THUNDER BAY - An ancient festival that has been celebrated for thousands of years was helping people in Thunder Bay shine a light on the joys of life and see all the good that exists in the world.
On Sunday, the India Canada Association of Thunder Bay celebrated Diwali, or the Festival of Lights at the Valhalla Inn.
“It’s light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, all the bright things that we expect and the joy in our lives,” said Roopa Rakshit, one of the organizers of the Diwali celebrations. “This is a new beginning for a new year. That’s how we celebrate, with lights.”
The India Canada Association has hosted Diwali celebrations the year after it was founded in the city in 1972. But this was the first year it was opened up to the community at large.
“We do this annually every year,” Rakshit said. “We do it within our community but this time we opened the doors to the community at large.”
Rakshit said she was expecting more than 200 people to join in the celebrations, which promised to be an exciting night basking in Indian culture.
“The room is very lit with lamps and traditional decorations and we will serve traditional food and lots of dancing,” she said.
According to K. S. Joseph, one of the founders of the India Canada Association of Thunder Bay, Diwali is one of many festivals hosted by the Indian community in the city, which includes Holi, or the festival of Colours, Independence Day of India, and the Festival of India.
Joseph added that it is important to share these cultural celebrations with the community at large and he is hoping it will help the association grow.
“The whole community is invited every year,” he said. “But for some time the association has not been functioning lively because all the older people are getting tired, so we want new blood to come in.”
Diwali has its roots in ancient India and likely began as a harvest festival. It has become one of the most popular Hindu festivals in India and around the world.
“We started this organization in 1973,” Joseph said. “Since then, every year, we have the festival of lights. What it means is the winning of light over darkness, or defeating evil. It was normally a religious festival but now it is a national festival.”
Earlier this month, students were also given an opportunity to experience Diwali and celebrate the Indian and Hindu culture with presentations and traditional food.
Students at Westmount Public School learned about the tradition, which Rakshit said promotes acceptance and inclusiveness among the students.
“We need a lot of understanding about each other’s way of life, what we do, how we do,” she said. “It all adds up to understanding and the awareness we have with regards to diversity and the different kinds of people and cultures out there in the world.”
