Notwithstanding the social proclivities of Diwali, the Festival continues to have its religious overtones with successive generations unwilling to break away from the cherished values and practices.
Prayers, special poojas and discourses are a part of the scenario and in India, with omnipresent temples, such religious activities are commonplace.
Religious and social activities which begin with the Dassera continue into the Diwali season and the increasingly secular-minded younger generation would mark Eid Al Fitr and Christmas.
Accommodating thousands of temples with equal number of Deities, India has preserved and promoted traditions and customs to ensure that the faith in religion and God is not eroded.
While Hinduism does not insist that people should visit temples to express their obeisance to the Almighty, these places of worship are considered appropriate to evoke the piety in humans, although these became grounds to settle scores and test individual and group strength in later years.
Temple worship is not expected to fade away, despite the emphasis on individualism and the permission to worship anywhere, anytime-even in one’s mind or while driving on the road but in New Zealand, the habit is on the rise.
Temples in New Zealand
Gujaratis arriving from India, Fiji and other parts of the world deserve credit for having established or helped to construct places of worship in various parts of the country. The piety they inspired led to the observation of various festivities, of which Diwali is among the most resplendent.
The Radhakrishna Temple in the Auckland Indian Association complex at Eden Terrace in Central Auckland is a prime example.
The Temple has been a nucleus of religious and social activities of the community and over the years, the natural choice for many organisations to conduct their programmes.
In many Krishna temples, Diwali is celebrated as a day of feeding and venerating cows. But in a country in which cows provide products that are the mainstay of the economy, there is perhaps no need for a special occasion.
The Auckland Sri Ganesh Temple Trust, which owns and manages the Ganesh Temple complex in Papakura has lined up a series of activities for Diwali.
Priest Vasudeva Sharma (who works with Chief Priest Parameswaram aka Chandru) said a ‘Rudra Abhishekam’ will be held for the main Deity on Diwali Day (October 26) at 1015 am, followed by Pooja, Aarti and Mahaprasadam at 11 am. The evening programme would include ‘Rudra Abhishekam’ at 615 pm, followed by Pooja, Aarti and Mahaparasadam at 715 pm, he said.
He said if the Navarati pooja held from September 29 to October 6 was any indication, the Temple would be busy this Diwali season.
The New Zealand Thirumurugan Temple Society will mark the event with Abhishekam, special poojas, bhajans and other religious activities to symbolise Diwali’s message of conquest of evil by good, vice by virtue and darkness by light.
The society has been promoting religious and educational activities through daily poojas in the mornings and evenings as well as organising religious, music and holiday programmes for children.
Diwali poojas, bhajans, special Aartis and other activities would also be held at the Hare Krishna Temple, Bharatiya Mandir in Balmoral and Shiva Mandir in Manurewa in Auckland, temples in Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington and Christchurch.
