2023-11-05 19:05:11
WIEN. Over 1,000 Viennese celebrated the Diwali festival of lights on Sunday in a Viennese shopping center in the 15th district. With the Festival of Lights they celebrated the victory of good over evil and light over shadow. The festival of lights is often referred to as the “Hindu Christmas”. It is considered the most popular celebration in much of India and can last up to several days.
Diwali-Fest at Lugner City, Vienna, Austria, on Sunday, November 5, 2023 – © MARKO’s PHOTOGRAPHY
The program of the event, organized by the Viennese association “Hindu Mandir Society”, ranged from traditional Indian dances and Bollywood dance to prayers and Indian musical performances. Vice mayor and integration councilor Christoph Wiederkehr and deputy district manager of Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus Merja Biedermann spoke opening words.
“The Festival of Lights is a time of joy and coming together. It symbolizes the victory of good and the victory of light. I am happy that Diwali is also celebrated in Vienna. It is a celebration that serves as a reminder that the light of unity is stronger than the darkness of differences. The lights that shine in India at this time are a symbol of hope and togetherness. These are signs that we also welcome in Vienna. I wish all believers a happy Diwali,” said Vice Mayor and Councilor for Integration Christoph Wiederkehr to the celebrants.
Candles, oil lamps and fairy lights as symbols of hope
Diwali means translated: “the rows of lit lamps”. During Diwali, candles and small oil lamps are lit in houses and apartments or strings of lights are attached that burn all night long. In 2022, the world record was even broken when almost 1.6 million oil lamps were lit in the Indian city of Ayodhya on the eve of the Hindu Festival of Lights. For safety reasons, only LED fairy lights were used in the Vienna shopping center. “Since the Festival of Lights falls on November 12th this year and believers go to the temple on that day, we have brought the celebration forward to Sunday, November 5th,” explains Amita Lugger, the vice-chairwoman of the association mentioned.
Diwali-Fest at Lugner City, Vienna, Austria, on Sunday, November 5, 2023 – © MARKO’s PHOTOGRAPHY
Deputy district head Merja Biedermann also emphasized the diversity of the young district:“Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus is a colorful district where people from different cultures can celebrate celebrations with enthusiasm and harmony. So does Diwali, which represents the triumph of light over darkness. This positive core statement applies to the 15th district, which is characterized by mutual respect and social peace. Especially in times of conflict that we are experiencing around us, it is of great importance to focus on togetherness and solidarity. This is our political approach and it is very much appreciated by the population in Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus.”
Over 10,000 people of Indian origin live in Vienna (as of 2023). According to Statistics Austria, when the religious community was last counted in 2021, there were a total of 10,000 Hindus throughout Austria. It is estimated that 4,000 of them are in Vienna.
Diwali-Fest at Lugner City, Vienna, Austria, on Sunday, November 5, 2023 – © MARKO’s PHOTOGRAPHY
The Hindu Mandir association based in the 8th district has been organizing the festival of lights for believers since 1998 (with the exception of the Corona years 2020, 2021 and 2022). “The Festival of Lights has a special meaning for us. It’s important because we can worship our goddess Lakshmi, who represents happiness, love, strength, prosperity, health and beauty, in the community and pass on our culture and beliefs to the next generations. We are happy that we have been able to do this in Vienna for a long time“, says the club chairman, Sanjay Sehgal. The Hindu Mandir Society is currently building a new, donation-financed Hindu temple in the 21st district. Completion is scheduled for 2024. The temple is intended to be an important place for the community and to make the city more diverse and lively (press releases)
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