On Monday afternoon, a compound adjacent to the Shree Swaminarayan Mandir — located on MA Jinnah Road in Karachi’s iconic lighthouse — was abuzz with customers and vendors selling Diwali wares.
Stalls, booths and makeshift shops inside the place were laden with statues and pictures of Hindu deities of various sizes, decorative stickers with religious scriptures, different types of firecrackers, prayer beads, gave and other articles made of clay, for making colored powders Rangoli (wall on the floor), ornaments, and bright cloths in red, yellow, and saffron, among other items, to adorn holy figures.
It was the last few hours of the grand Diwali Lakshmi Puja at the two-century-old temple named after Shri Swaminarayan, who hailed from the Indian city of Ahmedabad and was considered an incarnation of the Hindu deity.
As the day draws closer to the evening of the festival, the makeshift shopping compound gets busier. Ashok, 45, sets up his stall in the compound every year and lives nearby. Earlier it was managed by his father but since his death his sons have taken over the management. The stall, selling festive goods, operates seven to eight days before the great prayer night of Ashok Diwali, which fell on October 24 this year.
“This time, we got permission to set up a stall for six days and today is the last day. We sell a lot of items. From Rangoli, gaveimages of Goddess Lakshmi, and a small stage to house the deities we make at home,” Ashok said. Geo.tv.
Ashok was happy that most of his items were sold as it was his last day of work.
“People buy almost everything because today is Maa Lakshmi’s pooja (puja). But this year, due to inflation, items have become a bit expensive, which has affected people’s purchasing power. Otherwise, the environment is happening these days. is, especially in the evening,” he said, explaining that he goes home to celebrate Diwali after selling all the items.
60-year-old Arjun sits by a large stall inside the temple premises. He calls himself a gypsy who runs stalls throughout the year selling festival items to pilgrims from the community who travel across Pakistan to places considered sacred to Hindus and Sikhs.
“I ran the stall for seven days. We would close it at 4 pm. I travel for pilgrims throughout the year, including Hinglaj, Nankana Sahib, Gurdwara Panja Sahib (Hasan Abdal), Umarkot, and other places. I will go to Nankana Sahib next,” Arjun told, as crackers burst in the background.
The statues and sculptures at his stall vary in size and price. Intricately crafted sculptures by artisans in Sindh’s Tando Allahyar district cost between Rs 30,000 and Rs 200, with the Radha Krishna statue being the most expensive, lamenting the rising inflation during the festive season. express.
“Everything is getting expensive. I can’t sell an expensive item at a cheap price because I’m investing too much money in it. Business has been low this year because people can’t buy and bargains have been driven by this inflation.” Duchar is not helpful to the economy,” complained Arjun, adding that he returns whatever is not sold to the manufacturers of Tando Alayar.
A little girl named Krishna also sells small stands from place to place. gave and idols of deities She sits on the sandy ground of the compound with the objects placed on a cloth sheet. She visits the temple every year with her family from Chinesar Goth.
“You place gave And the idols on this stand people keep inside their homes during Diwali,” shared Krishna while speaking. Geo.tv.
Sitting next to Krishna was Mona, who sells a variety of crackers that people light to celebrate the festival of lights.
“I sell firecrackers here every year. We have a lot of fun during Diwali. It’s the time when we light these firecrackers and light up the atmosphere around us,” shares Mona with enthusiasm. , but at the same time he was worried that the work was not as fast as it had been for him in previous years.
This year the work is very slow due to inflation. We invested more than what we earned this time,” he said.
Mona, 23, sits on the ground with her makeshift stall while her siblings manage their stalls on the premises. She lives in Bhimpura with her husband, three children and in-laws, but spends her days before Diwali in the colony near the temple where her mother and siblings live.
Karamchand Thawarani is the coordinator of Pakistan Hindu Council. Rounding the compound to buy some items, the 55-year-old vendor sat down at a stall. gave made of clay.
“We try to spread maximum happiness in the community. We distributed checks on the occasion of Diwali. Today, we celebrate happiness and light. This festival inspires us to live together with love, ” said Karamchand, adding that Pakistan is a wonderful country for everyone where communities should ensure brotherhood.
The temple is a place of witnessing at night. Lights twinkle on its structure, the hustle and bustle of the festival dampens the atmosphere, children scurry through the steps that lead devotees to the main prayer space, and religious hymns play in the background.
After the Lakshmi Puja — to celebrate Goddess Lakshmi’s benevolence — was over, some devotees sat down to catch their breath while others wandered around the temple handing out sweets. However, children and young adults rushed to the platform in front of the temple building, which was designated for bursting crackers.
Vijay Maharaj, chief priest of the temple, led the Diwali prayers. One by one, devotees went to meet him and pay his respects at the temple.
“It’s nice to see people celebrating in the temple today. Some even celebrate in their homes, offer prayers, light lamps. gaveto light firecrackers, to make The sweet to eat and to share with others,” Maharaj commented, stressing the need to celebrate the holy occasion.
While inside the temple’s residential colony, Krishna – a housewife and mother of two – stood outside the verandah of her house and struggled for light. Phaljiri (shining).
When asked what part of Diwali she likes the most, Krishna said: “We pray, we eat. The sweetAnd light up our homes. It’s fun to see everyone enjoying the festive season. We start bursting crackers two days before the night of pooja.
Suman, who looked to be in her 70s, was sitting inside the entrance gate of the colony waiting for her son to return from the temple. She lives nearby and prays at home, but the elderly woman visits the holy place to seek blessings and waits to go home after her son returns.
“I feel great. I prayed at home in the evening with my son and two daughters. I have never seen so much enthusiasm in my life. This time, it is very festive,” said Suman, trembling. Hoi commented in a loud voice.
Five days of Diwali begin. Dhantirs When Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped. Naraka Chaturdasi or small Diwali is celebrated on the second day after Lord Krishna killed the demon Narakasura. Lakshmi Puja is performed on the third day which is the main evening of the festival. The fourth day is devoted to Govardhan Puja associated with Lord Krishna; While Bhai doj The fifth day is celebrated when sisters pray for their brother’s long and happy life. On the third day of Diwali, the Hindu community also celebrates the arrival of the New Year the following day.
Like every year, Diwali celebrations at Shree Swaminarayan Temple were bright with joy and excitement within the community.