Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Diwali

Timothy (also known in Room 10 as Timo') invited Mrs Puke to South Waikato Diwali Celebrations on Saturday night. Michael and his family also attended, we were entertained by Indian dances and the amazing  Cook Island groups from both Tok' High and Forest View. For those of you who don't know what Diwali is - here is Timo's explantion:

Diwali Namaste and happy Diwali. Now you may be wondering, what is Diwali? Well Diwali is an Indian celebration known as the festival of lights. Diwali is the time to enjoy the delicious sweets, light the bright lamps and to have a wonderful time with your loved ones. The festival of lights has been celebrated in India for a very long time. But do you have any idea of how and when did it first originate?
 It is since ancient times that Diwali has been celebrated. So it’s not easy to say the reason behind its origin. Different people believed different events to be the cause of this festival. There are 10 mythical and historical reasons that are possibly behind the Diwali celebrations. The most well known story behind Diwali is about Ramayana. Ramayana the prince of Ayodhya was ordered by his father, King Dasharatha, to go far away from his country and back after living in a forest for fourteen years. So Ramayana went on exile with his devoted wife Sita and his faithful brother Lakshmana. When Ravana the demon king of Lanka abducted Sita and took her away to his island kingdom of Lanka, Ramayana fought against and killed Ravana. He rescued Sita and returned to Ayodhya after fourteen years. The people of Ayodhya were very happy about their beloved prince’s homecoming. To celebrate Ramayana’s return to Ayodhya, They lit up their houses with earthen lamps. They also burst crackers and decorated the entire city in their grandest manner.
This is believed to have started the tradition of Diwali. Year after year this homecoming of Lord Ramayana is commemorated on Diwali with lights, fireworks, bursting of crackers and merriment. The festival Diwali gets its name, from the rows (avali) of lamps (deepa) that the people of Ayodhya lit to welcome their king.



Timo' and Michael




 

Michael now knows what "Around the World" is all about!

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