Deepavali, also called Diwali in some parts of India, is a popular multi-day Hindu festival celebrated with lights and fireworks. It is one of the most important Hindu holidays of the year and is a celebration of the classic triumph of good over evil. Lord Rama saves his wife Sita by defeating Ravana, a demon king, and returns to his kingdom Ayodhya. Deepavali usually occurs either in October or November. This year it begins Oct. 27.
During Deepavali, everyone in the family gets together to celebrate. The festival takes place over five days, starting with the day of fortune with prayers/puja to Goddess Laxmi.
A time for renewal
A few days leading up to the festival day, elderly women in the family help the womenfolk in the household with traditional snack recipes and sweets like laddoo, badursha, muruku, and mixture. They make these in large quantities to share with neighbors and friends visiting on the day. The entire house is thoroughly cleaned before the festival arrives.
Another annual tradition is the purchase of new clothes. The whole household wears new clothes and sits together for Laxmi puja (prayers in honor of the goddess of wealth). After puja is done, everyone enjoys the day watching special programs including recently released blockbuster movies on television that are telecast just for the occasion, while munching on delicious homemade snacks and savories.
In India, on the night of Deepavali, fireworks blaze the sky in beautiful colors. As we become more environmentally conscious, to avoid sound and air pollution, fireworks have lessened, giving place to lights on the walls. Rows of diyas (small mud lamps with wicks dipped in ghee/puja oil) decorate the walls of houses making neighborhoods glitter with beautiful light.
Priyadarshini Rajendran lives in Fremont, Calif., and has two children. She is an enthusiastic traveler, bookworm, cook, and blogger. She runs a blog Glorious Sunrise.
In celebration of the Indian holiday of Diwali, Mandala South Asian Performing Arts presents Story of Ram, a Holiday Spectacle on Sunday, November 3 at 3 p.m. at the Studebaker Theater in the historic Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago.
Against a backdrop of intricate and lively shadow puppetry (Wayang Kulit), this modern dance theatre piece reworks the ancient epic Ramayana, a classic tale that spans across cultures. Movement artists from Bali and representing other cultures tell the story using the entire body—hand gestures, complex footwork, and facial expressions—to recreate multi-headed creatures, talking animals, boastful demons, and other characters. The performers include Mandala’s professionally trained ensemble members alongside pre-professional dancers from its education program.
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Against a backdrop of intricate and lively shadow puppetry (Wayang Kulit), this modern dance theatre piece reworks the ancient epic Ramayana, a classic tale that spans across cultures. Movement artists from Bali and representing other cultures tell the story using the entire body—hand gestures, complex footwork, and facial expressions—to recreate multi-headed creatures, talking animals, boastful demons, and other characters. The performers include Mandala’s professionally trained ensemble members alongside pre-professional dancers from its education program.
Tickets are $25 general admission and $15 for students and seniors,
and are available at eventcombo.com/e/story-of-ram-35775.
All programming is subject to change.
