Ramlila and Diwali: ritual, spectacle and cultural impact

A large float in a previous Diwali motorcade (Stabroek News file photo)

Two related Caribbean festivals are again topical at this time of the year. It is the season of Diwali, one of the largest traditional festivals in both Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. The annual Ramlila performances ended in Trinidad on Sunday, October 9, and Diwali will be celebrated in both countries on October 26. These are both religious festivals which are very important to sacred Hindu ritual and worship,