Diwali celebrations in Mauritius
Mauritius is an island in the Indian Ocean that lies to the east of Madagascar.
This beautiful landmass is full of picturesque landscapes and enchanting spots.
Mauritius accounts a 63% of Indian majority of which 80% follow Hinduism. Hence,
celebration of almost all the Hindu festivals in this island is a common phenomenon.
In Mauritius, Diwali celebration is an age-old tradition. It holds special significance
for the natives, who believe that Diwali has been celebrated even long before
the return of Lord Rama from 14 years of exile and his coronation as the king.
The festival is marked by lightening of earthen lamps in rows making images
out of the rows. Lakshmi is worshipped as the goddess of wealth and crackers
are burnt to scare away evil spirits.
Diwali celebrations in Nepal
Nepal is a landlocked country nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas.
Nepal, a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual society is the only Hindu Kingdom of
the world. Diwali is celebrated here with the usual Hindu festivities and rituals.
Diwali in Nepal is known as Tihar. Just like most places in India Diwali is
celebrated here to honor the goddess of wealth and god of prosperity Lakshmi
and Ganesh respectively. The festival of light falls in the months of October
or November on the day of Amavasya - the darkest day of the year. The festival
here continues for five days. Every day has its special significance. The first
day is dedicated to cows as they cook rice and feed the cows believing that
goddess Lakshmi comes on cows. The second day is for Dogs as the Vahana of Bhairava.
Preparation of delicious food especially meant for the dog is a typical characteristic
of the day. Lights and lamps are lit to illuminate the entire surrounding and
some of the specialty items are prepared to mark the third day of the festival.
Fireworks, Lamps and crackers are widely used. The fourth day is dedicated to
Yama, the Hindu God of Death. He is prayed for long life. The fifth final day
is Bhhaya Dooj dedicated for the brothers who are wished long life and prosperity
by their sisters.
Diwali celebrations in South Africa
South Africa is located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa.
It is a mix of cultures and has one of the largest
immigrant Indian communities in the world. The country has almost one million immigrant Indians.
Most of these Indian immigrants are concentrated in the eastern regions of Natal
and Transvaal of the country. About 65% of Hindus, 15% of Muslims and 20% of
Christians live in this area. Due to the majority of the Hindu population, a
number of Hindu festivals are celebrated here. Diwali also holds an important
place in the festival calendar of the region. The celebration is more or less
same to that in India. Most of the Hindus here are from Gujarat and Tamil Nadu
and continue to follow their regional variations of Hinduism.
Diwali celebrations in Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidad is the most southern of the Caribbean islands, lying only seven
miles off the Venezuelan coast, is one of the most exciting, colorful islands
of the West Indies. Considered as the land of the Humming Bird, Trinidad and
Tobago has a good number of Indian population. For that reason, Hindu festivals,
customs, traditions and observances forms an integral part of the society, which
comprises the unique beauty of the twin island state. The Diwali celebration
has a unique flavor here in the Caribbean island nation. Here 43 per cent of
the 1.3 million populations are ethnic Indians. The Diwali celebrations are
usually marked as an occasion to unify the nation that consists of Hindus, Muslims,
Christians, Indo-Trinidadians and Afro-Trinidadians. The festival day is regarded
as a national holiday. The festival is also marked by scores of functions besides
the usual rituals of the festivity. The functions and celebrations also have
an official imprint as the Ministers of the Government also participate in the
celebrations sometimes. The belief behind the festival is same as of India,
which is, prevalence of good over evil. The celebrations continue for over a
week and the headquarters of the National Council of Indian Culture at Diwali
Nagar becomes the focal point.
