,000 years old. Hindu people believe that Brahman is the creator, preserver and transformer of existence. Gods that are part of Brahman include Vishnu, the preserver god, and Shiva, the god of destruction. Hinduism came from India. No one person founded the religion. There are many Hindu holy books. Hindus honor their deities through worship. Hindus tell stories of the ways that the gods interact with each other and with humans. Hindus believe in rebirth after death (reincarnation); their goal is to escape the movement of the soul into another body and to become one with Brahman.

Source:
"Diwali." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 11 Oct. 2013.
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