Canberra, On the eve of Deepawali 2021, the Hon Scott Morrison MP Prime Minister of Australia has extended the warmest Deepawali greetings to the people of so many faiths who celebrate the festival of lights.
In his message, he expressed, “On the darkest night of the month, we hold in our hearts the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. It is the moment when we turn the corner and begin to see the light ahead of us, guiding us forward. We have been through dark times in these last two years.”
He further stated in the message, “This year we celebrate Deepawali as we draw ever closer to the light, at the end of our COVID-19 tunnel. That means all the things we have had to forsake – welcoming, gathering, the celebration will take place again. For some parts of Australia, we will be able to celebrate this year, and for the remainder of the country next year.”
He added, “We look forward with joy and hope to know that our Deepawali celebrations will take place again. Over recent years, I have joined Deepawali celebrations around Australia and I know the joy, colour community and food that make Deepawali such a special celebration. I thank you as people of faith and cultural communities for your efforts over many months to keep your communities safe, together and part of our united response to the pandemic.”
On a concluding note, he expressed the wish, “Maybe everyone celebrating Deepawali this year be refreshed by its sense of hope and prosperity, and by the fellowship of your family and community.”
Deepawali /Tihar Festival is the second most significant Hindu festival in Nepal. It is celebrated for five days and is bestowed with the traditional cultural characteristics of Nepal.
Tihar is the second biggest Nepali festival after Dashain and is usually allocated a three-day-long national holiday. The festival is novel in that it shows reverence to not just the gods, but also to animals such as crows, cows, and dogs that have long-lived alongside humans.
