to celebrate Diwali on October 30
As Guyanese usher in the ‘Festival of Lights’ – Diwali – on Sunday, October 30, the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha (GHDS), in keeping with its more than 40-year-old tradition, will be hosting grand motorcades and cultural programmes across the country.
On Saturday, October 22, the East Bank Demerara Praant motorcade will be held at the Diamond Market Tarmac. On Sunday, October 23, motorcades will be held at Canje ground, East Berbice; Bath Community Centre ground, West Berbice; Port Mourant Community Centre ground, Central Corentyne; and Tagore High School, Upper Corentyne.
Thereafter, the Essequibo Praant will host its motorcade on October 27 at the Anna Regina Community Centre ground. On Friday, October 28, the West Coast Demerara Praant’s motorcade is fixed for the Oceanview Mandir compound.
The final and largest motorcade will be held on the eve of Diwali – Saturday, October 29. The beautifully decorated floats depicting various aspects of the festival will leave the Shri Krishna Mandir, Campbellville, Georgetown, and make their way along the Seawall road to the La Bonne Intention (LBI) Community Centre ground, East Coast Demerara, where there will be a spectacular stage programme.
In addition to the Dharmic Nritya Sangh and top Guyanese singers, the Sabha, in collaboration with ZEETV and Digicel, will present SAREGAMAPA 2016 winner Kushal Paul and finalist Jyotica Tangri.
Both of these outstanding singers will make their way from India especially for the cultural programme at LBI and will be performing a wide selection of popular songs.
Following the motorcades, Diwali will be celebrated on Sunday, October 30. The GHDS is holding its ground that Diwali occurs on the 15th day of the dark fortnight in the auspicious Hindu month of Kartik on Amawasya or new moon day.
The Hindu Day is a lunar day. It runs from sunrise on one day to sunrise of the next day. The day gets its name from the tithi prevailing at the time of sunrise. Amawasya is registered at the sunrise on October 30 and, as such, that day is deemed to be Amawasya. This is the darkest night of the year.
