PESHAWAR: The government on Saturday organised a ceremony here to celebrate three Hindu festivals, including Diwali, Lohri and Shivratri, together.

Around 600 members of Hindu community attended the event in the Nishtar Hall decorated with oil lamps, lights, flowers and rangolis, a statement issued here said.

The participants performed puja (chanted prayers) with devotion, while youths clad in Punjabi attire performed bhangra and Punjabi folk dances.

Outside the hall were vivid rangolis drawn with fingers and extensive decoration.

The elders prayed for the prosperity, success and wellbeing of their loved ones and the country, while young revelers used sparklers.

PA deputy speaker says minorities free to perform rituals in country

The chief guest on the occasion was Deputy Speaker of the Provincial Assembly Mehmood Jan Khan, who said the event showed that religious minorities were free to perform rituals in the country.

“We worked for the rights of them in the past and will continue doing so,” he said.

MPA Ravi Kumar, who belongs to Hindu community, said India need to learn from Pakistan about how to protect religious minorities.

He said such celebrations were organised to bring communities closer as they held great significance in the local culture.

Chitral MPA Wazirzada said the celebration of minorities’ events by the government would promote love, peace, tolerance and brotherhood.

Secretary for religious and minority affairs department Hidayat Jan said the festivals of religious minorities symbolised peace, love and harmony.

He said the department would arrange events to promote interfaith harmony. The police personnel were deployed around the place in large numbers.

The Diwali celebration commemorates the driving out of the evil by light by the Hindu god, Lord Rama, over the demon, Ravana.

Every year, around October and November, Hindus celebrate Diwali also known as Deepavali or the festival of lights.

Lohri is marked as a harvest festival of Punjab, celebration of the winter crop season. The Hindus celebrate it with a zest as it is a festival of foods and feasts.

Maha Shivratri is celebrated in the first week of March, which is largely celebrated before the arrival of the spring season. The day is also known as the Great Night of Shiva.

According to the belief of Hindus, Shiva saved the world from destruction on the condition that the people worshipped him with great pride and enthusiasm.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2019