Thai devotees celebrate Diwali at the Royal Thai monastery in Bodhgaya on Wednesday. Picture by Suman

Diwali knows no boundary. The pan-India festival goes beyond caste, creed and religion.

Tamils in the city celebrated Diwali on Thursday early morning. The Sikhs from Punjab and Marwaris joined the celebrations in their style.

Like Hindu kids, their Muslim and Christian friends will burn crackers on Thursday. The spirit of unity would be reflected in the skies filled with myriad of colours of fireworks.

Southern style

Patna zoo director S. Chandrashekhar, hailing from Erode district in northwest Tamil Nadu, around 100km from Coimbatore, observed the rituals at his official residence inside the zoo.

“The Diwali day begins with everyone in the family taking an oil bath before sunrise. Then everyone wears new clothes and prayers are held either at a temple or at the prayer room inside the house,” said Chandrashekhar. The Tamil people usually burn crackers after the Diwali prayer. “But my children did not as crackers are prohibited on the zoo premises,” he said.

From west

Shivdeep Lande, aide-de-camp to the governor of Bihar and a native of Akola district in Maharashtra, said Diwali is a five-day ritual in Maharashtra. Lande, who was at Leelavati Hospital in Mumbai on Wednesday for the ongoing treatment of Governor D.Y. Patil, said he would go to his paternal home at Akola with his newly-wed wife Mamta aka Gauri for Diwali. He would also go to his in-laws’ place. Lande got married on February 1 this year.

Ode to light

The unique features of Diwali celebrations of Marwaris include worship of diya (earthern lamp) and daylong fasting by women.

“Diwali is considered to mark the arrival of New Year. Marwaris start the Diwali rituals with cleaning of Lakshmi-Ganesha idols with lemon and milk. Thereafter, Diwali prayers are held. Only after offering chadhawa to the gods, the ladies end their fast. Similar rituals are performed at our shops and other business establishments,” said Nihar Hisariya, the owner of readymade garments store Paridhaan at Harihar Chambers on Boring Road.

Day to greet

For Sikhs, Diwali broadly marks the anniversary of Guru Hargobindji’s return from the prison at Gwalior Fort.

“Going to the gurdwara on the day of Diwali is a must for Sikhs. Everyone wear new clothes and friends and relatives are greeted this day,” said Kulbir Singh Sohil, a resident of SK Puri.