Sky’s the limit: Although fireworks have long been a tradition during the festival of Diwali, they are increasingly being replaced with greener options, such as digital light shows and drone displays. Photo: Suvan Chowdhury Pexels
This week’s celebration of India’s ancient Festival of Lights — Diwali or Deepavali, Sanskrit for “a row of lamps” — shone across continents in an explosion of faith, feasting and festivity.
Yet beyond its dazzling displays and drone-lit skies, Diwali’s deeper message could be the moral light our troubled world sorely needs.
First brought to South Africa 165 years ago by Indian indentured labourers who arrived in Durban on 16 November 1860, Diwali remains a spiritual anchor and a symbol of hope. As Mahatma Gandhi, who once lived among those descendants, reminded us: “It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.”
At its heart, Diwali celebrates family, community, sharing and goodwill — eclipsing darkness with light.
Its origins lie in an agrarian prayer for good harvests, later immortalised in the epic Ramayana, which recounts Lord Rama and Sita’s triumphant return to Ayodhya after 14 years in exile and the defeat of the demon Ravana.
Villagers lit oil lamps to welcome them home, an act of devotion that became a timeless metaphor for righteousness and renewal.
Today, Ayodhya remains the spiritual heartland of Diwali, setting Guinness World Records with millions of diyas — small, flickering lamps — lit in unison and non-stop musical choreography.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s symbolic visits to border posts — sharing sweets with soldiers — remind his nation that light and gratitude extend even to the frontiers of conflict and wars.
From Down Under to the Kiwis, Durban to Dubai, Delhi to Dublin and Mumbai to Madrid, Diwali’s radiance transcends geography. Cities across continents are illuminated by diyas, fireworks and festooned streets, as communities dance, feast and reconnect through ancient rituals.
The world’s largest celebration outside India takes place in Leicester, England, where hundreds of thousands gather in a carnival of colour and cuisine.
Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Fiji, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Seychelles recognise Diwali as a public holiday.
In the US, where over a dozen states have done the same, the festival has entered the national imagination. Barack Obama became the first president to host Diwali at the White House; Donald Trump lit a diya in the Oval Office and the US Postal Service issued an official Diwali stamp — a gesture of cultural inclusion that speaks volumes.
In the United Arab Emirates, where a Hindu temple recently opened to serve the subcontinent’s vast diaspora and workforce, Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum extended his greetings to millions celebrating “a festival that brings peace, safety and prosperity”.
Flame: Diyas are lit during the festival. Photo: Udayaditya Barua/unsplash
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called it “a time of hope for a bright future”, while New Zealand’s Christopher Luxon described it as “the triumph of light over darkness, hope over despair and good over evil”.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer wished his Hindu, Jain and Sikh citizens a peaceful and joyful celebration, while President Cyril Ramaphosa offered a reflection steeped in the nation’s plural spirit.
London’s landmark Trafalgar Square, opposite SA’s embassy — was ablaze with song and dance in one of the biggest gatherings in the UK, hosted by the mayor, Sadiq Khan.
In his Diwali message, Ramaphosa said: “I wish our Hindu community a blessed festival that brings together elements of faith, cultural expression, outreach to people in need and belief in the centrality of family.
“This is a time of spiritual renewal and pride in traditions founded on a plurality of beliefs and values that underscore the diversity and unity of all humanity.”
His words echo the story of Diwali itself — a story of resilience, adaptation and the enduring light of culture in exile. For more than a century and a half, South Africans of Indian origin — now numbering 1.4 million — have kept the flame alive, from the sun-scorched sugarcane fields of KwaZulu-Natal to suburban temples and public spaces.
Despite apartheid-era restrictions on worship and assembly, Diwali endured as both a private act of faith and a public assertion of dignity.
Today, Durban’s beach front glows with fireworks and family gatherings that honour not only Hindu heritage but South Africa’s broader commitment to multicultural harmony.
The diya’s light symbolises survival against the odds — a reminder that hope, once kindled, can never be extinguished.
Diwali, which is celebrated over five days in late October or early November in mainland India, commemorates the victory of good over evil, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance.
But beyond mythology, its meaning has evolved into a universal human appeal. In an age marked by war, inequality and environmental decline, its message of moral renewal feels more urgent than ever.
The diya is more than ritual ornamentation. It is a metaphor for conscience. Each flame represents courage in a fearful world, compassion in a divided one and truth in an age of misinformation. The act of lighting a lamp is therefore both spiritual and political — it affirms humanity’s ability to resist despair.
In Gaza and Ukraine, in refugee camps and border crossings, in homes fractured by conflict and isolation, Diwali’s light carries moral resonance. It whispers that even the smallest act of goodness can dispel great darkness. That belief — born on the banks of the Ganges and carried by ships to Durban — is what gives Diwali its enduring power.
While Diwali’s central symbol is the lamp, its sensory language is equally rich — the aroma of spiced snacks and sweetmeats, the intricate artistry of rangoli patterns on the floor, the marigolds strung across doorways, the new garments and gifts exchanged among families. These rituals embody values of renewal, generosity and respect for community.
Increasingly, modern Diwali celebrations also reflect environmental awareness. Across India and the diaspora, there is growing advocacy for quieter, greener observances, replacing noisy fireworks with digital light shows and drone displays that marry tradition with technology.
The shift from firecrackers to eco-friendly illumination suggests that even ancient customs can evolve without losing their soul.
Food for thought: Diwali is accompanied by special dishes. Photo: Yan Krukov via Pexels
As the global Indian diaspora now numbers 35 million across 35 countries, Diwali has become both a cultural bridge and a soft-power symbol for India’s growing global identity. Its universal appeal lies in its simplicity — the triumph of light over darkness is a truth every culture recognises, every heart yearns for.
In a fractured world of widening inequality, cultural intolerance and digital loneliness, Diwali’s ancient wisdom may offer a moral reset. It reminds us that the light we celebrate outwardly must also burn inwardly — through empathy, integrity and hope.
Whether it is celebrated under Durban’s subtropical skies or amid the glittering towers of Singapore and Dubai, Diwali endures as more than a festival.
It is a philosophy of life — that darkness, no matter how deep, yields to even the smallest flame.
As the world grapples with crises of conscience and identity, the lesson of Diwali is timeless — light is not merely a comfort, but a calling.
It is an invitation to build bridges where there are walls, to seek understanding where there is division and to rekindle humanity’s shared belief that good, truth and compassion will always prevail.
This year, as diyas flicker across the Indian Ocean and beyond, may their collective glow illuminate not only homes and hearts, but the conscience of a world that has never needed their light more.