Vegetarian feast this weekend for Hindu, Jain & Sikh festival

October 18, 2006

Dear friends,

The following is information on a great opportunity for vegetarian food this weekend on the occasion of Diwali, a major Hindu, Jain and Sikh festival.

Most Hindu temples generally will have a big feast during the weekend. The BAPS Swaminarayan Hindu Temple in Milpitas (http://www.swaminarayan.org/globalnetwork/america/sanjose.htm) has special events this weekend to celebrate. The vegetarian food made by this sect of Hindus is considered among the finest and while they use dairy in some products, they do not use eggs or meat. They will have many vegan options and have promised to serve special vegan items for those who are vegan.

The food they serve is from Gujarat, the westernmost state of India and is different than you might experience in Indian restaurants. They have no intention of proselytizing, so no worries for anyone who is or is not religious or spiritual, or who has their own path. However, they would appreciate that visitors take interest in the significance of the festival of Diwali rather than focus exclusively on the food.

The options for this weekend are: 1) This Saturday with arrival at the temple around 530pm (from 6pm-7pm, there will be a major religious ceremony with traditional Indian music and singing as well), 2) This Sunday is a better option than Saturday according to the Temple President as there will be a lot more food, color, and interesting things going. There will be close to 1,000 food items. Come by 530pm for dinner around 630pm. Leave 15 minutes for parking as the temple lot will likely be full and you will need to park on the street or other designated spots. If you cannot make either time, you may still visit the temple (visit their website for information) on your own (guests are welcome) but you may not get the feast (depending on when you go).

At around 6pm on both days, there will be an aarti, a traditional Hindu ceremony with singing, wick lamp, and instruments. I recommend staying for a little bit of the program because it is quite colorful and musical and perhaps interesting to many of you, and coming early gives enough time to find our contact person and find a seat among the thousands that will be there.

Here is some info on the festival of Diwali: October 21 is Deepavali (Diwali) and is one of the most important days of the year for followers of religious and spiritual traditions from India. Information on this important festival can be viewed at

http://www.hinduamericanfoundation.org/campaigns_deepavali2006_haf_message.htm

Diwali, or Deepavali in the original Sanskrit, is considered the Festival of Lights, referring to the rows of earthen lamps celebrants place around their homes. Hindus believe that the light from these lamps illumines individuals and societies burdened by ignorance and darkness. In addition to its symbolic significance, many Hindus believe that Diwali marks the day that an incarnation of God, Lord Rama returned from a forced exile after defeating the ultimate force of evil in His time. The festival is celebrated over five days in varied ways throughout India and also marks the end of the Hindu calendar year for many.

In addition to the spiritual significance the day holds for Hindus, it is also important to Sikhs and Jains. Sikhs celebrate Diwali in commemoration of the release of the Sixth Guru, Hargobind, from captivity by the Mughal Emperor Jehangir. Jains commemorate Diwali as the day Lord Mahavira, the last of the great teachers, attained spiritual liberation after his death in 527 BCE., and light lamps as symbols of the light of knowledge that he lit for humanity. If you are interested, also consider visiting the magnificent Jain temple (http://jcnc.org/) that is around the corner from the BAPS temple and has great marble icons and stone architecture. One of the main teachings of Jainism is ahimsa, or the concept of non-violence, so vegetarianism is integral to Jainism.

If you are interesting in going to the BAPS Temple this weekend, please RSVP to Mihir Meghani on cell 510-396-2745 or email mihir.meghani at gmail.com by Friday 8pm so that we can provide the temple with a head count. Walk-ins may be accommodated as space permits.