Diwali: The Festival of Lights Celebrated in Pakistan - - One of The Biggest Hindu Festival Having Deep-rooted Cultural Values of the Hindu Religion

There are about 2 million Hindus living in Pakistan, as per the last census, and a majority of them are living in the Sindh province. In Karachi city alone, there are about 0.6 million  Hindus. Most of the Hindus have painted and had washed their houses. 

The new report below shows the Diwali celebrations in Jacobabad, Pakistan:

Diwali, the festival of lights, is celebrated with jubilation and enthusiasm as one of the biggest Hindu festivals. During the festival, which is connected with deep-rooted cultural values of the Hindu religion, people wake up early in the morning, wear new clothes, offer their prayers and touch the feet of their elders, and in return elders give them Diwali gifts. Hindus offer special prayers to Goddess Lakshmi to seek blessings of well being and good fortune, and celebrate with clay Diyas, candles, lamps and firework to mark the jubilations.

Hindus living in Pakistan are celebrating Diwali by decorating their homes with flowers, rangolis, lights and diyas. The Hindu community living in Pakistan celebrated the festival of Diwali at their religious places of worship on Friday. Several temporary makeshift markets had also been set up in the premises of the local temples where community members bought the earthen pots, statues of gods and goddesses and also the firecrackers for the night to make the festival enjoyable.

Shahbaz Bhatti, Federal Minister for Minorities’ Affairs, greeted Hindus on their festival of lights, colors and happiness, giving the message of promoting tolerance, dialogue, understanding, cooperation, and harmony, and to remove misunderstandings among different faiths.

The Ministry of Minorities had announced celebrating the festival officially for mainstreaming the minorities living in the country, like ten other festivals of minorities including Baisakhi, Holi, Eid-i-Rizwan, Chelumjusht, Nauroze, Christmas and Easter festivals of Sikhs, Hindus, Bahais, Kalash, Parsis and Christian Communities respectively.

Although the ministry planned to hold colourful programmes to celebrate Diwali, the events were arranged in a simple way in view of the disaster caused by the recent floods in Pakistan.

 

Hindu Goddess Laxshmi Statue Fountain 

This year, it was celebrated on November 5, while the festivities last for five consecutive days- starting two days before Diwali- and including the celebrations of Dhanteras, Narak Chaturdashi, Govardhan Puja and Bhai Duj.