Gather round children, its story time! Today I will tell you the tale of a festival celebrated by over a billion people around the world: Diwali, the festival of lights.
Once upon a time, there was a Prince named Ram. Ram was more than your average prince; he was the reincarnation of Vishnu, the God responsible for the preservation of our world. Like Vishnu Ram was absolutely virtuous.
Ram’s wife, Sita, too was just as virtuous as Ram. Together, they were destined to rule over their Kingdom from its capital Ayodhya, an ancient Indian city. However, they did not anticipate the evil brewing in the distance.
The ten-headed demon king, Ravan, had deviously plotted to kidnap Sita and make her his own bride. And so, one fine morning, Ravan stealthily abducted Sita and took her to his land, Lanka. Sita, being as clever as she was virtuous, dropped a trail of jewelry that could be traced back to her.
Ram noticed this, trail of jewelry and decided to follow it. As he followed this path, he realized that it led to an island in the distance. This island was Lanka, Ravan’s Kingdom. And there was no way to reach it. This is when Ram met Hanuman, the mighty monkey warrior. Ram explained his plight to Hanuman, who decided to whole-heartedly help Ram in his search for Sita. And so, Hanuman gathered all the animals in the region to help Ram build a bridge to Lanka.
After a long period of relentless hard-work, the bridge to Lanka was finally completed. And here, Ram found Ravan and Sita. Getting Sita would not be easy though: Ram would have to kill Ravan. And so began the legendary battle between Ram and Ravan. After a gruesome battle, Ram emerged victorious. He had defeated the demon king with a magical arrow and rescued his wife. When Ram returned home to Ayodhya, everyone lit up their houses with diyas, oil lamps made of clay, to celebrate his victory.
Today, Diwali is celebrated as a reminder of Ram’s victory over Ravan, but more importantly it remind us that eventually good always triumphs over evil. People light diyas, burst firecrackers, hand out gifts and eat good food as they celebrate Diwali in the Indian subcontinent. This year, the South Asian Student Association (SASA) is hosting Diwali in Bemis hall. The event will be this Saturday (Nov. 7) and will include Indian food, Bollywood dancing, a candlelight ceremony, and much more. The event will be completely free, so pick up your tickets from the Worner Desk, and come celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, with us!