Happy Diwali!

Happy Diwali!

Diwali - or Deepavali, meaning "row of lamps" - is best known as the Festival of Lights, a five day festival during which lots of oil filled clay lamps called Diyas are lit to celebrate the triumph of good over evil.  Diwali is observed by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists and an official holiday in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore and Fiji.  The significance of this holiday varies throughout the religions, however the overall message is a very good one, specifically:

"...the most significant spiritual meaning is "the awareness of the inner light". Central to Hindu philosophy is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman. The celebration of Diwali as the "victory of good over evil", refers to the light of higher knowledge dispelling all ignorance, the ignorance that masks one's true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality. With this awakening comes compassion and the awareness of the oneness of all things (higher knowledge). This brings anand (joy or peace). Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Diwali is the celebration of this Inner Light." ~(Wikipedia)

Wouldn't you agree? 
Read more about Diwali here or in my post from last year.

How to make your own Diya clay oil lamp for Diwali

Are any of my readers celebrating Diwali?  If so I'd love to hear about it, what are your traditions for this special holiday?  I hope to hear from you, in the meantime Happy Diwali to all of my readers around the world, have a wonderful weekend!

All of the images in this post are examples of diya lamps, aren't they beautiful?  I'm especially in love with the very first image - that tile, that peacock plume, those salmon walls...oh my!  Delicious piece of eye candy!!How to make your own Diya clay oil lamp for Diwali

(All images in this post were sourced via Google images)

Happy Diwali!

Good morning world!   

Happy Diwali!

 

Popularly known as the Festival of Lights or "the awareness of the inner light" (read more about that below), Diwali (also: Divali and Deepavali) is a very meaningful five day festival of Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism.  An official holiday in many countries, Diwali marks and celebrates the triumph of good over evil, the word Diwali derives from the word Deepavali which translates into "row of lamps," which is why Hindus, Jains and Sikhs light clay oil filled lamps throughout the five day festival to celebrate this triumph. 

I really love the significance of this holiday, in fact there was so much stuff I wanted to paraphrase from Wikipedia that I just gave up, I want to post it all, so here goes...

This explains the specific significance of the holiday in each religion that celebrates it:

"Diwali commemorates the return of Lord Rama along with Sita and Lakshman from his fourteen year long exile and vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, the Capital of Rama, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas (oil lamps) and burst crackers.^[4] In Jainism, Diwali marks the attainment of moksha or nirvana by Mahavira in 527 BC.^[5][6] In Sikhism, Deepavali commemorates the return of Guru Har Gobind Ji to Amritsar after freeing 52 Hindu kings imprisoned in Fort Gwalior by defeating Emperor Jahangir; the people lit candles and diyas to celebrate his return."  (via Wikipedia)

This explains the spiritual significance of the holiday, which I really love [read: bold text]:

"In each legend, myth and story of Deepawali lies the significance of the victory of good over evil; and it is with each Deepawali and the lights that illuminate our homes and hearts, that this simple truth finds new reason and hope. From darkness unto light — the light that empowers us to commit ourselves to good deeds, that which brings us closer to divinity. During Diwali, lights illuminate every corner of India and the scent of incense sticks hangs in the air, mingled with the sounds of fire-crackers, joy, togetherness and hope. Diwali is celebrated around the globe. Outside India, it is more than a Hindu festival, it's a celebration of South-Asian identities.^[4]

While Deepavali is popularly known as the "festival of lights", the most significant spiritual meaning is "the awareness of the inner light". Central to Hindu philosophy is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman. The celebration of Deepavali as the "victory of good over evil", refers to the light of higher knowledge dispelling all ignorance, the ignorance that masks one's true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality. With this awakening comes compassion and the awareness of the oneness of all things (higher knowledge). This brings Ananda (joy or peace). Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Deepavali is the celebration of this Inner Light.

While the story behind Deepavali and the manner of celebration varies from region to region (festive fireworks, worship, lights, sharing of sweets), the essence is the same – to rejoice in the Inner Light (Atman) or the underlying Reality of all things (Brahman)." (via Wikipedia)

 

Ommmmmm..... :)

I really think every person in the world should celebrate the message of Diwali, regardless of their religion.  Why?  Because it's a very good message and something we must always remember within ourselves.  Besides, the world could use more joy and peace. especially these days!  The world needs more people to self reflect, to overcome ignorance and issues of race and religion in order to come together and attain true love, peace and happiness.

(All information about DIwali is from Wikipedia.org and images are via a Google image search)

Bohemian Bathrooms

With a title like Bohemian Bathrooms I don't think there's much to be said in preface of this post huh?! It's straight up bliss....

Though, I just can't help a little rant... :) The bathroom in my current apartment is better than nearly all bathrooms I've ever used: marble floors and shower, jet tub, fancy Wenge (chocolate finish) stained wood vanity with porcelain Kohler freestanding tray sinks, plus it's practically the size of a small bedroom! I really have nothing to complain about, right?

Well, I've realized that' spankin' new and fancy shmancy is not the most desirable option for me anymore... The way I see it, all that can never top the beauty and unique lines of Moorish architecture: the arches, the alcoves....sigh, oh my! The rustic and organic qualities, the eclectic mix of elements, shapes and color, and the overall aesthetic presented in the following images is nothing short of breathtaking. There's something so exotic, mysterious, adventurous and romantic about the atmosphere created in each of these spaces that I just had to share them with you.

Light some candles, burn some Nag Champa incense, put on music.... VOILA! Your very own sanctuary. Transport yourself to another time and place, relax and plan your next step in life.

Hmmm... I might just be filing my jet tub tonight! ;)

*GASP* These colors are so invigorating!

Stunning details.... I'm in love!

Ooh la la... wouldn't you love to brush your teeth at these sinks every day!?

If you have the funds, head on over to Kohler and check out their Marrakesh Collection or the Take Wing sink, influenced by Batik art.


Kohler Marrakesh Collection

Or head over to Just Morocco to choose from a variety of hand-painted sinks such as this one.... *squeals with admiration*

Here are two other examples of tiled bathroom counters and sinks...

Here's a pretty tile design I forgot to include in yesterday's post Tiles, Mosaics and Patterns of the Far East....


I really like the use of fuchsia in this bathroom....

At first I almost missed the cute table in the foreground of this image... definitely has that Moroccan look to it...

Mosaic heaven....

Outdoor rock tub filled with rose petals? Yes please!

Yet another blissful shower... that cobalt blue is so crisp!

Blurry but dreamy tile....

I almost didn't use this image because I don't like the piece of plywood behind the toilet, but the shower and sink area are just so simple, so funky, so rustic...

Arch and alcove heaven....

A portal to pure bliss and relaxation....

(All images via a Google keyword image search)