Diwali in its true essence

All our festivals and the rituals associated with them have a deep underlying philosophy. However, over the years, rituals have taken such strong precedence that the core philosophy stands considerably diluted.

This Diwali, I wish and pray that:

• Along with our homes, we light up our hearts to banish the darkness of hatred, enmity, and narrow-mindedness.
• We burst crackers mindfully as per the guidelines, but burst open our hearts toward the deprived sections of society.
• We eat sweets to our hearts’ content, but spread contentment around us by speaking sweet words.
• We pray to Goddess Lakshmi for affluence and wealth—not only for ourselves, but for all of mankind.

Only then can we truly claim to be celebrating Diwali in its truest spirit, as beautifully encapsulated in this shloka:

Happy and prosper Diwali to all!