Igniting the Lights: Meditation Center celebrates Diwali

On a cold, dark night, rows of flickering candles and hanging lights create a path to the Meditation Center on Central Avenue. Inside, men, women and children are joined together in joyful revelry to celebrate Diwali, a major holiday in much of the Indian world. The Thursday night event was marked with dancing, singing, prayers, and meditation. The celebration will extend through the weekend.

Diwali or "The Festival of Lights" is a major Hindu holiday that marks the start of the New Year. The holiday commemorates a number of significant figures and events including Lord Ram's return and coronation, Lakshmi the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity, and Lord Mahavira's attainment of Nirvana, making Diwali an important holiday for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jainists alike.

Spiritually, Diwali is the celebration of the "inner light" in all people, said Sister Ann Singh, Coordinator for the Center. This year marks the second celebration at the center, and this year's theme is "Igniting the Light of Spirituality."

"We hope people will leave from here with their own lights, and they will ignite others so that light spreads across the world," Singh said.

The evening began with a spirited talk by Pandit Jai Misir, a priest at a Schenectady temple, and professor at Hudson Valley Community College, who explained the importance of uncovering the light within. He talked of "clearing the fog" and pushing away the distractions that can block us from realizing our true nature. Next, there were Diwali songs sung by Mukesh Bhai, a large family band, and a traditional dance. The night culminated with a candle-lighting ceremony and refreshments.

The Meditation Center is part of the Brahma Kumaris Organization, which seeks to foster peace and non-violence through education and meditation, Singh said. The center offers a number of free programs that focus on discovering the peace that it believes resides within us, in an effort to build a community based on compassion and respect, she said.

Mala Khan, who owns the building where the center is housed, and runs MSK Tax and Accounting Service next door, said she hopes that the celebration, which is open to everyone, will help the larger Albany community become acquainted with this important Indian holiday. Khan, who has been a resident of the Capital Region for the last 20 years said the center is serving an important mission. Khan comes to the center every Thursday to meditate, and it has become her "home away from home," she said.

Sister Colleen, another member of the Brahma Kumaris, said the center has a sense of peace, that you feel as soon as you walk in the door. "It hits you right away," Colleen said. She said that it is her hope that that same sense of peace that pervades the center, will one day fill the world.

The Meditation Center is located at 184 Central Avenue. For more information about their open meditation or programs, please call 438-4180 or visit their website at www.bkswu.org