The most widely known Hindu celebration of Divali was observed on Wednesday. Across Bermuda many of the Indian community quietly celebrated the festival in the homes of friends and relatives.

Interested in all things Indian, I invited myself along to a gathering in Warwick where Ravi, brother-in-law of Senator Milton Scott agreed to lead the ceremony. Our gathering was mainly of Indians from Trinidad and Guyana whose customs Ravi explained, may differ from those of Hindis elsewhere in the world.

Divali, commonly known as the festival of lights, is a holiday in countries where the Hindu faith is large. In Bermuda, however people worked that day which made it difficult to get the full effect.

The religious ceremony which culminates in the lighting of several diyas or lamps, ends with a great feast.

Divali has as its deity (much like a saint in Christianity) Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, beauty and prosperity. It is celebrated on a dark moonless night and on a metaphysical level is an invocation to the inner light that there is within all of us. Hindus believe that when they light lamps at Divali it is not only their house or shop that they are lighting up, but also their own minds.

Divali dispels the gloom - not of a moonless night - but of a cheerless spirit.

In preparation for the evening ceremony Hindus usually start Divali day by cleaning and tidying up their homes and abstaining from meat and alcohol. Many flowers and perfumes are gathered for the ritual. Many people take their baths early and pay respects to their forefathers, Brahmins and the dieties.

In contrast to most Hindu festivals fasting is not a requisite in observing Divali in fact most families eat well. Friends visit and everyone dresses in new clothes.

In the Warwick group, about twenty of people gathered around and sang a few Hindu hymns before the ritual prayers and Lakshmi puja was performed. Many items representing the necessities of life were offered in prayer. Rice (food), flowers (love and beauty), water (life), light (knowledge and goodness) and incense were offered. Then the diyas were lit and waved to ward off evil. The lighting of the diyas also is a representation of devotion to God.

Food and sweets on the table are consecrated and Prasad is then divided up for the participants to eat later on. The lit diyas are placed around the home most importantly in five strategic places; at the main gate, kitchen, the area where water is kept , the backyard and traditionally under a peepul tree (The Department of Agriculture said they have never seen or heard of one in Bermuda).

After the religious ceremony we sang more hymns while some prepared the evening meal. When the food was ready, the Warwick group stopped singing and ate to our hearts content amid the lit diyas.