Lakshmi Exhibit: A Goddess Grows in Queens

Lakshmi Makes Headlines as Diwali Wins Inclusion as a School Holiday

New York City just added Diwali to the list of public school holidays. This five-day celebration is knowns as the Festival of Lights and it is considered the Hindu New Year by many. It honors the triumph of good over evil and it is one of Lakshmi's most famous holidays. This is a huge win for the Goddess who is now taking her place of honor and for Hindus who are taking a seat at the table along with Jesus and Martin Luther King.

Queens Assemblywoman Jennifer Rajkumar of District 38 originally proposed this and joined forces with Mayor Eric Adams to form a "historic partnership" to get this beloved Hindu holiday official status, starting in New York City. She says over 200,000 people in New York celebrate Diwali and it is time to give this festival the recognition it deserves.

According to Mayor Adams, this is in recognition of the growth of the city's South Asian and Indo-Caribbean communities. The New York Post reported that city officials say more than 200,000 residents celebrate Diwali, which is observed by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and some Buddhists.

"This is a city that's continuously changing, continuously welcoming communities from all over the world," Adams said at a press conference, according to The Associated Press. Diwali will join celebrations including Rosh Hashana and Lunar New Year as a day off for students, he said. "Our school calendar must reflect the new reality on the ground."

In addition, Representative Grace Meng, a Queens Democrat, introduced legislation that would make Diwali a federal holiday.

See a fun interactive explanation of Diwali here.

Sources

Chung, Lori. "City's Diversity Reflected in Embrace of Hindu Customs." www.ny1.com. Accessed July 5, 2023. https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2023/03/29/city-s-diversity-reflected-in-embrace-of-hindu-customs.

‌

Congresswoman Grace Meng. "Meng Introduces Legislation to Make Diwali a Federal Holiday," May 26, 2023. https://meng.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/meng-introduces-legislation-make-diwali-federal-holiday.

‌

DK Find Out! "DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and More!," 2022. https://www.dkfindout.com/us/more-find-out/festivals-and-holidays/diwali-rituals/.

‌

Hogan, Bernadette, and Jesse O'Neill. "Diwali's 'Festival of Lights' Marks Latest NYC School Holiday for a Total of 33 Days," June 26, 2023. https://nypost.com/2023/06/26/diwalis-festival-of-lights-new-nyc-school-holiday-for-2023/.

Office of Jenifer Rajkumar. "Jenifer Rajkumar - Assembly District 38 |Assembly Member Directory | New York State Assembly." assembly.state.ny.us. Accessed July 3, 2023. https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Jenifer-Rajkumar/story/104316.

‌

The Associated Press. "NYC Makes Diwali an Official School Holiday, but There's a Catch This Year." NBC News, June 27, 2023. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/nyc-makes-diwali-official-school-holiday-s-catch-year-rcna91383.

‌

Hinduism's Goddess of Good Fortune is a Universal Divine Mother with Local Roots.

Diwali is Now a Formal School Holiday

Meet Goddess Lakshmi

Welcome

Meet Goddess Lakshmi

Lakshmi Worship

A Universal Goddess in Queens

Sacred Sightings & Shopping in Queens

Lakshmi In & Outside of Mandirs

Flushing, Queens - Bowne Street

Jackson Heights

Jamaica, Queens

Glen Oaks, Queens - Hillside Avenue

Richmond Hill, Queens

Eco-Friendly Water Worship in Queens

How to Invite Lakshmi to Your Home

Ideas: Future Digital Humanities Projects

Worth a Trip Across the Bridge

Thank You

More from Laurie Sue