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Arya Samaj Houston celebrates Deepavali as harvest Thanksgiving
Arya Samaj Houston's celebrations traced the origin of the Diwali’s roots as a harvest festival. A Yajna, cultural performances, and fireworks display were also part of the festivities.
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Yajna (Havan). / Image - Arun Mundra
Arya Samaj Houston held its annual Diwali Mela last week, honoring it as a traditional harvest Thanksgiving festival. Despite inclement weather, the event drew families, students, and community leaders, all gathering to celebrate the festival’s spiritual and cultural roots.
The festivities began with a Yajna (religious offering) led by Acharya Surya Nanda, whose discourse highlighted Deepavali’s origins as a harvest festival. Nanda explained the festival’s original Vedic name, “Shaaradeeya NavaSasyeshti” (Fall Harvest Thanksgiving), tracing the Sanskrit roots of Deepavali—"Deepa" (lamp) and "Aavalee" (row), symbolizing a row of lamps.
He emphasized the tradition of farmers offering gratitude to nature and sharing the bounty of Mother Earth with the needy. Nanda encouraged attendees to embrace the festival’s ethos by fostering bonds within their communities and by giving back.
“As we share sweets and gifts, let’s keep the sweetness in our lives by being sweet, soft-spoken and truthful in our day-to-day activities. We need to continue the tradition of sharing with the needy. The western world has adopted this festival as annual Thanksgiving, celebrating the fall harvest, bonding over feasts and donating to food banks and organizing food drives,” he said.
Arya Samaj Houston celebrate Diwali / Image - Arun Mundra NV2-2024.jpg)
Tabla (VSS) / Image - Arun Mundra NV2-2024.jpg)
HN&EN Poem(DAVMES(pre-schoolers) / Image - Arun Mundra
Cultural performances showcased the talents of students from DAV Montessori and Elementary School and Vedic Sanskriti School Houston. The program included Sanskrit and Hindi bhajans, poetry, dance, and tabla performances, providing a blend of traditional and modern expressions.
A costume contest and competitions added further engagement, all coordinated by Acharya Bramdeo and dedicated teachers and volunteers. The activities reflected the schools' commitment to a holistic education encompassing physical, moral, and spiritual development. A brief pause in rainfall, also allowed the participants to enjoy a fireworks display.
Special guest Arun Mundra attended briefly, applauding Arya Samaj Houston’s efforts to connect youth to Sanatan culture.
Arya Samaj Coordinator Sanjay with Arun Mundra, Special guest_ all acharya, Pupil, guests for Diwali Mela / Image - Arun Mundra NV2-2024.jpg)
SanskritPraarthana(DAVMES) / Image - Arun Mundra
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