• About Us
  • The TFT Story
  • Team
  • Write for TFT
  • Online advertisement tariff
  • Donate To Us
The Friday Times - Naya Daur
Thursday, March 30, 2023
  • Home
  • Editorials
  • News
  • Analysis
  • Features
  • Spotlight
  • Videos
  • Citizens’ Voice
  • Lifestyle
  • Editor’s Picks
  • Good Times
  • More
    • About Us
    • Team
    • Write for TFT
    • The TFT Story
    • Donate To Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Editorials
  • News
  • Analysis
  • Features
  • Spotlight
  • Videos
  • Citizens’ Voice
  • Lifestyle
  • Editor’s Picks
  • Good Times
  • More
    • About Us
    • Team
    • Write for TFT
    • The TFT Story
    • Donate To Us
No Result
View All Result
The Friday Times - Naya Daur
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Pakistani Hindus Celebrate Diwali

Pakistani Hindus on Monday celebrated Diwali, also known as Deepavali or the festival of lights,  across the country with zeal and fervour, with families and the community decorating their houses and temples with colourful lights

Vavek Bharwani by Vavek Bharwani
October 25, 2022
in News, Lifestyle
Pakistani Hindus Celebrate Diwali
194
SHARES
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Diwali symbolises the spiritual “victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance”. Diwali is a main religious feast that Hindu people celebrate. Diwali is celebrated at the end of every autumn to commemorate the victory of Hindu god Lord Ram over evil Ravana and how he spent 14 years in tranquillity. Remembering the event when Lord Ram rescued Sita from the captivity of Demon Rawan. The feast celebrates the return of Ram, his wife Sita, and his brother Lakhshmi, after many years of exile in the forest.

Diwali is celebrated with a variety of rituals which centre on the lighting of candles, electric lights and fireworks. Fireworks are very loud indeed and I needed to put my hands to my ears so as to lessen the effect of the deafening sound. People exchange gifts and homemade sweets, clean and decorate homes, wear new clothes, dance, feast and forgive one another.

There are approximately one billion Hindus in the world, making it the third largest religion with about fourteen per cent of the world’s population. It is an Indian religion and Dharma (‘Way of Life’). It is the major religion in India practised by about 970 million people or 80% of the population. 95% of Hindus live in India, with the remaining 30 million living in Nepal, Bali (Indonesia), Pakistan and other countries.

Pakistan’s population of 207.7 million is made up of approximately 96% Muslim, 1.7% Hindu and 1.6% Christian. Therefore there are about 3.3 million Hindus living in Pakistan. Many Hindus live in Tharparkar (Province of Sindh) , with most living in the many outlying villages. Most work as landless peasant farmers and are poor. St Paul’s School, situated in the church compound in Tharparkar district.

The Pakistani Hindu community also lit earthen lamps in the night and fireworks were also be exhibited to celebrate the festival. Apart from Karachi, Lahore, and other major cities, festivities were also held in Umerkot, Mithi, Matiari, Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Jamshoro, Badin, Sanghar, Hala, Tando Adam, and Shahdadpur.

The homes and temples were brightly lit with many candles and lights. The “Row of Lights” for which the Dewali Festival is named are lit on the ‘New Moon Light’ to welcome Lakhshmi, ‘the goddess of wealth’.

For many Hindus, Diwali is also New Year’s eve as Diwali is held on the final day of the Vikram (Jantri) calendar.Diwali symbolises the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. It also celebrates a good year of harvests and honours the goddess of wealth. While we were guests in a room, a member of the family came in with a flaming fire on a stick and circled this around the room. This was to chase away any evil that may be in the house.

On the first day, the celebration takes place within one’s own family. On the second day, visitation is made to relations with gifts and sweets exchanged. Over these days they also visit the graves of loved ones where they offer prayers, clean the graves, and place candles, incense sticks and roses on them.

Prayer is an important part of the Diwali celebration as well as also in their daily lives. Prayer is offered before sunrise, at sunset and other times. On entering the temple, a bell is rung. The bell calls the divinity to attend to the devotee’s prayer.

Although Hinduism is often understood as being polytheistic, supposedly recognising as many as 330 million gods, it also has ‘one god’, that is Supreme Brahma. Brahma is an entity believed to inherit every portion of reality and existence throughout the entire universe.

Scholars describe Hinduism as the product of religious development in India that spans nearly 4,000 years, making it perhaps the oldest surviving world religion. It is often referred as “the Eternal Tradition” on “the Eternal Way” beyond human history.

Also Read:

Ex-COAS Bajwa Says His Predecessor Used ‘Dawn Leaks’ To Get Extension

Several Reportedly Dead After Two US Army Helicopters Crash In Kentucky

Tags: Pakistanreligious festivalsindhdiversityhinducelebrationTolerancediwalireligioninclusion
Previous Post

Imran Khan Holds Govt, State Accountable For Arshad Sharif Killing

Next Post

‘Suspicions Of Arshad Sharif Killing Being Financed Not Unfounded’

Vavek Bharwani

Vavek Bharwani

Next Post
How Cricket Shapes Nation, Identity And Politics In Pakistan

How Cricket Shapes Nation, Identity And Politics In Pakistan

Recent News

Neither Constitution Nor History Allow For A ‘Neutral’ Military

Ex-COAS Bajwa Says His Predecessor Used ‘Dawn Leaks’ To Get Extension

March 30, 2023
Raheel Sharif Created Dawn Leaks Drama For Extension, We Wanted Imran In Power   Gen Bajwa Part 3

Raheel Sharif Created Dawn Leaks Drama For Extension, We Wanted Imran In Power Gen Bajwa Part 3

March 30, 2023
US army helicopter

Several Reportedly Dead After Two US Army Helicopters Crash In Kentucky

March 30, 2023

Twitter

Newsletter



Donate To Us

The Friday Times – Naya Daur

THE TRUTH WILL OUT


The Friday Times is Pakistan’s first independent weekly, founded in 1989. In 2021, the publication went into collaboration with digital news platform Naya Daur Media to publish under a daily cycle.


Social Media

Latest News

  • All
  • News
  • Editorials
  • Features
  • Analysis
  • Lifestyle
Neither Constitution Nor History Allow For A ‘Neutral’ Military

Ex-COAS Bajwa Says His Predecessor Used ‘Dawn Leaks’ To Get Extension

by News Desk
March 30, 2023
0

Former Chief of the Army Staff Qamar Javed...

Raheel Sharif Created Dawn Leaks Drama For Extension, We Wanted Imran In Power   Gen Bajwa Part 3

Raheel Sharif Created Dawn Leaks Drama For Extension, We Wanted Imran In Power Gen Bajwa Part 3

by Mian Hamza Arif
March 30, 2023
0

Raheel Sharif Created Dawn Leaks Drama For Extension,...

Social Feed

  • About Us
  • The TFT Story
  • Team
  • Write for TFT
  • Online advertisement tariff
  • Donate To Us

© 2022 All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Editorials
  • News
  • Analysis
  • Features
  • Spotlight
  • Videos
  • Citizens’ Voice
  • Lifestyle
  • Editor’s Picks
  • Good Times
  • More
    • About Us
    • Team
    • Write for TFT
    • The TFT Story
    • Donate To Us

© 2022 All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist