The Trinidad and Tobago Association of Barbados Inc. (TTAB) observed the religious Hindu festival of Divali with a symbolic lighting ceremony at the Lanterns at Hastings last weekend.
Divali is a five day religious festival that represents the start of the Hindu New Year. It honours the victory of good over evil, and brightness over darkness.
Celebrated as the ‘Festival of Lights’ in India, it is one of the major and most celebrated Hindu festivals; regionally it is a national holiday in the multi-cultural society of Trinidad and Tobago.
Public Relations Officer of the TTAB, Richard Rollocks noted that: “Divali is one of the most anticipated events in Trinidad & Tobago and we in TTAB felt it was a great idea to acknowledge this religious period and share it with Trinbagonians living in Barbados as well as to share our rich culture with the Barbadian public.”
“In Trinidad, the Divali is marked by prayers, feasts and the lighting of thousands of deyas (small clay pots filled with oil in which a wick is immersed and lit) all over the country.
“We were very pleased with the response from Barbadians visiting the mall. We used the event to share general information about Divali and to distribute sweets which are synonymous with the festival,” Rollocks said.
