Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Indian community in gathered at the Cilantro Restaurant, Abuja, recently to commemorate the annual Indian Diwali festival.
Also known as Deepavali, Diwali as celebrated in India and wherever there is an India community around the world, is marked as the festival of lights.
It is a symbol of the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. Historically, it is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Newar Buddhists.
The event witnessed the ceremonial lighting of lights at the beginning of any Indian event, which was led by the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Nagabhushana Reddy, and the president of the Indian Cultural Association in Nigeria, Guduru Sudarshan Reddy.
The ceremony also witnessed various cultural displays by Indian nationals, young and old, to the admiration of guests drawn from the diplomatic community, friends, business associates and admirers of India.
In his remarks, the outgoing Indian High Commissioner congratulated the Indian Cultural Association for putting the event together and said the association had come of age with its active
role in the cultural life of the Indian community in Abuja.
Reddy also said the large turnout of guests at the event was a true indication of the outreach and popularity of the Indian community in Nigeria.
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He noted that, with the participation of the Indian community in Abuja in the affairs of the Indian Cultural Association, the group had been able to achieve a number of its objectives, declaring that it was the collaborative, cooperative and consultative approach of the group that had taken it forward in meeting the various aspirations and the expectations of the community at large.
Reddy said: “Friends, today, we have an array of dancing songs organised by our community members – the children and guardians, which will remind us of the glorious traditions associated with Diwali, the Festival of Lights.
“Our festivals, the Indian festivals, are solemn vacations to remind us of the richness of unity, social harmony, a hope for a new beginning and importantly, a commitment to embark on a journey for wellbeing, both at the individual, social and society levels.”
Reddy also said, in celebrating Diwali, it was a commitment by Indians to express their willingness to open darkness and bring in light.
He said of Diwali Festival: “When we say that we want to open the darkness and bring in light, I think the light is outside, but there is the larger light within us and it is this light I think I am sure we all should work towards in lighting up because, once we light up this light in ourselves, we become
better human beings. And a better human being will bring a better community around him or her and a better community can make a better society.”