Diwali: Festival of Lights and Prosperity by Shaily Anand

Shiela Manalo
Nov 2 · 4 min read

Festivals promote diversity, bring people together, increase creativity and zeal, offer opportunities to form friendships, and enhance our general psychological well-being. In a nutshell, festivals give us a reason to celebrate and have fun! This is exactly what we love to do at John Clements — we may spend a lot of time at work, but we also like to have fun by celebrating festivals and respecting other cultures.

Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights. It symbolizes hope because it celebrates the victory of light over darkness. Legend has it that the celebration of Diwali started when the Indian king, Lord Ram, returned from a 14-year exile. It is believed that his people lit up the whole city and made sweets and savories to welcome him, his wife, and his brother. Some also pray to Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi for good luck and fortune.

Each year, people celebrate this festival by making a pledge to eliminate evil from inside their minds and a promise to follow the path of righteousness and justice for Diwali brings in new wishes, energy, inner happiness, and prosperity. The lighting of lamps symbolizes the ray of hope for a better world and goodness for mankind.

On October 20, 2019, a week right before Diwali, John Clements hosted the annual Diwali dinner for friends, clients, and their families. And despite being held on a Sunday, we were delighted that a lot of our friends came to celebrate with us.

John Clements celebrated the festival in the same fashion — we also decorated and illuminated the whole venue. Some guests even went the extra mile and came in traditional Indian clothing. This only shows their passion and love for celebrating other people’s cultures and traditions.

Needless to say, it was a fun evening with food, drinks, music, and laughter. We happily reconnected and chatted with old friends, and made some new ones too! There was an air of pure happiness — you could feel the warmth and closeness we shared with each other. It was such a welcome break amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday living. I wish we could have more occasions like this because it’s where we build and celebrate lasting friendships.

Here are some more snaps from that evening.


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About the author:

Shaily Maheshwari Anand started her career in 2001 with Training and Organization Development, Recruitment and Performance Management with LG Electronics India Ltd. She has experience in both the corporate world and consulting.

She did her Masters in Management with a specialization in Human Resource Development in India (DAVV, Indore). She moved to the Philippines in 2006 and started working with Ateneo de Manila University in 2012 as an HR consultant.

John Clements Lookingglass

Discover Your Full Potential with Looking Glass, a Publication from John Clements

Shiela Manalo

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John Clements Lookingglass

Discover Your Full Potential with Looking Glass, a Publication from John Clements

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