Festival of Lights

By Fabiana Rondon

The Hindu celebration better known as Diwali, or the Festival of Lights, began October 31. A large part of the Hindu community residing in New Jersey decided to celebrate the occasion at the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham temple located in Windsor. This temple is considered the second-largest Hindu temple in the world. In addition to the Festival of Lights, some were also celebrating the Hindu New Year 2081, also known as Vikram Samvat.

As visitors enter the temple, the first thing they see is the imposing sculpture of the young yogi Bhagwan Swaminarayan, approximately 49 feet tall. The story goes that when Swaminarayan was only 11 years old, he began a pilgrimage as a wandering monk to Gujarat, and during his journey, he spent at least one month in a standing meditation position called Yag or Vrata. Later, due to his devotion, Swaminarayan became an important spiritual leader in India, and today, hundreds of devotees can visit his majestic sculpture in this temple.

There were hundreds of visitors in the temple, yet due to the vast size of the place, there was more than enough space for everyone to walk comfortably as they explored it. Despite the number of visitors, the temple had a great atmosphere of peace and harmony, where a deep silence prevailed, with some voices whispering in admira8on of the impressive architecture.

During the tour, many families, including little children and elderly people, could be seen praying in different postures to the deities and contemplating the various figures of animals and people on the temple’s facade.

The visitors were wearing traditional Hindu garments, contributing with picturesque ornaments and
offerings to the gods.

Once inside one of the temple’s halls, there was a group of musicians playing traditional Hindu folk music using various typical instruments such as the sitar, dholak, khol, karatalas, and harmonium.

Once inside the main hall of the temple, where all the deities were located, visitors were required to take off their shoes as a sign of respect for the sacred significance of the temple. The deities were surrounded by offerings such as sweets, fruits, and flowers.

During the Diwali celebration, the temple staff made several activities available for both children and adults. Children had the option to participate in dynamic activities such as lighting candles and placing them to float on the water, while adults could write notes of gratitude for the new year and hang them on the branches of a tree.

At the end of the tour, visitors had the option to light an incense stick at the temple’s exit and say a final prayer in reflection of the spiritual experience.