Arts & Culture: Understanding Diwali with Seema Moondra, Owner of Enjoy Explore India

This November at the Raritan Library patrons took the opportunity to experience Diwali from the capable hands of Seema Moondra Owner, Enjoy Explore India.  Asian American Heritage month is also celebrated during November. We were able to get a deeper understanding of the importance of this holiday. View more details here: Enjoy Explore India - Asian- Pacific Resources

What is Diwali exactly and please share why it's important to celebrate in the Indian culture?

Deepavali means the “rows of Deepa or lamps” in the Sanskrit language. It is known as Diwali in the Hindi language meaning “rows of diyas or lamps".

Throughout the months of Ashwin and Karthik based on the Hindu calendar, people celebrate many festivals that lead up to Diwali to highlight the victory of good over evil. It signifies the establishment of Dharma or “Doing the Right Thing” and starting of the new year with gratitude, good health, and prosperity for all.

The power of light to create life, remove darkness, bring joy, and provide sustenance begins to gain even MORE significance as the long warm summer days turn into shorter and colder winter days. People light lamps as the sun sets, build fires to keep warm, and even decorate their homes with lights to bring cheer.

On this day people use clay lamps instead of gold and silver, and oil instead of ghee. My grandmother always used to tell us that everyone in the city of Ayodhya wanted to welcome Prince Rama whether they were rich or poor. Oil and clay were affordable and that way everyone could take part in the joyful celebration. That is why on Diwali day we only light oil lamps to usher in the new year. Using fresh clay lamps every year is a great reminder that it is important to let go of the past to make a fresh start in life. So every Diwali is an opportunity for us to renew our mind, body, and spirit.

What are some of the activities or ways to enjoy the holiday with family and friends?

The month of Ashwin and Karthik is enjoyed with family and friends. Many festivals are celebrated during this month. I would say a lot of food similar to festivals around the world is central to the celebrations during this time. Decorating the home, lighting firecrackers, giving gifts, performing charity, and visiting friends and family is a big part of the celebration.

View more here: Enjoy Explore India - Community Programs

The month-long festivities begin with Navratri. Nine days of dancing in honor of Goddess Durga. A celebration of woman power, Goddess Durga is celebrated in all her forms as a nourisher, protector, giver of life, and more. Raas Garba folk dance of Gujarat is performed by hundreds of people in open arenas during these nine days.

On the tenth people celebrate Dussehra, the day Prince Rama defeated the evil king Ravana who had kidnapped princess Sita. On this day large effigies of Ravana filled with firecrackers are burned to celebrate the victory of good over evil.

People believe that 20 days after the epic war ended Rama, Sita, and his brother Laxman returned to Ayodhya. On that new moon night, people lit their homes and pathways to the town with oil lamps to show them the way and welcome them after 14 years of exile. This is celebrated as the day of Diwali.   Diwali is a five-day festival. On the 13th day of the waning moon in the month of Karthik, people celebrate Dhanteras.

On this day Dhanvantari, the God of Ayurvedic Medicine is worshipped for good health and long life. People on this day also buy gold and silver, new pots, and pans representing worldly resources for family prosperity. People save through the year to buy new clothes, furniture, undertake home improvements, and more during Diwali. By this day decorations and preparations for Diwali are in full swing. My favorite part was going to the store with my parents as a child was to buy firecrackers.

The day after Dhanteras is Roop Chaudas or Choti Diwali or Naraka Chaturdashi festival. People take oil baths, wash their hair, wear new clothes, meet friends and, family to celebrate this festival day, and acknowledge the importance of good health. The story also goes that Hanuman reaches Ayodhya the day before to remind people that they have only one day left to prepare for the arrival of Prince Rama. In the southern states of India, the destruction of Narakasura by Krishna and Satyabhama is celebrated.

