Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Diwali



The diyas are out again. Everywhere, on doorsteps, on terrace borders, on balcony lattices, and inside homes, warming them up to a toasty perfection. Glitzy and pretty, like small wonders they shine, as they unveil the hidden joy from bustling city lives. Gone are those days when lines of traditional earthen diyas would adorn every veranda in the town. I still have fond remembrances of  the crisp October-November evenings, when I would sit beside grandma and watch her make wicks from coarse cotton, which would be later dipped in diyas filled with castor oil on the evening of Diwali. Sadly, the lack of time and tradition in our urban lives and rampant consumerism have replaced this beautiful ritual with ready-made jazzy and colourful lamps that are mostly a cross between a diya and a candle. So this time, I got little pot-shaped lamps filled with wax with a wee bit of fancy lace tied around the neck.

We have been waiting for the last five years, and how desperately, to celebrate this much loved festival of lights in the home country. And here we are at last. What adds a big dollop of happiness to this Diwali is the joy of lighting firecrackers, a thrill we so dearly missed in the States. The husband has gone back to being a gleeful ten-year-old (himself, that is) and has come back from the market with a bursting bag of firecrackers. We can't wait for the evening twilight to fade and the night sky to turn into a twinkling canvas of light and colours. One luminous, kaleidoscopic feast it will be. If only I wasn't bitten by nasty cold bug! Nevertheless, wrapped in the warmth of festivity and well-being, I hope to make the most of it.
'Tis time then, to pop, fizz and sparkle. Wishing one and all a very happy Diwali.

PS. Here's a glimpse of our cracker craze!


14 comments:

  1. Hello Suman:
    Happy Diwali!!!

    Your pots of wax edged with lace look so very pretty. We are transported by your descriptions to the Festival of Light and can imagine the candle flames flickering in every window and on every terrace as far as the eye can see. How glorious it must all look.

    And, as if that were not enough, the night sky will be illuminated by your rainbow of fireworks.Enjoy!!!!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for the lovely wishes, dear Jane and Lance. We had a wonderful evening with family and friends, and we realised how much and what all we had been missing during our nomadic life in the States. It felt like Diwali at last.

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  2. Hello Suman

    A very Happy Diwali to you. This sounds like a beautiful festive time.
    To see the diyas glowing must be a spectacular sight.

    May the joy be up to your long awaited expectations

    Helen xx

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    Replies
    1. Dear Helen, thank you for the warm wishes. Yes, the diyas are beautiful, and I can only imagine how beautifully you'll capture their glow with your artist's eye.
      Have a lovely day.

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  3. Replies
    1. Thanks bro. Hope your Diwali was lovely too.

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  4. Dear Suman. Happy Diwali !!! It's a wonderful festival and your description of Diwali, with Diyas everywhere, makes me dream. I can't really imagine a city and a country with candles, colours and fireworks everywhere.

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    1. Thank you, dear Celine. You must, really, come here during Diwali, I say. Then you can experience the splendour for yourself. I majorly love this festival because there's a right amount of madness and thrill, unlike some of our other festivals that just go way over the top in the name of celebration.

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  5. Replies
    1. Thank you, Ooomesh! Hope your and Madam M's first Diwali was lovely, just like the two of you.

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  6. Happy Diwali, Suman.

    One just has to celebrate the old customs; it is so sad when true traditions are allowed to die out or become replaced with some nasty, commercial, mass-produced festivity.

    May the festival of light bring you happiness.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for the lovely wishes, dear Friko. Happiness did greet me on the day following Diwali, as you'll read in the next post.

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