600 devotees attend Deepavali prayers

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Anita helping Anish to light the oil lamp at the Hindu Altar during a special prayer for Deepavali at the Sri Pasupathinath Alayam Temple in Bukit Padang, yesterday.

KOTA KINABALU: Anita Rajaratnam makes it a point every year to celebrate Deepavali with her family here in Sabah.

A Sabahan, she now resides in Singapore with husband Van Duijnhoven, 37, and their three-year-old son Anish Xander. The family took the opportunity to attend a special prayer held at the Sri Pasupathinath Alayam Temple in Bukit Padang, near here, yesterday.

“I try to come home every year to celebrate the festival with my family here… it is a time for togetherness,” said the 31-year-old, just moments after taking Anish to light the oil lamp at the Hindu Altar.

She was among 600 Hindu devotees who started their day with prayers at the temple before adjourning for their own celebration back home.

Some prefer to have a home cooked dinner at home, while others take the family out for a sumptuous lunch or dinner. The tradition of open house is also held to celebrate the Festival of Lights with family and friends.

According to the Kota Kinabalu Hindu Temple Association president Datuk Dr K Mathavan, Deepavali is a celebration of triumph over evil.

“Devotees come as early as 5am and the special ritual and prayers end around noon … we come to celebrate the victory of good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance,” he said.

Lamps are lit on Deepavali, which literally means rows of lamps, not just to decorate homes, but also to communicate a profound truth about life – when the darkness within is dispelled through the light of wisdom, the good in one wins over evil.

The rows of lamps lit remind devotees that every aspect of life needs attention.