In tribute of Diwali, the Festival of Lights, the staff of the Ministries of Culture, Youth and Sport and Local Government and Regional Development Tuesday afternoon hosted a small congregation at their respective ministry during which dances, songs and messages were featured.
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr. Frank Anthony in addressing the staff and invitees, lauded the fact that country’s citizens can share in the festivity irrespective of colour, race or creed.
“Despite where we came from traditionally, as Guyanese we have a unique heritage and when we share that heritage between ourselves it enriches us because we become more tolerant and more understanding of each other, and as a nation we can benefit from these sharing and interaction of these various cultures that have made us such a rich nation,” the Minister declared.
Diwali in the Hindu calendar is a very auspicious occasion that speaks to the triumph of good over evil, and marks the return from exile of Hindu God, Lord Rama after 14 years.
Meanwhile Local Government Minister Ganga Persaud urged that persons should use the “Festival of Lights” to promote good and overcome the ‘darkness’ that challenges society. He added that darkness is all around which causes persons to be unsure of what they do and this lead to negative actions. He urged that persons take a lesson from the festival’s significance to rid themselves of negativities.
Similar thoughts about the festival were expressed by Minister within the Ministry Norman Whittaker who said that Diwali should bring out the good in everyone and should not be celebrated just once per year, but everyday because “we always need to remove the darkness around us”.
Diwali is the biggest and the brightest of all Hindu festivals, marked by four days of celebration. In Guyana, the celebration is observed in various ways that includes; distribution of ‘sweet meats’, illuminating the inside and outside of the house with little lamps called diyas, cleaning of houses, and the widely attended annual spectacle, the Diwali motorcade.
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