Essequibians celebrate Diwali despite challenges of COVID-19

By Raywattie Deonarine

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc around the world for the past two years, Guyanese on Thursday celebrated Diwali, which is an auspicious time for Hindus to start new ventures as the Festival of Lights coincides with their “New Year”. 
As the evening stepped in, families along the Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), illuminated their homes with hundreds of lights – be it with Diyas (small earthen pots) or with fairy lights – and beautifully decorated rangolis as they celebrated Diwali or Deepavali which signifies Lord Ram’s return to Ayodhya from 14 years of exile and the victory of good over evil.
Lights are illuminated in the name of the Hindu Goddess, Mother Lakshmi, to usher in wealth and prosperity into homes.
A stroll through several communities on the Essequibo Coast revealed that many persons celebrated the festival, lighting up their home from around 18:00h. Earlier, many mandirs hosted religious services in the morning or in the afternoon, where the story of the Reverence of Mother Lakshmi was shared.
In Aurora, Essequibo Coast, families ensured that almost every corner of their yard was lit with Diyas and decorative fairy lights as both young and old took part in the festivities.
In other villages such as Good Intent and Aurora, Affiance, Airy Hall, Capoey, just to name a few, Diwali celebrations were in full swing. You could not miss the rows of Diyas or escape the loud and sometimes obnoxious sounds of the firecrackers and fireworks.
Meanwhile, at Spring Garden Bhuvaneshwar Mandir, a service was held at 15:00h, where Pandit Ramesh Lall led a special prayer service and sounded the story of the return of Lord Rama.
According to Pandit Lall, Lakshmi Puja is one of the most significant rituals of Diwali celebrations. People pray to the Goddess of wealth on this day to receive blessings from her and wish for health, wealth, and prosperity. He added that he believes that on this day, Goddess Lakshmi descends on earth and blesses the people with luck, prosperity and happiness.
Pandit Lall also stated that Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, prosperity, auspiciousness, and good fortune, and Lord Vishnu’s wife, visits her devotees and bestows gifts and blessings upon each of them. To welcome the Goddess, devotees clean their houses, decorate them with finery and lights, and prepare sweet treats and delicacies as offerings. Devotees believe the happier Lakshmi is with the visit, the more she blesses the family with health and wealth.
“Diwali is a celebration of prosperity, it gives us strength to carry on our work with goodwill for the rest of the year, it’s a new year and thus persons are allowed to prosper throughout the year,” Pandit Lall said.

Celebration
Before Diwali is celebrated, Hindus clean their homes and surroundings. Since it is also a festival that signifies the beginning of a new year, Hindus would also shop for new things – be it household items or clothes and jewellery.
On the day itself, rangoli (a colourful design made with coloured rice or a special rangoli sand) is made at the entrance of the home, and Diyas are lit along the doorways, stairs and around the yards as well as on parapets.
Some even decorate their vehicles with colourful fairy lights that would participate in motorcade competitions. But due to the ongoing pandemic, motorcades were not held. But this did not deter persons from “dressing up” their vehicles.
Vegetarian meals such as “seven curry” – a Guyanese-Hindu delicacy – and sweetmeats are prepared on the day as well.
These are shared with family, relatives and neighbours.
After families are finished with lighting up their homes, they walk around the villages exchanging Diwali greetings with each other.