For this project, I decided to attend the overnight Diwali festival celebration at the Virginia Hindu Temple in Sterling on November 11, 2015. I just 'an extremely pious family. . Both my parents were born in Pakistan and grew up in a strict Islamic environment. They were taught to pray daily five times a day and to respect all Islamic principles. As a result, I was raised the same way. After learning about the Hindu faith in class and as Diwali approached, I thought it would be a good idea to join the celebration to observe the festivities and compare them to Islamic rituals. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay My neighbor and I arrived at the temple about 10 minutes before the first event started. The temple itself was simply inside a small warehouse. The event began when a priest slowly entered the room while holding the idol. Another priest fanned the idol and chanted loudly, presumably praising the deity. A man rang a bell while the priests seated the idol. At the exact same time, the participants walked slowly behind the priests and sat in two scattered rows with space in between. Most of the participants wore traditional clothing while others were casual. The two priests leading the event continued to sing and applaud, while the participants did the same. After several minutes of chanting, the priests gave a lecture on the importance of Diwali. They spoke about the importance of worshiping Lakshmi as the goddess of wealth and prosperity, as well as the history of Diwali, which is celebrated in honor of Rama's victory in the war of good against evil. Soon after the lectures, the priests started chanting again while placing several garlands around the idol. They lit more candles and incense as the tone of their chants became meditative. The priests waved food in front of the idol and turned off the lights while continuing to chant for a few more minutes. They stopped abruptly and turned on the lights, signaling the end of the puja. Afterwards, the priests offered treats and snacks to the participants and led them outside while they lit fireworks. Additionally, they provided toys for the children to play with at the end of the event. Overall, the atmosphere of the service was very joyful. There were about 50 people attending the service and a large majority of them were Indian, although I also noticed a few people of different ethnic backgrounds. I realized that there was no discrimination of any kind as men and women freely sat together. Based on their clothing, the participants appeared to be middle class. Personally, I decided not to participate in the service and felt more comfortable observing from a distance. In terms of emotion, I felt a little anxious with all the noise, but essentially, by the end of the puja, I felt relieved and content. I was very surprised by the courtesy of all the participants despite all the hustle and bustle. Even the children weren't badly behaved at all. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized paper now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay During my visit to this temple, I was able to develop a better understanding of the group's unique values ​​through my observations. By attending this service, I learned that equality between..