Deepavali, or Diwali, is the well-known Hindu festival that's celebrated around the world to commemorate Lord Rama to Ayodhya. Lord Rama and his wife Sita were exiled for 14 years and it so happened that they returned on a dark night. As a welcoming gesture, all Lord Rama's subjects lit their house with little lights called diyas, allowing the royal couple to easily find their way back home.
This is the reason Deepavali is also known as the Festival of Lights.
Now, for some Hindus the background is somewhat different. For some Hindus, Deepavali is celebrated in honour of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth.
The lighting of the diyas still has the purpose of guidance, but in the case of Lakshmi, the lights make it easier for her to find her way to people's homes, thereby ensuring a prosperous future.
The diyas, by the way, signify the Atman, which is more of an Inner Light than a physical light. And the other belief Hindus have is that Deepavali signifies the victory of good over evil.
In Malaysia, the relatively recent Deepavali tradition is for Hindus to invite friends of all races and religions to their "Open House" event. In fact, this practice is unique to Malaysia and goes a long way to strengthening ties between Malaysians in this multi-racial country.
Incidentally, Malaysian Hindus also practice the handing out of a small amount of money to kids, usually wrapped in purple of yellow packets, a custom borrowed from Malaysian Chinese.
Keen to spend your Deepavali weekend, October 31st, in Tioman Paradise? Beat the crowds to claim your Tioman hotel room now. Click the Deepavali date below to show hotel availability for your date. You can even turn your Tioman Deepavali into a long long weekend. Happy Deepavali!
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bus or
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One final note. As the number of hotel rooms in Tioman now exceeds the number of available ferry tickes to the island, please ensure that you book your ferry seats right after your hotel booking is complete. You may even check for ferry availability before you book your hotel.Book your ferry tickets now.
