Greetings to all on the occasion of Diwali. This year the Hindu Festival of Lights falls on October 26.

Hindu tradition admits several interpretations of Diwali. All of them project a unified theme, one of renewal and optimism, symbolizing the triumph of the human spirit over the forces of darkness. In Goa, we have historically adopted the retelling of Lord Krishna‘s slaying of the demon-king Narkasur as our motif for the occasion. See this blog entry from 2009.

These images, taken in the streets of Panjim during Narkasur Nite 2006, are among my earliest photographs as a serious photographer. Although shot at ISO 1600, they are effectively noise-free at these sizes. (The Canon EOS 5D was a landmark body in the low noise department.)

PS: My informal account of the Narkasur celebrations of my young days is recorded in this old post from Goanet.

Effigy of the demon Narkasur (Panjim, Goa, 2006)
5D, 70-200L f/2.8 IS

Lord Krishna and Narkasur in battle (Panjim, Goa, 2006)
5D, 70-200L f/2.8 IS

Let There Be Light!
5D, 70-200L f/2.8 IS

The wedding of the sacred plant Tulsi – known as Tulsi lagna or Tulsi vivah – was celebrated in Hindu households throughout Goa on the evening of Oct 30. I meandered through the villages of Chorão and Tikhazana, sampling the primed Tulsi Vrindavans of varied designs and the associated festivities.

Traditional Tulsi fashioned from clay in Tikhazana, Goa
5D Mark II, 85L II

Tulsi in Tikhazana built on laterite base and plastered with cow dung
5D Mark II, 24-105L

A contemporary Tulsi Vrindavan in Tikhazana
5D Mark II, 24-105L

Chandrakala Mapari of Chorão in her Tulsi courtyard
5D Mark II, 85L II

Chandrakala Mapari cooking rice in her traditional kitchen
5D Mark II, 24-105L

Tulsi Vrindavan in Chorão
5D Mark II, 85L II

Offering prayers in Tikhazana
5D Mark II, 24-105L

Pooja in progress in Chorão
5D Mark II, 24-105L

Deepavali lamp in Chorão
5D Mark II, 85L II

Deepavali, the Festival of Lights.

5D, 70-200L f/2.8 IS

The Hindu festival of Diwali (Deepavali) has multiple interpretations, all having their basis in the triumph of virtue over vice.

One version tells of the vile Narkasur, embodiment of the forces of darkness (tamas), ignorance (avidya) and baseness (adharma). The puranas recount his comeuppance at the hands of Krishna who deployed the sudarshan-chakra to behead the fiend. Narkasur‘s vanquishment lead to the restoration of dharma, and the Diwali celebrations represent a renewal of the memory of Krishna‘s triumphal moment.

In Goa is prevalent the quaint practice – perhaps unique in India – of the reenactment of the Narkasur mythos. On the eve of Diwali, effigies of Narkasur are mounted at village squares and towns. After a night of boisterous revelry, they are consigned to flames at dawn. In recent years, the merriment has assumed comical proportions with an explosion in the count of Narkasurs on display (perhaps an apt allegory of the times).

As a boy I looked forward to the Narkasur Nite, and the preparations in the days leading to it animated us little fellas. Although much has changed since those days, the spirit of the event persists. These photographs were taken in 2007.

My little nephew Yash prepping his Narkasur
5D, 24-105L

My nephew & niece and their friends
5D, 24-105L

Narkasur in the village of Khandola, Goa
5D, 24-105L

Narkasur in Bhatlem, Panjim, Goa
5D, 24-105L

Narkasur in Santa Ines, Panjim, Goa
5D, 24-105L