Business & Tech

Diwali: Celebrating Good Over Evil

Eighth Festival of Lights to draw thousands to Cupertino, South Bay for celebration.

Thousands of Indian-Americans, along with their friends, will pause this month to celebrate the victory of good over evil.  

Diwali is a festival that's often traced back to a legendary Indian epic called the Ramayan. It is supposed to mark the return of Prince Ram and his wife, Sita, to their kingdom after they had vanquished the demon-king Ravan in battle.  

Also known as the "festival of lights," it's revered and celebrated, in varying degrees, in Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism. The lunar calendar determines the exact date of the holiday—Oct. 26—but it's typically between mid-October and mid-November. 

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

As with Christmas and holidays anywhere in the world, this is a time when families come together over meals, prayers, and of course, lights. Families that host Diwali celebrations fill their homes with brightly burning clay lamps called diyas. It isn't uncommon for people to wear new clothes on this festival.  

Among those observing the holiday will be Mahesh Nihalani, a native of the Indian mountainous area of Shimla.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Between now and the first week of November, many celebrations will take place honoring the holiday's significance, said Nihalani. Big corporations like Hewlett Packard will also have parties on their campuses for their employees, he said.

Nihalani, who immigrated to Cupertino in 2000, began raising awareness about the observance in 2003 by organizing what's said to be the largest Diwali celebration in the South Bay.

The 61-year-old jeweler said none of his Hindu brothers and sisters used to observe the holiday in the U.S. until he began organizing the event. He spoke to a few people at the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce and got the go-ahead to plan the event that has now become a regular stop on the Bay Area Diwali map. It takes place Saturday, Oct. 8 at the 28-acre Memorial Park on Stevens Creek Boulevard.

"It's a celebration of good over evil, splendor and joy. It's a worldwide celebration that lights up whole cities with people cleaning up their homes and exchanging sweets and greetings," explained Nihalani.

He added that the celebration also marks the beginning of the new year for businesses in India during which the "books of accounts" are opened. "It's very auspicious ... We will pray because in India we pray for everything." But the words of supplication and gratitude are aimed at different Gods due to India's polytheistic tradition. "It's a festival of prosperity and we will pray to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. The idea is to ask her to give everyone prosperity."

With the large Indian-American population in the Greater Bay Area and the very few public Diwali celebrations planned in the area, Cupertino's Diwali festival will probably bring in thousands to the festivities.

About 10,000 people are expected to attend Cupertino's Diwali Festival of Lights, according to Mark Matsumoto, government affairs specialist for the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce.

In Cupertino, it's estimated about 23 percent of the population, or about 12,000 people, are Indian-American.  

Matsumoto stressed the event, however, is for everyone, thanks to the generosity of the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce and its Asian American Business Council.

"We have a large amount of Indo-Americans in our city," Matsumoto explained. "It's a great festival overall. It's all about acknowledging goodness and enjoying ... It will be happy and cheerful day."

Nihalani, who's also a board member of the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce and the event chairman, credits the festival's success to the right combination of vendors, nonprofits, sponsors and many volunteers who work countless hours to make the celebration a reality.

"They [the public] find it good and pleasing for the whole family. It's a family event. They keep on coming and our numbers are growing every year," Nihalani said.

The next-biggest Diwali celebration is held in Fremont and smaller get-togethers are also held in Sunnyvale and Saratoga and other Hindu temples. Saratoga's celebration is a one-day observance and the Sunnyvale festival will take place Oct. 16 at the Sunnyvale Hindu Temple and Community Center.

The festival will also include food, business and craft booths, music and dance including a traditional Rangoli display. Admission to the festival grounds is free with plenty of free parking available at De Anza College.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here