Millions of Indians celebrate popular Hindu festival of lights2004-11-13
Published by Yahoo.com Gathered by Staff Reporter
NEW DELHI,NOVEMBER 13:Millions of people across India celebrated the biggest
Hindu holiday of the year, Diwali, or the festival of lights, exchanging sweets
and bursting firecrackers with traditional fervour. Skies over the Indian
capital New Delhi were lit up by fireworks as dusk fell, and houses and
commercial buildings were decorated with electric lights, candles and
earthenware lamps. Markets in New Delhi were choked with shoppers as people
completed last minute shopping before going off to see the illuminations and
offer prayers to the Hindu goddess of wealth, Laskshmi. Diwali is a special
occasion for India's business community, signifying the beginning of the new
financial year. Devout Hindus believe the festival also symbolises the victory
of good over evil. In his message to mark the start of the festival, President
Abdul Kalam urged people to share Diwali joy with "the less fortunate, the
poor, the lonely and the needy". The holiday celebrates the
Hindu god Rama's return to his kingdom with his wife Sita after victory over the
demon Ravana. Local lore has it that Rama's subjects lit lamps and candles to
welcome him and his wife back home. In the southern IT city of Bangalore, which
boasts 13,130 millionaires, Diwali was ushered in on a subdued note with shops
and retail outlets recording below expectation sales. "I fail to understand why
sales have been much below our expectations in a happening city like Bangalore,"
said a top official of Westside, a readymade garment outlet owned by India's
Tata group. "There is sufficient money out there in their hands but they are
not spending that on shopping, which is the trend during Diwali." Incentives
failed to lure shoppers, whose enthusiasm was perhaps affected by the surging
inflation that stood at a three-year high of 7.38 percent in the week to
October 23, driven by higher food and manufactured goods prices. "Discounts or
no discounts, prices of every commodity have gone up,"
said G. Rashmi, a professional working with a German software maker. Meanwhile
in the northern town of Amritsar, Indian border guards gave gifts of
colourfully decorated baskets containing sweets and fruits to Pakistani Rangers
at Wagah, the only land crossing between the rival countries. In restive Kashmir
(news - web sites)'s Jammu region, Indian army and paramilitary soldiers
celebrated Diwali with new gusto thanks to a ceasefire in place since November
26 last year and a new peace initiative underway between India and Pakistan
since January, one officer said. "Most of my men are busy purchasing sweets and
making arrangements for illuminating border posts with candles and earthen
lamps," said Rajiv Gupta, an officer of the paramilitary Border Security Force.

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