Cultural Diversity - The Civil Service

Land Registry Cultural DiversityMain festivalsThe principal festivals of the Hindu year are:• Holi. An exuberant spring festival which takes place in February or March and isassociated with Krishna.• Maha Shivratri. A festival for Lord Shiva usually in February or March.• Ramnavmi. Lord Rama’s birthday usually in April.• Janmashtmi. Lord Krishna’s birthday usually in August.• Navratri. A nine nights festival as a prelude to Dasara.• Dasara (Dassehra). A celebration in honour of Rama, which occurs in Septemberor October.• Diwali. The New Year Festival, which takes place around October or November. Ithas light as its theme and is often celebrated with fireworks.Diwali – The Indian Festival of LightsIn India, Diwali, the festival of lights, marks the new year on the Hindu calendar.People worship the goddess of wealth, pray for the prosperity of the world, meet andgreet friends and relatives, wear new clothes, exchange gifts and sweets and set offfirecrackers. People share food and clothing with those in need.Diwali is a time for fun and revelry. Diwali is also time for pooja and traditions. Just asone cannot imagine Diwali without crackers and sweets; so too one cannot imaginethis festival without the rituals of lighting the lamp and Laxmi pooja. Each of thesetraditions are rooted in beliefs that have been established by Indian culture and Hindureligion.The festival of Diwali is celebrated on the amavasya (moonless night) of the month ofAshwin (October – November). It celebrates the victory of good over evil and the gloryof light. The common story of Diwali concerns the return of Lord Rama, a Hindu god,to his kingdom, after 14 years of exile. People of all castes and creed meet andcelebrate Dipawli, commonly known as Diwali.Diwali is one of India’s most auspicious celebrations. The holiday commemorates the“home-coming” of Lord Rama and Sita. It’s the biggest holiday in India, and signifiesthe beginning of the new year too.The day is also marked by “Laxmi pooja”, where Laxmi, the goddess of wealth isworshipped for prosperity and happiness.It is believed that for these few days of Diwali, the souls of the ancestors return totheir earthly homes, to share a few moments with their living relatives. Thus, it is10