Hindus celebrate New Year with light, bright colors at Bartlett mandir

Small candles, mountains of vegetarian delicacies and bright colors decorated the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Bartlett this week for the Hindu festival of Diwali.

Despite the hundreds of people flowing in and out to worship and be with family and friends, the mandir, or place of peace and stillness, offered a serene and awe-inspiring atmosphere. The mandir is constructed from more than 7,000 tons of hand-carved Italian marble and Turkish limestone and is decorated with statues of sacred deities inside ornate shrines.

Thursday was the fourth day of the five-day celebration and marked the first day of the Hindu new year.

"During Diwali, it's not only a festival of colors and light, but it really signifies a defeat of goodness over evil," said Payal Shah.

She explains that it is also a time for introspection, service and the examination of one's moral and spiritual growth. And Hindus come to the mandir throughout the festival to worship and celebrate the end of a year and beginning of another.

"At this time of the year, we all look forward to the festival and spending time with family and friends." said Puja Shah of Hoffman Estates. "Today is the biggest celebration of the year."

The third day of the festival is often referred to as the Festival of Light and is traditionally celebrated by placing decorated oil lamps in rows, and takes its origin from a Hindu story of King Rama's defeat over King Ravana. When King Rama returned to Ayodhya, the residents celebrated by lining streets with oil lamps.

Volunteers also worked for several days before the festival to make the rangoli, or hand-dyed sand laid on the ground to form patterns and symbolic designs. The rangoli also takes root in the original celebration of King Rama's triumph over King Ravana.

The mountain of food, or Annakut, is laid out as an offering of more than 2,000 different homemade delicacies to thank the gods for the past year and receive blessings for the next year.

"Everyone gets the opportunity to showcase what their talents are," Puja Shah said. "The delicacies range from dry and salty to very sweet items."

When the festival is over, the food is all donated and given to people throughout the area.

"That just gives us the chance to give back and demonstrate our service to the community," Puja Shah said.