Many cultures emerged and merged in the world; But ancient Hindu culture is the only culture that has withstood the test of time; And it remains even today and it is spreading far and wide. An example of this is ‘Yoga’! Indian sages taught yoga in ancient times; But in the last few years, its prevalence has increased in great extent and is gaining worldwide recognition. There are many Mahabhagas in India who started practicing Yoga when Yoga came to India as Yoga. Same is the case with Ayurveda. It is said, ‘Where there is produce, it is not sold there! But, Hindu culture is basically the place of origin of Chaitanya, the fasts, festivals and festivals mentioned in it are related to Chaitanya, so always these festivals and festivals create an atmosphere of enthusiasm.
Diwali is an important festival of Hindu culture. Since Hindus are worshipers of Tej Tattva, Agni Narayan is worshiped by lighting a lamp on Diwali. Dakshinayan starts during the period of Deepawali and due to early sunset, darkness spreads everywhere. In order to destroy this darkness of ignorance and to emit the light of knowledge, lamps are lit everywhere on Deepawali. The atmosphere is also purified by the light of the lamp. Indians are all over the world, due to this this culture has also spread all over the world. Diwali, this festival has crossed the boundaries of the seven seas. Diwali has been celebrated in the White House of the United States of America for many years, while the Presidents of many countries are sending the message of Diwali to the people. On 14 October 2009, former US President Barack Obama lit diyas while chanting Vedic mantras in the eastern hall of his Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Vishwa Deepawali, it is the jewel of Hindu culture
Nepal – Writer Kalyani Gadgil has compiled information about Diwali being celebrated in the country and abroad. In this she writes, “Deepawali is celebrated as ‘Tihar’ in Nepal. Sweets for crows are kept on the roof of the house on the day of Kag Tihar. On the second day i.e., ‘Kukur Tihar’, the dog aarti is performed in honor of the inseparable relationship of man with the dog. Wearing a kumkum mound and a marigold necklace, feed sweets to the dog. Then ‘Gayatihar’ means worship of the cow and finally Lakshmi Puja takes place.
Indonesia – Diwali is celebrated by lighting a lamp in the temples of the island of Bali, Indonesia.
Singapore – Public fireworks are banned in Singapore; However, the peacock, the national bird of India, is widely used when decorating the lamps.
Malaysia – The game of shadow puppetry is widely shown on Diwali in Malaysia. Stories from Ramayana and Mahabharata are told through this.
Thailand – Diwali is celebrated as ‘Loui Krathong’ in Thailand. Thousands of diyas made from the leaves of the banana tree are left in the river.
Fiji – Diwali is traditionally celebrated on the Pacific island of Fiji. During this various competitions are organized. The tournament begins with the lighting of the lamp by the Prime Minister of Fiji.
England – Large Deepawali processions also leave from the city of London. It has a beautiful view of Indian costumes, dances and clothing.
New Zealand – A fair is held two weeks before Diwali in Auckland and Wellington, New Zealand. It is inaugurated directly by the Prime Minister by lighting a lamp. A huge Rangoli is made in front of the Parliament House ‘B Hive’. Annakoot is organized from the Indian temples there.
Secret meaning of Deepawali – Lord Krishna killed the demon Narakasura and freed people from lust, lust, immorality and evil tendencies and made them happy by giving them Prabhu Vichar (divine thoughts). This Diwali we are celebrating as a tradition since years. Today its meaning has disappeared. Keeping this occult meaning in mind, if it awakens the self, then the ignorant darkness, as well as indulgence and immoral, demonic tendencies will be reduced and their dominion over the gentle force will be reduced. On the occasion of Deepawali, due to the religious practices and spiritual practice done by the soul, the soul will manifest itself by connecting with the soul. It is because of this radiance that the soul gets the feeling of self-bliss.
Footprints of Hindu Culture
The existence of ancient Hindu culture abroad can be seen not only on the occasion of festivals, but also in ancient temples and customs. This underscores the fact that Sanatan Vedic Hinduism was the only religion before the rise of other sects. On behalf of Maharishi Spiritual University, four persons including Sadhguru (Mrs.) Anjali Gadgil visited and studied South East Asia. During this excursion, he got to see the footprints of ancient Hindu culture abroad.
Indonesia – Although Indonesia is an archipelago and a Muslim majority nation, the great Hindu culture has taken deep roots there. ‘Hindu culture was already present on the Indonesian island 4,000 km from India, an example of this is the idol of Shri Ganesh installed as the gatekeeper at the petrol pump! Indonesia was ruled by Hindu kings till the 15th century. The island of Java is famous for its dance dramas based on the events of Ramayana for many centuries. There is a village named ‘Prambanan’ at a distance of 17 km from Yogyakarta town. There is a group of temples here called ‘Chandi Prabannan’. ‘Chandi’ means temple and ‘Prambanan’ means Parabrahman. It means ‘Parbrahma Temple Group’. Thousands of devotees and tourists visit this temple, once the highest temple in the world. A dance drama based on the events of Ramayana is performed every day from 7 pm to 9 pm in the grand premises of this temple.
Sri Lanka – There is an ancient temple of Vibhishana in Kelaniya village, 10 km from Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Japan – Even today in Japan Shri Saraswati, Shri Lakshmi, Brahmaji and Shri Ganeshji are worshiped with reverence. In Japanese life, the form of Lord Ganesha is considered to be a symbol of power radiated by the qualities of knowledge and belonging. The 11th century ‘Shri Ganesh Mandir’ is the oldest temple here. In 806 BC, a Japanese saint, Kobodeshi, traveled to China and from there Mantrayana brought the cult’s texts, various sculptures and religious texts to Japan. These saints started worshiping Hindu deities in Japan. In 1832, the German thinker Philipp Franz van Schibold counted 131 temples to the goddess Saraswati and 100 to the god Ganesha in Tokyo (now the capital of Japan). The 12th century ‘Shri Ganesh Temple’ in Kusa, Japan is considered a national heritage. Japan’s cultural advisor Shigeyuki Shimanori told an Indian journal that “Japan is trying to encourage intellectuals to study Hindu gods.”
The examples mentioned above are of representative nature only. At the end of the study, the universality of Sanatan Hinduism can be felt by looking at the Hindu culture spread across the world and the similarities in its characteristics and worship. Pray at the feet of Lord Shri Krishna, the deity of the establishment of Dharma, that the flag of Sanatan Dharma continues to flow in the universe, festivals and celebrations should be celebrated according to the scriptures and everyone can enjoy Dharmacharan.