MANILA, Philippines - All over India, Deepavali, or the “Festival of Lights,” is celebrated by families lighting diyas — cotton string wicks inserted in small clay pots filled with oil — and adorning their homes, courtyards, verandahs, and gardens with them to signify the victory of good over evil.
For those who can’t take time off to fly to India for a firsthand experience of one of the subcontinent’s most picturesque festivals, Spices Restaurant at The Peninsula Manila offers the perfect solution: “Deepavali: Festival of Lights” running from Oct. 17 to 24.
In Hinduism, Deepavali celebrates the homecoming of Rama after a 14-year exile in the forest and his victory over Ravana. In the legend, the people of Ayodhya (the capital of his kingdom) welcomed Rama by lighting rows (avali) of lamps (depa), thus its name: depawali.
Throughout the one-week festival starting Oct. 17, Spices Indian chef de cuisine Avanish Kumar Jain will prepare a special Deepavali menu of delicacies normally associated with the festival.
Come to at Spices of The Peninsula Manila from Oct. 17 to 24 and get a firsthand experience of one of India’s most beloved festivals with “Deepavali: Festival of Lights.”
For inquiries or reservations, call The Peninsula Manila at (632) 887-2888, extension 6754 and 6755 (Spices) or 6694 (Restaurant Reservations).