Bright lights, vivid clothing and the sweet aroma of freshly cooked halwa and chickpeas all mark the start of two important Hindu celebrations: Navratri and Diwali. For Hindu students living in Montgomery County, it’s a busy time filled with festivals, prayers and celebrations with family and friends.
Yesterday, Hindu students concluded their celebration of Navratri, which spanned from September 29th until October 8th this year. The festival celebrates divine Hindu female gods, such as Lakshmi, Durga, and Sarasvati, and it is a time of religious reflection.
“We sit near the temple-structure in our house and we pray every night before dawn comes,” Northwest sophomore Saara Khanna said.
Many students also restrict their diet during the celebration, because it’s considered disrespectful to harm animals that are sacred to the Hindu gods. “One of the primary things that we usually do is for these nine days we stop eating meat,” Richard Montgomery sophomore Ishanvi Malayanil said.
Navratri celebrations typically end on the tenth day with a celebration known as Dussehra. On this day, Hindu people light mini bonfires in temples and backyards and engage in prayer at large parties and gatherings. Many people also eat Prashad, a sacred Hindu food which can consist of anything from Indian sweets and fruits to popcorn, and then throw it into a bonfire as an offering to the Hindu deities.
Once the long festivities of Navratri are over, there’s a long wait until Diwali. However, students aren’t exactly free during this break.
“In the period between Navratri and Diwali is this thing called a Garba, where every Friday and Saturday you dance to Indian folk music and eat food,” Malayanil said. “It’s a celebratory type of festival. It’s not mandatory to attend but a lot of people do.”
Diwali, which will be on October 27th this year, celebrates the new year according to the Vikram calendar. During Diwali, Hindu families celebrate Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. “We let Lakshmi into our home and she goes through our house to bless everything and give us good luck,” Richard Montgomery sophomore Rohan Dewan said.
For many students, the importance of these Hindu festivities lies in its ability to bring together the Hindu population. “My mom is Hindu, but her parents aren’t really religious,” Dewan said. “She went to parties for Eid and did fireworks and stuff in the street. So it’s not as much about religion but it’s more like a celebration of community.”
Article by MoCo Student staff writer Vismaya Mohindra of Richard Montgomery High School
Graphic by Sophia Li of Takoma Park Middle School