The word ‘divali’ is derived from ‘Sanskrit ‘deepavali’ (‘deep’ meaning light and ‘avali’ a row of lights’). At first Divali celebrated the autumn’s harvest in India in homage to the nourishing earth while lighting of diyas' (small oil lamps out of terra cotta equipped with a wick out of cotton and calling upon Agni (the primitive flame and God of fire).
In Mauritius, Divali is celebrated on a national level. Ivali commemorates the day where lord RAM returned home after having overcome the Ravana daemon. The festival of Divali lasts only one day in Mauritius, though the preparations begin one week earlier. The houses are scrupulously washed and cleaned.
The day of Divali generally starts with prayers. These are followed by visits to the old ones as a sign of respect. Delicious ‘gato divali' traditional cakes of Divali, which receipts are thoseof grandmothers and passed from generation to generation. At sun set, houses are illuminated of a multitude of diyas' which are used to push back darkness of the darkest night of the Hindou calendar.
Comments