● wednesday,
november 2, 2011
● serving
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thebattalion
Jay Kapadia — THE BATTALION
Hindus celebrate the “Festival of Light” with a fireworks display on the evening of Oct. 26 at the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Houston.
Festival of Light Herschel Patel: Good triumphs over evil in Hindu new year
E
very year, millions of Hindus celebrate the most auspicious five days in the Hindu calendar, with the fifth and final day beginning the new year. The fourth day — known as Diwali, which was Oct. 26 this year — is marked by the lighting of candles and fireworks. In fact, on this day, people in India light fireworks first thing in the morning.
COURTESY
An annakut, which translates to “mountain of food,” is offered to the Ghanysham Maharaj idol at the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Houston.
The origin of Diwali is seen in the holy scripture of the Ramayan. It commemorates the time when the Lord Ram returned to his hometown of Ayodhya after defeating the evil demon king of Lanka, Ravan. Lord Ram was exiled for 14 years and the people of the town were jubilant upon his return, so they lit the town with candles and bursting firecrackers. In fact, the word Diwali, or “Deepawali,” literally means row of candles. However, the emphasis on light during the celebration lies within the history of several events in addition to the Lord Ram’s return, each recorded in the Hindu holy scriptures (or epics) Ramayan and Mahabharat. It was on the day of Diwali that Lord Ram returned home after 14 years of exile and war against the evil Ravan; it was on the day of
When and where The BAPS Campus Fellowship on-campus Diwali celebration is at 7 p.m. on Nov. 8 in Wehner 114 Diwali that the five Pandav brothers — the helpers of Lord Krishna during the epic Mahabharat — returned from exile in the forest; it was on the day of Diwali that Lord Krishna destroyed the demon Narkasur and alleviated misery from the hearts of others. Thus, Diwali signifies a time of moving from angst and darkness toward the joy and illumination of spirituality, sprouting the name: the Festival of Light. It is a time when those who have suffered, those who have made mistakes, those who have endured the various
voices
GUESTCOLUMN
Jess Fields:
Keep elections off the exam schedule
Local elections are right around the corner and the race for State House District 14 is up for grabs. Meet the candidates, learn about their policy stances and decide who will best represent Aggieland inside on page 3.
T
exas A&M students should take the time to vote against the College Station ballot initiative Proposition 1 on Nov. 8. Doing so presents the greatest opportunity for student involvement in local government that has ever existed.
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can be chalked up to apathy — but some of it can be attributed to the difficult election date. For years, the College Station municipal election date has been the second Saturday in May, conflicting with final exams, and making it difficult for many students to vote. As a result, few students vote, and voter turnout from identifiable student precincts is rarely more than one or two hundred voters. This is in spite of the fact that students comprise between
See Diwali on page 2
thebatt.com
3 Republicans 1 Libertarian 1 Democrat
No to Prop. 1
Few Aggies care much about what goes on locally, and perhaps fewer vote in local elections. Unfortunately, many of the policies most affecting students come from our local government. Policies such as rental registration, rental inspection and limiting the number of unrelated renters have all been considered or adopted in the past by the City of College Station. Rarely, however, do students actively get involved in local elections to attempt to affect the outcome. Some of it
miseries that come inherently as a part of life are given a fresh start — a new light to guide their path to personal happiness. The importance of Diwali is reflected in the Hindu community. Jay Kapadia, senior industrial engineering major, said he and others “count the days down ‘till Diwali,” and that he hasn’t missed the holiday at his temple in 11 years. Hindus celebrate Diwali in similar ways, mostly characterized by the lighting of candles and fireworks. Diwali is a time to be at home and at the temple enjoying the presence of family, friends and the colors that strike awe in the hearts of all who celebrate the festivities.
Sports update
Early voting Rudder Tower fifth floor Wednesday: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Thursday - Friday: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Solar, wind or ‘drill, baby, drill’ The Battalion asked Omar Urquidez (electrical engineering doctoral student, Harvard alumnus, energy industry veteran and A&M Energy Club founder) to give us a glimpse into the future of energy in the U.S. See page 2 for his predictions.
A&M soccer starts the Big 12 Conference tournament Wednesday while volleyball plays Texas Tech at Reed. Catch previews and a golf weekend recap online.
7 billion+ The Earth’s population eclipsed a monumental mark earlier this week when the 7 billionth living human was born. One sociology class held a birthday party to celebrate. Learn more about the milestone online.
Osazuwa Okundaye — THE BATTALION
See Prop. 1 on page 3
11/2/11 12:08 AM