Houstonians mark Diwali, Hindu New Year

STAFFORD, TX (KTRK) -- Hundreds of Houstonians gathered at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Friday to celebrate the start of the Hindu New Year.

The Diwali celebration is a chance to reflect on the year behind them and to receive blessings for the year ahead.

Purvi Desai worships with her family. Her three-year-old daughter Sanvi twirls around, showing off her bright pink traditional Sari.

"I know in this hum-drum it seems that there's a lot of noise and chaos going on, but there's this absolute serenity when you're sitting up there in front of God's image," Desai says, "And being able to offer your devotion."

That devotion is evident all across the campus, starting with the hand-crafted place of worship, the Mandir. Purvi Desai's husband, Viral, explains.

"The exterior is Turkish limestone, the interior is Italian marble," Viral Desai says. "Each and every piece was hand-carved from India and then sent here to the states and put together like a 3-D jigsaw puzzle."

The Mandir features five towering white pinnacles, 12 domes and 136 marble pillars. Women's clothing seems just as intricate. Many wear saris embellished with lace and jewels.

"It's very important to me to be able to pass on the culture and traditions to (my children)," Purvi Desai says, "and there's really no better platform than to come to the Mandir."