Where to spend Diwali?

#1
Aug 13th, 2005, 14:34 Senior Member
Join Date:
Jul 2005
Location:
Sydney, Australia
Posts:
195
  • imhere0905 is offline
#1

Where to spend Diwali?

Hi all, I am trying to decide where to spend diwali. I arrive in Delhi on 22nd Oct so I want to decide where to spend it to determine where to start my travels. I have thought either varanasi or somewhere in rajasthan, if I decide on Rajasthan I will go to Amritsar then make my way to Rajasthan and head down the west coast after that.
Thanks
#2
Join Date:
Jul 2003
Location:
Nashik, INDIA
Posts:
4,110
  • SHIMLA is offline
#2
Varanasi is a good place to witness the Hindu Festival.
Whoever said money can't buy happiness didn't know where to shop !
#3
Aug 13th, 2005, 16:11 Senior Member
Join Date:
Jul 2005
Location:
Sydney, Australia
Posts:
195
  • imhere0905 is offline
#3
Thanks, do you think I can go varanasi - amritsar - pushkar by 8th Nov assuming I leave Varanasi on 2nd, or am I just dreaming?
#4
Join Date:
Oct 2004
Location:
India
Posts:
1,088
Send a message via Yahoo to himadventures Send a message via Skype™ to himadventures
  • himadventures is offline
#4
Common Guys !!

DIWALI is of AMRITSAR and it is spell bounded show. Reach ealry and stay good part of night in GOLDEN TEMPLE-you will remember this -as I remember !!

SHIMLA is also right about HINDU sentiments but...DIWALI is of AMRITSAR !!
#5
Aug 16th, 2005, 16:38 Maha Guru Member
Join Date:
Mar 2004
Location:
England
Posts:
1,262
  • shere is offline
#5
Best show is in Amritsar.

On a related note Indian fireworks can be very poor in terms of safety. I was in Punjab one year and a relative insisted I light a small firework called the "bomb". I had just lit it and turned around and bang, really messed my hearing up for days. I have not lit another firework in India since.
#6
Aug 16th, 2005, 17:56 Maha Guru Member
Join Date:
Oct 2004
Location:
Delhi
Posts:
1,233
Send a message via Yahoo to phantom
  • phantom is offline
#6
There is something called "Deep Deepawali", I dont remember the exact dates.. but you have got to be in Varanasi at that time. They light up all the ghats with small twinkling "diyas" and make them float in the river Ganges. Its quite beautiful there boating in the night.
#7
Aug 16th, 2005, 18:48 Senior Member
Join Date:
Feb 2005
Location:
Mumbai
Posts:
391
  • gs_uppal is offline
#7
i'll also suggest Golden Temple, Amritsar.

Go there in the evening on Diwali night and watch the lighting of the Gurudwara Complex and the fire-cracker show.

If you have any friend in India, go to their house and enjoy your Diwali their, else Amritsar.
#8
Aug 16th, 2005, 20:21 Bulk Carrier
Join Date:
Dec 2004
Location:
Chennai
Posts:
1,849
  • rangss is offline
#8
Quote:
Originally Posted by gs_uppal i'll also suggest Golden Temple, Amritsar.

Go there in the evening on Diwali night and watch the lighting of the Gurudwara Complex and the fire-cracker show.

If you have any friend in India, go to their house and enjoy your Diwali their, else Amritsar.
Never knew they celebrated Diwali at the Golden Temple......must be a great sight!
...and I took the road less travelled.
#9
Aug 16th, 2005, 21:39 Maha Guru Member
Join Date:
Mar 2004
Location:
England
Posts:
1,262
  • shere is offline
#9
Some pictures of diwali at Amritsar (taken off net).
Attached Images
diwali01.jpg diwali.jpeg diwali2.jpeg 
#10
Aug 25th, 2005, 17:22 Senior Member
Join Date:
Jul 2005
Location:
Sydney, Australia
Posts:
195
  • imhere0905 is offline
#10

