Diwali 2015

Ms WORTLEY (Torrens) (15:28): The lighted candle, the victory of light over darkness or good over evil, is a symbol of Diwali or Deepavali, Indian religious festivals celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs. Celebrated over a five-day period from the 13^th day of the dark half of the Hindu month, Asvina, to the second day of the light half of Karttika, the name is derived from the Sanskrit term dipavali, or row of lights. This festival is observed with particular enthusiasm by members of the merchant communities and it honours Laksmi, the goddess of wealth.

Laksmi symbolises wealth and prosperity (both material and spiritual) and her blessings are invoked for a good year ahead. Those who worship Laksmi receive the benefit of her benevolent mood and are blessed with mental, physical and material wellbeing. Laksmi is also the Hindu goddess of light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. Laksmi brings good luck to her devotees.

During the Diwali festival, small earthenware lamps filled with oil are lighted and placed in rows along the parapets of temples and houses and set adrift on rivers and streams. This is said to be in commemoration of the return of Rama to Ajodhya. Merchants perform religious ceremonies and open new accounts. It is generally a time for visiting, exchanging gifts, cleaning and decorating houses, feasting, cooking special meals and wearing new clothes. Gambling is encouraged in this season as a way of ensuring good luck for the coming year. For corporate India, Diwali is an occasion to splurge and indulge. It is a time to build relationships by pampering employees, business partners and clients.

For most Indians this is the biggest festival of the year and a day when they want to be with their families and perform prayers together in their homes. Deepavali is an official holiday in India. In South Australia, many different community groups celebrate Diwali. These celebrations have been well supported by the Multicultural South Australian Grants program with grants awarded to 13 different community groups to contribute towards the cost of these celebrations in recent years.

Tens of thousands of Indian-born people living in Australia have already begun the celebrations for this year's festival of lights which officially begins on 10 November. Both festivals have their own regional names for each day of the festival, signifying spirituality, prosperity and family bonds. Recognition of our multicultural groups, who each contribute to the tapestry of South Australia, is vitally important. The Indian community in South Australia makes a significant social, intellectual, economic, sporting and spiritual contribution to our state.

With cultural awareness a sign of an enlightened society, it is important that these cultural festivals are being held and that each year more of the South Australian public are in attendance. For the past three years I have had the pleasure of attending some very special Diwali celebrations with members of our South Australian Indian community, some as the member for Torrens and some I have been honoured to attend as the chief guest.

The South Australian Labor government is pleased with our cultural diversity and has invested an extra $8 million over the next four years to ensure that we celebrate, build and strengthen that cultural diversity. I look forward to attending many more Indian festivals and celebrations and take this opportunity to wish our South Australian Indian community a very happy Diwali 2015.