Divali festival was celebrated on Thursday 23th of October 2014 in Mauritius.
Diwali also known as Deepavali and the "festival of lights", is an ancient Hindu Festival celebrated in autumn every year. The festival spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, and hope over despair. The festival preparations and rituals typically extend over a five day period, but the main festival night of Diwali coincides with the darkest, new moon night of the Hindu Lunisolar month Kartika.
On Diwali night, Hindus dress up in new clothes or their best outfit, light up "diyas" (lamps and candles) inside and outside their home, participate in family puja (prayers) typically to Lakshmi– the goddess of wealth and prosperity. After puja, fireworks follow, then a family feast including mithai (sweets), and there is an exchange of gifts between family members and close friends.
I personally feel that this festival is strongly connected with my task "Testing Boundaries" as there are several characteristics that I have explored just recently concerning this culture as the Indian motifs/mandalas/rangolis, the colourful and gay atmosphere. This is a completely new feeling for me as this is the first time that I am pondering over my origin and identity for an artwork and I have just realised how this idea about inheritance and borrowed culture are so deeply embedded in me.
My two daughters.
Some Photographs:
No comments:
Post a Comment