BRINGING LIGHT & HARMONY

• Tweet
• Pin It

Diwali is a time of celebration, when the community celebrates good prevailing over the evil and light is cast over the dark. The festival of lights is celebrated by all, beyond caste, creed and cultures

Diwali may officially be a festival of the Hindus, but in Goa its light brushes away the shadows that divide communities on religious lines. Non-Hindus visit their Hindu friends and relatives, and sweets prepared in Hindu homes sweeten the palates of all.

So what does Diwali mean to a Catholic priest? Fr Camilo Simoes, SAC, who served in Hindu-dominated villages and gelled well with the surroundings, shares his thoughts: “No one wants to walk in darkness. Darkness implies evil, bad or something negative. On the other hand, people want light – to illumine their path, to lead them in the right direction. And when I think of light, I am reminded of Diwali, the festival of lights.”

Diwali is a Hindu festival, but has taken national significance. Everybody wants to be part of this celebration, be they Christians, Muslims or Sikhs. At the national level, this festival can serve as a tool for communal harmony which is the need of the hour.

When we discuss communal harmony, it implies that every man is to be looked at as a human being, putting religion at a second place. Abdul Satta Edhi, a humanitarian legend, declared that “no religion is higher than humanity”. 

Read the full article in 'Viva Goa' magazine copy.
Viva Goa magazine is now on stands. Available at all major book stalls and supermarkets in Goa

• Tweet
• Pin It

Related Posts

• 

  7 Rainy Escapes
  7 Rainy Escapes
• 

  Born from Sweat & Soil
  Born from Sweat & Soil
• 

  The Goddess Born out of Gold
  The Goddess Born out of Gold
• 

  Dying Demand for Barrels
  Dying Demand for Barrels