Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights is celebrated on the Perth Mints latest silver coin

The Hindu Festival of Lights, Diwali (or Deepavali), is celebrated every year in dozens of countries around the world from India, Malayasia and Singapore, to Suriname, Sri Lanka and Mauritius. Spiritually signifying the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair, the festivities extend over five days. The primary festival night coincides with the darkest, new moon night of the Hindu Lunisolar month Kartika in Bikram Sambat calendar. That generally falls between mid-October and mid-November and for 2017 it will be Thursday 19 October.

Before Diwali night, people clean and decorate their home or office, dress up in their finest clothes, light up lamps and candles (called diyas) and then pray with the family, typically to the goddess Lakshmi, the embodiment of fertility and prosperity. After this there will be a family feast and an exchange of gifts. A striking sight, there are literally millions of lights shining across the communities marking the festival. Diwali can trace its origins back at least a millenium, with earlier roots going back to the first millenium BC.

The Perth Mints new coin is a one-ounce coloured silver piece issued for Tuvalu that depicts Lakshmi seated, with her traditional four arms in a classic pose. The phrase ‘Happy Diwali’ is inscribed here in an appropriate font. Being issued for Tuvalu, the obverse simply carries the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II surrounded by the usual inscriptions (denomination, date, issuer etc.).

Packaged in one of those excellent floating latex frames, this will make displaying the coin a breeze for the festival and will no doubt add to the popularity of this release. Provided with a serialised certificate of authenticity, it’s all packaged in a themed and understated shipper box. Available to order now, it has a recommended price of $79.00 AUD.