Communal Spice To Diwali

VASAI, Maharashtra :- The 'swadyayis' and the parishioners of St. Thomas Church Sandor, Vasai, jointly celebrated the Diwali festival, October 17.

The guests were welcomed with 'aarti' by Hindu women. Leader of the local Swadyaya prayer group, Kamalkar Chaudhari, led the

prayers from the Vedas. He explained the deep significance of the various aspects of Diwali.

Speaking on the occasion, parish priest of St. Thomas Church, Father Francis D'Britto, said, "Today it is not enough to be religious; one has to be inter-religious. It is a welcome sign that feasts and festivals are not confined to particular religious groups. They have become an occasion for expressing fellowship and thereby becoming instruments of creating communal harmony. For centuries, the people of Vasai are practising the dialogue of life," he said.

"It is the responsibility of all of us to preserve the spirit of unity."

The guests were served with Diwali sweets. The meeting concluded with the recitation of Our Father and Hail Mary by the Catholic participants.

-(SAR NEWS)