FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS HINDUS CELEBRATE THEIR CULTURE.

Byline: Holly Andres Staff Writer

CHATSWORTH - Festivities for the sacred but joyous Hindu festival Diwali will kick off today at Pierce College with a parade, Indian dance, music, cultural programs and food.

Hindus prepare and get into the spirit of the holiday weeks before the actual date of Diwali. Diwali occurs on the new moon of the Hindu month Kartik. This year the Festival of Lights, as it is also called, will begin Oct. 25.

``This is the biggest festival for Hindus. This is the time for the community to experience an Indian mela, a festival,'' said Dinesh Lakhanpal, chairman of the Indian Cultural Center in Chatsworth. ``We are celebrating the time when Lord Rama, a reincarnation of God, came back to his home of Ayodhya after defeating a demon. People danced in the streets and lit candles to welcome him back home.''

Small clay pots, called diyas, filled with oil or clarified butter are lit and arranged inside and outside of homes and temples on Diwali as a joyous reminder of Lord Rama's homecoming. The lights also give the holiday its name. Diwali comes from a Sanskrit word Deepavali. Deepa means ``light'' and Avali means a ``row.''

``Diwali is celebrated pretty much all over India. But every part celebrates differently,'' said Madhu Malhotra, a math teacher at Valley School in Van Nuys. ``The traditional worship in northwest India, where my family is from, is the goddess of wealth and prosperity, Lakshmi. On the east coast of India where I grew up, the people worship the goddess Kali.''

Although there are regional differences, the lighting of diyas and exchanging of sweets and dried fruits among family and friends is common to all areas in India.

Malhotra said she lights a few diyas and other candles in her home but only a few lights outside because of the fire hazard. Fireworks, including firecrackers, are a custom in India.

``If you leave the lights on and have sweets sitting out, the goddess will bless you with the riches of life,'' Malhotra said. ``Diwali signifies happiness and joy. There is a lot of merriment.''

The festive and joyous atmosphere of Diwali, said Malhotra, can be compared to the excitement of Christmas and Hanukkah. Children receive money and new clothes.

Lakhanpal said a custom he follows is to give jewelry or new clothes as presents to his wife, Malti, and sweets to his children.

``A Hindu would definitely go to temple on Diwali. We say prayers together and we sing religious songs,'' Lakhanpal said. ``The priest will do special mantras called ``aarti,'' which means 'of the goddess.' He will give a sermon. At home a Hindu will worship in front of the goddess Lakshmi and sing one or two religious songs.''

Diwali marks a new calendar year for businesses and a change of season in India. Hindu families in the San Fernando Valley may follow the custom of Hindu Indian homeowners by painting their houses, buying new furniture or home accessories and doing a ``Diwali spring cleaning.''

``Lots of our youth(s) are born here and to have festivals at Pierce College today gives them a sense of their roots. It's a reminder of their culture,'' said Malhotra.

``We try to expose the local people of other cultures to our culture. We invite everybody to our festivals,'' she said. ``I think it promotes harmony and more tolerance in our community.''

Diwali Mela will be held from 3 p.m. to midnight today at Pierce College, 6201 Winnetka Ave., Woodland Hills. The parade, Rath Yatra or ``Journey of the Chariot,'' will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the corner of Victory Boulevard and Mason Avenue. Free parking and admission. A Diwali worship service will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. next Saturday at Valley Hindu Temple, 21213 Devonshire St., Chatsworth. For information, call [phone].

Holly Andres, [phone]

holly.andres(at)dailynews.com

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(color) From left, Vandana Kumar, Malti Lakhanpal and Nalini Natarajan hold the Deepak (lights) Friday at Valley Hindu Temple in Chatsworth. Although the Festival of Lights officially starts Oct. 25, a celebration of India's joyous change-of-season Diwali Mela will start today from 3 p.m. to midnight at Pierce College in Woodland Hills. Non-Hindus are welcome to this cultural event.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer