INSIDE THE GURU'S GATE - Anpere

ulate the fire for an uneven number of times whilst throwing sesame, puffed rice,
popcorn and peanuts into the flames. When I participated in this celebration in 2001 a
Sikh woman told me that this act is favourable for all kinds of wishes, and particular
for a woman who wants and prays for a son. Sesame has the power to remove sins,
she continued, and the amount of sesame seeds you throw into the fire is the number
of sins washed away. On this occasion peanuts and popcorn that had been touched
by the fire were picked up from the ground and served as consecrated food (prashad).
Before leaving all participants performed matha tekna to the fire.
Thirdly, the celebration of Lohri may also serve didactical purposes. On the day
of Lohri the teachers at Guru Nanak Khalsa School organize a cultural program to educate
the children on Indian cultures. In 2001, for instance, Christmas and Id were cojointly
celebrated on the day of Lohri and the school children were to exhibit typical
symbols of Christianity and Islam through art and costumes. Dressed up as Santa
Claus and the Virgin Mary they were thus given popcorn, sesame, and sugar cookies
to throw into a sparkling bonfire. Since Lohri is commonly thought to be a cultural
event that brings Punjabi folk culture to its peak the school day was dedicated to
cultural performances of traditional folk dances and music.
DIVALI
The festival Divali, literally “the row of lamps” (from Sanskrit Depavali), is undoubtedly
one of the more joyous holidays in Varanasi. In the evening of the new-moon
day in the month Katak, people all over the city light candles, oil-lamps, and electric
lights in rows and decorative patterns. 672 The ghats leading down to river Ganga are
covered with clay lamps and the streets and temples are virtually wrapped in nocturnal
illuminations, creating a delightful, almost mystical atmosphere. Divali is a festive
event for all generations. Young and old friends, relatives and neighbors wish each
other well and exchange sweets and cards. The festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm
and joy among children who are given gifts and enjoy themselves by lighting
sparklers and firecrackers. 673 Late into the night the noisy rattling of crackers
keeps sleepy residents awake and clearly advertises that this is a special night in
Varanasi.
At the outset the common element of lighting lamps on Divali may seem to suggest
that people perform somewhat uniform practices for shared reasons. But Divali is
in fact a festival which has come to subsume a variety of practices that display variances
in different regions and even between families and caste groups in the same
village or town. To find a single story that can explain the reasons for celebrating
Divali is likewise problematic since the festival has incorporated several mythologies
associated with different deities and humans of exalted status. Freed & Freed (1998)
672
In different regions of India the celebration of Divali may extend over several days and incorporates
other festivals connected with it (see Freed & Freed 1998, Singh & Nath 1999).
673
As a local saying goes, at Divali children should be given crackers for a minimum value of 25
rupees.
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Published on www.anpere.net in May 2008