The large New York based Guyanese and other Indian Caribbean Hindu community has been gearing up for the 2024 Diwali festival that will be celebrated this Thursday and Friday evening. It begins on Wednesday evening with Chota Diwali – the night before the major lighting ceremonies. Diwali is celebrated on the darkest moon and that day is a national holiday in several countries. Because the dark moon tithi or alignment and positioning falls on two days, Diwali is celebrated both Thursday and Friday evening. Spiritual leaders consider both days as auspicious for the celebration. The official holiday in New York is Friday while most Hindus will observe the festival on Thursday which calendar describes as the darkest day of the month. Each Hindu festival involves specific poojas that relate to it and Diwali is no different. Diwali involves propitiating Goddess Lakshmi. Specific poojas are performed and Bhajans sung and specific dishes prepared for the occasion. Hindus remember the difficulty of celebrating the festival during the period of the 1970s and 1980s when the government banned many food items making it a crime to consume them. These included dal, ali, Channa, onion, garlic, flour, among others. Importation of Ghee and pooja related items were restricted making it painful to find them for Diwali and other Hindu pooja.
Thousands of Guyanese and other Indo-Caribbean people patronized stores on Liberty Avenue in Little Guyana and Little Trinidad in New York to shop for Diwali related items in preparation for the festival. People came from as far away as Washington, Virginia, Boston, and the tri-state metro area to shop for items for the festival. Specific goods are needed for the festival. Indians prepare specific vegetarian dishes and perform specific rituals in accordance with the holy texts. Many Hindus tend to do last minute shopping on the eve of Diwali, Wednesday and or Thursday, for goods, ornaments, and pooja items required to welcome Mother Lakshmi, the Goddess of Light, in their homes.
On Liberty Avenue, stores are well decorated and stocked with Diwali related paraphernalia. Teeming crowds jammed sides of the street during the weekend before the festival.
On the sidewalks, vendors peddled all kinds of Diwali paraphernalia – Lakshmi Murthis, deyas, agarbati and other incense, ghee, samagri, wick, coconut oil, atar, and other puja related items. They also acquired vegetables and fruits, flour, sugar, dal and other grains, alou, onion, katahar, garlic and other food items. Orders were placed for roti. Some placed orders for varied curries, bara, phulourie, kachories, samosas, and other pakoras. Patrons also shopped for gifts. Bhajans blared from stores. Even Korean and Chinese and Punjabi stores entertained the shoppers with Maha Lakshmi related bhajans.
Multi-colored lights lit up Liberty Avenue and homes and businesses in Little Guyana/Trinidad. Stores Sweet smelling incense wafts in the air.
Diwali is rapidly becoming a mainstream celebration in parts of New York, New Jersey, Florida, Boston, and in areas where large numbers of Guyanese, Trini, and other Hindus are settled. Politicians attach special importance to the Diwali festival to win over votes of the five millions strong Hindu community. Businesses and Politicians hosted Diwali celebrations in their offices. Politicians sent out Diwali greetings. Businesses issued Hindu calendars for 2025. Concerts were held all over the city. Mandirs also held cultural variety concerts. Mainstream American stores are also offering Diwali related items and several card stores sell Diwali cards, including from the Hallmark company. Families will host each other for Diwali dinners that will be extended into the weekend.
Diwali is very important for Hindus in the USA and beyond. They eagerly anticipate the festival which is tied to peace. Many Hindus will use the occasion to give thanks and pray for peace and prosperity in the world.
The festival was celebrated with gusto last Saturday evening on Liberty Ave. Several temples held cultural variety concerts over the weekend. President Biden wished the community Diwali greetings; several Hindus work for the Administration. The President will host celebrations at the White House. There is an intense campaign for President. Election is November 5. Polls indicate a dead heat between Democrat Vice President Kamala Devi Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump. Both are friends of the Hindu community. Both hosted Diwali at their official residences.
Several cities recognize Diwali as a holiday with schools closed. There is also the suspension of parking rules that is accorded to the festival.
The mainstream media is also promoting the festival. Many of the ethnic radio and television programs aired Diwali songs last weekend and all this week. Guyanese and other Indo Caribbeans patronized the Times Square celebration held over the last couple weekends. There were also celebrations at the pier in downtown Manhattan that was also patronized by non Hindus. There were Ram Leela skit, dances, speeches, and more. Spiritual activities are planned for this Thursday and or Friday evening at Mandirs after celebration at home. Some politicians have scheduled celebrations after the Presidential election on November 5.
