The biggest Hindu Organisation in the Western Cape province in South Africa, Cape Hindu Cultural Society, celebrated the religious holiday, Diwali, at the Radha Krishna Temple in Cape Town

The Cape Hindu Cultural Society’s (CHCS) Chairperson offered a look into how Diwali is a significant festival centred around highlighting the community’s cultural and spiritual values.

With roots in the first Hindu organisation in Cape Town 120 years ago, the CHCS made the most out of Diwali 2023

What does Diwali mean?

Diwali is a five-day festival, with each day dedicated to a specific purpose to celebrate light’s victory over darkness, hence the name festival of lights. Cape Hindu Cultural Society CHCS’s chairperson Sangeeta Valodia explained that the last day of Diwali is a full-day occasion including prayers and rituals (pooja and havan). She explained:

The Diwali Celebration starts at 05h45–08h30 with rituals performed by our resident priest who hails all the way from India and has been employed with the Organisation for 14 years.

CHCS shows Diwali as a time of giving

Diwali is also highlighted as a time of giving to the less fortunate, a practice the Cape Town Hindu Society maintain throughout the year. CHCS has had a two-year-old Diwali Premature Baby Drive, and they got baby clothing, toiletries and knitted items for Groote Schuur Hospital’s neonatal unit. For the final Diwali festival, CHCS’s chair said it was only appropriate to have the Neonatal Unit of Groote Schuur Hospital’s CEO DR Bhavna Patel Chavda as a guest speaker for the Diwali celebration.

Sangeeta said:

Bhavna has deep-rooted connection to our organisation and was befitting to have her present as the Neonatal Unit of Groote Schuur Hospital, was the recipient of our Diwali Prem Baby Drive for the past two years.

CHCS’s chairperson highlighted the work they do with benefactors of their charity programmes throughout the year. The Gift of the Givers, The Haven Shelter, The Callas Foundation. Food for Life. For Diwali, the organisation goes out of its way to deliver goods to the needy with volunteers.

Sanngeeta Valodia summarised how the Hindu organisation have woven Diwali’s spirit of giving throughout the year:

We specifically dedicate an initiative for Diwali on a yearly basis. This year’s Diwali initiative was ‘Diwali Feeding and Prem Baby Drive’. We prepared 1000 meals, which were distributed to the 9 Haven Shelters, Homes & Orphanages, 50 Food Hampers to families identified by The Callas Foundation, bulk dry ingredients, from a wish list of the Saartjie Baartman Centre and Turfhall Cheshire Home.”

In essence, our Organisation has fostered a principle of giving throughout the year.

Diwali in South Africa

CHCS’s Sangeeta highlighted the South African Indian community’s pride in “maintaining their deep roots, culture, and traditions for generations.”. The Chairperson pointed out how other Hindu communities in Gauteng and KZN provinces country engaged with each other as they did in the Western Cape.

“In Durban and Johannesburg (which houses the largest South African Indian Community ) annually organises a Diwali Festival . In Durban this year, The Durban Diwali Festival held over three days, attracted thousands of South Africans from all communities. The festival had a wide range of cultural activities, food stalls, Indian movies and yoga sessions catering for all age groups.”

To tie up Diwali celebrations in 2023 in the Western Cape, Sangeeta described CHCS’s final ritual for the “Festival of Lights”. It was gorgeous, featuring hundreds of hundreds of lamps in a ceremony called Deep Yagma, which ties in with the theme of Diwali.

Sangeeta said:

200 lamps were lit, and a fire ceremony is performed. The event is spiritually charged with devotional singing.

CHCS will celebrate the 50th Jubilee on 26 November 2023. The occasion will have appreciation awards for members of the community.