Diwali at the Golden Temple, Amritsar

Hi, I know that Diwali is a hindu festival but isn't the golden temple sikh, so why do they celebrate diwali?
#11
Aug 25th, 2005, 17:26 Maha Guru Member
Join Date:
Oct 2004
Location:
Delhi
Posts:
1,233
Send a message via Yahoo to phantom
  • phantom is offline
#11
Sikhism was branched out from Hinuism a long time back (dont know the dates )
Their holy book (Guru Granth Sahib) contains teachings of "Ram" a hindu god and lot other references to Vedic texts.
#12
Aug 25th, 2005, 18:47 Senior Member
Join Date:
Nov 2003
Location:
toronto
Posts:
190
  • anandi is offline
#12
Udaipur is also nice. They light up the main street and people walk, light diyas on the ghats...it is very charming. I found Varanasi too much, too loud, and even dangerous. The streets are so small and the kids found it funny to light the "bombs" just as one was turning the corner so it would explode unknowingly in your face, and even burn your clothes! No safety but the rooftops. I prefered Udaipur.
#13
Aug 25th, 2005, 21:29 Senior Member
Join Date:
Feb 2005
Location:
Mumbai
Posts:
391
  • gs_uppal is offline
#13
Quote:
Originally Posted by phantom Sikhism was branched out from Hinuism a long time back (dont know the dates )
Their holy book (Guru Granth Sahib) contains teachings of "Ram" a hindu god and lot other references to Vedic texts.
Yeah most of what u have said is true.
But the term "Ram" in most places in Guru Granth Sahib is used for "God" (and not for King Rama, it is like the Ram of Kabir, the one force behind this universe kindof thing, and not to any face or human incarnation, except for places where writings of other saints of the time have been incorporated like Sant Ravidas etc)

Golden Temple was made by the fifth Guru, ("Guru" means teacher, spiritual teacher who shows the path, and many people wrongly interprit Guru Nanak as the "God" of Sikhs, which is untrue, he was the first "Guru", and in Sikhism "God" is a force which is same for all religions - it is written in the Granth Sahib that "koi bole Ram Ram, koi Khuda, koi seve Gosain koi Allah" which means some people call "Him" Ram, some call "Him" Khuda, some Gosain and some Khuda but it is one and the same) and during that time Sikhism was not a religion but a group or sect who followed the Gurus learnings Sikhism became religion when the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh started the Khalsa Panth. And Sikhism at the time of formation of this Gurudwara was a part of Hinduism only, an aggressive sect of Hinduism to protect the Hindus from oppression of the Moghals.

The actual name of Golden Temple is "Harmandir Sahib" , where Har means "Hari" or God and Mandir is Temple, and the First Holy book compiled by the fifth Guru was kept there for all ("Adi Granth", in which additions were done by later Gurus and became the Guru Granth Sahib of today)

And that is one reason that Diwali, the biggest Hindu festival is still celebrated like that in Golden Temple.
There is one more reason- On that day Guru Gobind Singh had won a major battle (i think in Anandpur Sahib) and that adds to the celebration.
(Similarly Guru Gobind Singh had won a battle on the next day of Holi & still the next day of Holi is celebrated as Hola Mohallah in Punjab)
#14
Aug 25th, 2005, 22:15 Compulsive India traveller
Join Date:
Jul 2004
Location:
Oslo/Trondheim, Norway
Posts:
229
  • Chandra is offline
#14
Quote:
Originally Posted by SHIMLA Varanasi is a good place to witness the Hindu Festival.
You think so? I spent Diwali there last year, and that was not a very pleasant experience...

No sleep at all for a week, a respiratory system infection which the doctor said was a direct result of pollution from all the fireworks, and constant fear of all the sometimes very small children allowed to play with fire crackers...

Free sweets is a bonus, though.
#15
Join Date:
Oct 2003
Location:
Desert Southwest
Posts:
319
  • concoran is offline
#15
Quote:
Originally Posted by gs_uppal If you have any friend in India, go to their house and enjoy your Diwali
Try to find an indian friend, or make a friend once you land there. Diwali ought to be celebrated with family.

Similar Threads

Title, Username, & Date Last Post Replies Views Forum
How many hours do you spend on Indiamike? Nov 9th, 2005 07:22 30 2815 Polls
how do you spend your last week before departure? Sep 14th, 2005 04:35 8 1424 Polls
how much time to spend in Sikkim? Feb 10th, 2005 14:21 2 1173 Sikkim
How much would you spend on a six-month trip Nov 27th, 2003 07:58 3 1583 Chai and Chat
where to spend New Years in Goa? Jul 22nd, 2003 07:03 4 1224 Goa


Posting Rules

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
Forum Rules»
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.3.2
© IndiaMike.com 2013
Page Load Success
Thread Tools
Display Modes