British Hindus are celebrating a bittersweet Diwali in hopes for a brighter future

The lighting of the lamps symbolises the victory of good over evil, writes Jitesh Gadhia, and, this year, our collective wish to vanquish the virus

Diwali offerings in north London (Getty Images)

This weekend, Britain’s 1 million Hindus celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights, in the midst of a national lockdown. 

It is an experience which none of us will forget. More so, as the social separation from family and friends, and our collective mission to defeat a deadly virus, resonates strongly with the underlying story of Diwali narrated in the Ramayana. This epic describes Lord Rama’s 14-year exile from his kingdom of Ayodhya and his defeat of the demon king Ravana. After rescuing his kidnapped wife Sita, the family returns triumphant, their path home illuminated by rows of lamps.

Even the prime minister jumped on this analogy for his own Diwali message, anticipating that we would soon vanquish the evils of the coronavirus. And those hopes started to materialise this week with positive results from vaccine trials – and thankfully much sooner than 14 years.