The main Indian holiday – Diwali was celebrated in Ashgabat
Tuesday was the last – the fifth day of Diwali, perhaps one of the most massive holidays on the planet. It is believed that it is celebrated by more than 1 billion people living in different countries and continents.
Diwali is a festival of light and fire, bright colors and divine incense. It is a shining triumph of good forces over the ominous darkness and darkness.
It is celebrated in a huge space where the gods of the Hindu pantheon have been reigning unchallenged since ancient times – in India and Gayana, Nepal and Suriname, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, Singapore and Mauritius. The list goes on.
The holiday is celebrated for five days, but due to the peculiarities of the Indian calendar, the date of its holding changes every year. But his main message remains unchanged – the philosophical and moral message contained in the words "Do not stay in darkness! Go to the light!".
In this multi-day holiday, as, indeed, in everything connected with India, deep antiquity and the present day are closely intertwined. Moreover, they do not coexist in close proximity, but exist in each other. And at the same time, this whole set of fabulously patriarchal myths, parables and legends is inextricably linked with the daily way of life of a modern Hindu.
If one day of the holiday is dedicated to cleaning the house of everything superfluous, then the next day is to decorate it with lamps, drawings made of flower petals, rice, colored sand, etc.
Hindus all over the world know that the third day of Diwali celebration is the most favorable for increasing their wealth. Therefore, it is believed that it is on this day that you need to make important investments.
In such cases, the eternal modernity of ancient legends is manifested...
But if the next day of the holiday is dedicated to strengthening the spiritual bond between husband and wife, then the next one is between brothers and sisters. And so for five days. This year, the day ending the holiday fell on November 14. Diwali was also celebrated in Ashgabat.
To everyone who came to the restaurant on the 4th floor of the Yildiz hotel, the hospitable hosts put a bright red spot on their forehead - in any country of the world, even in an unfamiliar person with such a symbol just above the eyebrows, they unmistakably guess a Hindu. For many, this sign is a business card of India with its rich and diverse culture.
This spot is placed on the forehead in the place where, according to Hindu beliefs, an enlightened person opens a "third eye", which makes it possible to perceive the world beyond ordinary vision and understanding.
In the countries of traditional Western culture, this symbol began to penetrate, starting from the second half of the 60s of the last century in connection with the spread of the hippie movement and the growing interest in occult knowledge and mystical practices in order to gain inner freedom.
The "quiet beatle" George Harrison did a lot to spread Hindu philosophy in the countries of Western culture, who, after meeting with the guru, instructed people on the path of spiritual development until the end of his life. But over time, outside the Hindu civilization, the spiritual wash of the sacred sign was lost, and it turned into a fashionable exotic attribute in everyday life.
During the Ashgabat holiday, the Ambassador of India to Turkmenistan, Mr. Vidhu P. Nair, told the audience about the ancient roots and meaning of Diwali, as well as about the place it occupies in the rich Hindu culture.
It was said that small local adjustments are allowed in different countries, but in general, Diwali, despite its geographical dispersion, retains its general outline in the most diverse corners of the planet.
...The guests, many of whom, out of respect for the holiday, came in Indian national costumes, listening to the ambassador's speech, shared with each other their knowledge in the field of studying legends and legends related to Diwali.
The interlocutors and I agreed that the holiday, despite some local differences, emphasizes unity and love, people everywhere, and based on their capabilities, give each other souvenirs and gifts, paying special attention to relatives and friends.
These holidays are favorable for the purchase of expensive things, and Hindus do not spare their savings for this, since, according to belief, the money spent on the holiday and gifts will soon return in a much larger amount. Therefore, large supermarkets and small shops organize holiday sales and fairs.
Many of their houses and apartments are made more attractive by the use of incense and incense sticks. And at night, the doors and windows are left open so that the goddess of wealth Lakshma can easily get into their home.…
In the subsequent part of the Ashgabat Diwali, the guests were offered sweets and various drinks. This part of the evening was accompanied by incendiary and, at the same time, elegant and very expressive dances that can only be seen in India. At least, that's what any Indian says, if you ask him about it.
But even if you don't ask him about it, he will still begin to convince you that only Indian dancers are able, performing their number and without uttering a single word, to tell you a whole story in the language of movements.
And then, one after another, songs began to sound, which were accompanied by music performed by an ensemble of Indian folk instruments.
The magical sound of the sitar, the velvety voice of the flute and the deep rich tone of the Indian percussion instrument invariably accompanied the applause of the audience.
...Most Hindus perceive Diwali as a holiday heralding the advent of the new year. They begin to prepare for it and celebrate it even before the main thing – the third day of Diwali, when every house, every village and every city where followers of Hinduism live compactly will shine from the lights of light garlands and lamps, lamps and fireworks.
Together, they illuminate not only the world around them, but also, as supporters of this religion believe, human souls. And all this entourage symbolizes the victory of light over darkness.
To create an appropriate atmosphere, the Ashgabat participants of the holiday were invited to the terrace, where a lot of candles were installed, which everyone could light with their own hands. The initiative was taken by Ambassador Vidhu P. Nair and the Minister of Culture of Turkmenistan Atageldy Shamyradov.
Soon the other participants of the festival joined the "pioneers" of the ritual action symbolizing the ancient legend of the god Rama – the king from Ayodhya. Adults and children, women and men. Among them is ORIENT.
So what is the ancient legend about the lord of one of the seven sacred cities of India. King – aka god Rama is revered in Hinduism as the seventh incarnation of the supreme god Vishnu.
One day, after spending 14 years in unjust exile, after many difficulties and adventures associated with the rescue of his beloved, he returned to his native lands. But on the road they were caught by such a night that the mist completely covered the sky and the earth.
And then the people came out to meet the unjustly exiled hero and paved the road with thousands of lamps, the lights of which, having dispersed the darkness, illuminated the way for the future tsar.
The townspeople welcomed the hero Rama, who later, having led the country, remained in people's memory as a wise and just king.
So says an ancient legend. And the people called the day of Rama's return to his native lands "Diwali" – "Fiery Bunch" in honor of the victory of spiritual light over demonic evil.
Bekdurdy AMANSARYEV
