Doors to Diplomacy Participants

SJKT BANDAR SEGAMAT (2017 CyberFair Project ID 8296)
Malaysia, SEGAMAT
Official Status: Final Project: Ready for Judging
Teacher:
Category: 8. Local Music and Art Forms

We estimate 5 student(s) from 10 to 10 will work on this entry.

Description of Our Community: Tenang is a small town in Segamat District, Johor, Malaysia. The town is located between Genuang near Segamat and Labis. Labis is a mukim in Segamat District, Johor, Malaysia. It is the second largest town in the district with a population of about 20,000 people. It has a large Chinese community. Labis is an agricultural town whose main export is rubber. A main trunk road that runs north-south Peninsular Malaysia passes through it, as well as the Keretapi Tanah Melayu railway line that connects it with the state's capital in the south, Johor Bahru.

Project Description: Deepavali or Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights celebrated every year in autumn in the northern hemisphere (spring in southern hemisphere). It is an official holiday in Fiji, Guyana, India,Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and recently Sindh Province in Pakistan. One of the major festivals of Hinduism, it spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair. Its celebration includes millions of lights shining on housetops, outside doors and windows, around temples and other buildings in the communities and countries where it is observed. The festival preparations and rituals typically extend over a five-day period, but the main festival night of Diwali coincides with the darkest, new moon night of the Hindu Lunisolar month Kartika in Bikram Sambat calendar. In the Gregorian calendar, Diwali night falls between mid-October and mid-November. Before Diwali night, people clean, renovate, and decorate their homes and offices.On Diwali night, people dress up in new clothes or their best outfit, light up diyas (lamps and candles) inside and outside their home, participate in family puja (prayers) typically to Lakshmi – the goddess of fertility and prosperity. After puja, fireworks follow, then a family feast including mithai (sweets), and an exchange of gifts between family members and close friends. Deepavali also marks a major shopping period in nations where it is celebrated.

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