Township Council Adopts Resolution Recognizing Diwali

Posted: November 3, 2021

At the council meeting on November 2, 2021, the mayor and council of the Township of Randolph adopted a resolution recognizing Diwali, the Festival of Lights. Diwali falls on Thursday, November 4th this year, in accordance with the lunar calendar, and is celebrated by Hindus as a day of thanksgiving and the beginning of the new year.

Diwali is a festival of great significance to Indian Americans and South Asian Americans, and is celebrated annually by Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains throughout the world. Commonly known as the Festival of Lights, it is one of the world’s oldest religious holidays, bringing together families, friends, and communities in the United States and around the globe in goodwill, peace, and a shared sense of renewal.

During the Festival of Lights, celebrants light small oil lamps, place them around the home, and pray for health, knowledge and peace. Hindu celebrants of Diwali believe that the rows of lamps symbolize the light of knowledge and truth within the individual that signifies the destruction of all negative qualities and celebrates the victory of good over evil. The festival is celebrated over five days, with the third day being the most significant, as it coincides with the darkest night of the lunar month.