Today we joined Whale Class for a cross curricular activity making Diva Lamps out of clay balls. This activity combines Religious Education with Design & Technology.
A diva lamp is an oil lamp that is typically associated with Divali, the Hindu Festival of Lights. The word Divali means “row of lamps.” Divali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, is celebrated in the months of October and November. It is described as being one of the most important Hindu festivals, as well as the most popular. During the festival, public buildings are decorated with diva lamps or brightly colored lights, as are private homes.
The celebration is a joyful one where there should be lights in everyone’s hearts just as there are lights everywhere else. The lights have two significant purposes: to invite the Goddess of Wealth, Lakshmi, into homes, as well as to welcome the exiles Rama and Sita back home, as according to legend.
We took some pictures of this activity, which can be seen in the gallery here.