It’s a carnival mood inside Shree Cutch Satsang Swaminarayan Temple within Mombasa CBD. The magnificently decorated temple with ornately painted doors and vivid Hindu mythology paintings offers a warm welcome.
The elaborate dazzling lighting and the Indian vegetarian cuisines on display, signifies that Diwali, the festival of lights is well on.
Diwali marks the time when millions of Hindus, Sikhs and Jains across the world celebrate the triumph of good over evil with beautiful rituals such as festive lights, fireworks, sweet delicacies and family gatherings.
In one of the main stories in Hindu mythology, Diwali is the day Lord Rama, his wife Sita Devi and brother Lakshmana return to their homeland after 14 years in exile. The villagers lit a path for Rama, who had defeated the demon king Ravana. Re-enactments of this story are part of celebrations in some regions.
“We are celebrating the end of war between Sri-Ram and Ravan. Sri-Ram and Ravan were at war. Ravan was a demon, the head of war because he kidnapped Sri Ram’s wife so they had a war and it ended on a time like this. We are going to have a new year and our Hindu calendar is going to change,” explains Jabdi Shirani, one of the worshippers at the temple.
On the walls of the temple there are series of graphics and symbols depicting a variety of Hindu related stories which include the Sri Ram and Ravan war.
People also celebrate the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi during Diwali. As the goddess of prosperity, wealth and fertility, the romantic Diwali story says that she chose Lord Vishnu, one of Hinduism’s most important deities, to be her husband on the night of Diwali.
In other cultures, Diwali coincides with harvest and New Year celebrations. No matter which Diwali story you celebrate, it’s always a day of new beginnings and light over darkness.
Considered sacred
Hindus celebrate Diwali by preparing sweet meals, with the most delicious tradition being the gifting of mithai (sweets). Friends and family exchange colourful boxes of Indian delicacies, like pedas, ladoos, jalebis, barfis and dried fruit and chocolates.
At the far end of the temple, women are busy preparing meals. Traditional recipes, like bhindi masala (stir-fried okra), eggplant bhartha (roasted eggplant), and modern ones like tandoori tofu and no-churn ice cream with cardamom and saffron, form the main part of meals. Within the temple, there are two prayer halls called Pooja rooms where men and women pray separately. These halls are considered sacred and anyone walking in must remove their shoes.
At the front of the Pooja a variety of foods are on display as sacrifices to the gods.
Indicates intelligence
Built in the 1950s, the Swaminarayan Temple in Mombasa also serves as a tourist attraction receiving a significant number of visitors daily according to one of the priests, Manji Baghat.
Right at the top of the door is Ganesha the elephant-headed God. “He is worshiped first in any prayers. He is the God of power and wisdom. They are various stories about his elephant’s head but most important his head is interpreted as indicating intelligence, discriminative power, fidelity, or other attributes thought to be had by elephants. The large elephant ears are said to denote wisdom and the ability to listen to people who seek help,” explains a tour guide at the temple.
There is also the symbol of Hanuman or monkey god who is worshiped as a symbol of physical strength, perseverance and devotion.
Next to the entrance is a broad corridor whose walls are displayed with the Ten Commandments guiding the religion.