On the 15th day or the new moon night is when people light lamps in the evening, workshop Laxmi Goddess of Wealth, get together with friends and family, and burst firecrackers at night. The people of Ayodhya believed that when Princess Sita who is considered the incarnation of Goddess Laxmi, left for exile a dark period descended on their city and her return brought prosperity back in their lives. On Diwali day people light their homes to show Goddess Laxmi the way to their home so that their family may be blessed with good fortune and prosperity.

The day after Diwali is celebrated as New Year by many. People visit elders to get their blessings as they start the new year. Annakoot or a special feast is offered in temples on this day to show gratitude for the bountiful harvest and all the riches of Nature and the prosperity bestowed upon us in this life. On the last day of the festivities, a special festival called Bhai Dooj is held to celebrate the special bond between brothers and sisters.

What is a common misconception about Diwali?

As I mentioned above the common misconception about Diwali is that it is a one-day festival and that the same story relates to this festival throughout India. Various festivals celebrated during the month-long celebration take on more prominent roles in different states of India.

For example, while celebrated widely Navratri is a very big festival in Gujarat. In West Bengal instead of raas Garba people set up large clay statues of Goddess Durga in their neighborhoods and on the last day, they are immersed in the waters to mark the end of the celebration. Besides Diwali, Dussehra is a major holiday in Maharashtra and other northern states. In Punjab, Sikhs celebrate Diwali day as Bandi Chorr Divas. It is the day Guru Hargobind returned to Amritsar with 52 other princes after he was released from prison by Emperor Jehangir.

What made you start your company Enjoy Explore India?

The seed for Enjoy Explore India was sown when I started the first and only 4H club in the United States in 1996. I moved to the United States in 1987 and it was quite a challenge because you felt very cut off from your family, friends, and your culture. It was when my son Mohit was born that I began to think deeply about how I was going to pass on my culture and values. I always believed that culture must be taught and shared in the mainstream so that children feel pride in their roots and acceptance by their peers. So, I started the 4H Indian Langoor Club in 1997 to teach Mohit and his friends about India in a fun and creative way. Most importantly, I encouraged them to share what they learned with their peers in school, 4Hers, and their community.

In 2009 I decided to take this research-based cultural learning program developed over the years across New Jersey. I wanted to create an immersive experience so that people could see, feel, hear, touch, and taste India. I offer innovative hands-on education and enrichment programs in cooking, storytime, music and dance, arts, crafts, and more.

The interactive workshops and lectures offer youth and adults the opportunity to share ideas, break barriers, find common ground and, most of all, an opportunity to create lasting friendships based on understanding, respect, and an appreciation for the diversity in our society. View more of her work here: Enjoy Explore India - Community Programs

EEI is a small company with big ideas! We are always looking to present novel worldviews that generate discussion and build cultural connections. 

Is there anything else about Diwali that is not mentioned or well known by people?

Most people do not think of Diwali as a harvest festival. Farmers and people around the country celebrate the harvesting of the Kharif crops. Rice, jowar, millet, and maize, all types of lentils and beans, a great variety of vegetables and fruits begin to fill the market.

Holiday dishes from freshly harvested crops are popular and cooked during this time. Crops planted during the monsoon season are harvested right before Diwali and the onset of the cold winters.

During this time, cattle fairs are held all over the country. Sonepur Mela is the largest cattle fair in Asia Sonepur and lasts for a month during this time.

Besides cattle, buffaloes, donkeys, dogs, horses, goats, rabbits, and birds are also available for sale at this fair. This takes place at the confluence of the Rivers Ganga and Gandak Sonepur, which is considered a holy site visited by people from all parts of the country.

The passion and information Seema provides shines through and has made her company a sought-after engaging program for corporate and public communities.  She is always open to questions about India.  

To connect with Seema and learn how to enjoy and explore India:

www.enjoyepxloreindia.comPhone: 732-645-2274 Twitter: @eei_workshops
Instagram: enjoyexploreindiaFacebook: enjoyexploreindia

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