TO LIGHT UP OUR HOMES AND OUR LIVES

Diwali, a festival that lights up our homes with the numerous diyas and lights up our lives with happiness, togetherness, and abundance.

By: Poornima Menon TO LIGHT UP OUR HOMES AND OUR LIVES

While Diwali has many religious connotations and many rituals, what everyone remembers this festival for is the light, the sound, and the chatter of our near and dear ones, visiting our homes and partaking the festivities with us. Trips home and holidays to visit relatives are planned around this time. When living away from home, your close friends become members of your extended family and your neighbours become your friends. The preparations begin well in advance with the shopping, the planning of the sweets and the savoury items, the purchase of gifts, etc. The air fills up with a feeling abundance and expectancy and there is a spring in every step.

Covid has changed the way we look at life and everything that comes with it. We have re-configured our thoughts and our expectations; our relationships be it with our close family members, our extended family, or our friends, they have found new definitions and dimensions. The lifting of the restrictions just before the festive season has come as a great relief to all of us. The extended lock down, like everything else has had its pros and cons and scale has tipped to different sides for different families. But whatever be the scenario, it would be safe to say that we all are happy to get that extra breath of fresh air (sans the masks) and the opportunity to catch up with friends in ‘real’ space.

Parul

I spoke to a few of my friends and acquaintances about their thoughts about Diwali and everything it brings with it in 2021. Parulben Mehta has five simple, yet life illuminating messages as we begin this season of Diwali. The first one is about a Brand-New Beginning. Diwali marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year. It rejuvenates us with a sense of freshness and renewed enthusiasm. The second is about Light over Darkness. We need to continuously remind ourselves that no matter how difficult things might seem, the forces of good will always be triumphant in the end. The third is about Spiritual Wealth. Diwali is also the day when people believe in the ability of God to bless them with wealth. She believes the greatest wealth one can possess is spiritual wealth, sincerity, and faith. Fourth on the list is Dispelling Darkness and Ignorance. Parul says that this is also a time for us to clean our minds by dropping all negative baggage from the past. We can choose to cleanse our hearts and fill them with love and compassion that will drive away the darkness of hatred and ignorance. And last but not the least, Appreciating Family. This is the time when the whole family gets together for the festival, when we work together, pray together, and appreciate each other.

Yamini & Aisha

For Yamini, this year with her family being at home for an extended period, all festivals are being celebrated with details of their relevance. She says, “I wanted to have some memories for my kids and so restarted the childhood tradition of gifting Faral (snacks) to all my neighbours. My daughter, Aisha makes the Diwali cards to give with the snacks”. Aisha loves Diwali because, “it is lot of fun and I love to do rangoli and love to make and have ladoos. I also really enjoy the sparklers because it can make shiny designs and is like a torch.” And furthermore, she loves having her friends over.

Surekha Kothawade explains that for her family Diwali is the apex of all festivals, which is celebrated for five days. During these five days they celebrate Vasubaras, Dhanteras, Narak-Chaturdashi, Lakshami Poojan, Balipratipada and last day is Bhau Beej. Elaborating on the festivities and customs she says, “On Vasubaras we pay our respects to ‘gaumata’. On Dhanteras we offer gratitude and respects to the wealth we are blessed with by arranging food grains, gold and jewellery and decorating it with more lights. On Narak Chaturdashi we put lights up around the whole house. We start the day with ‘abhyang snan’ early in morning. During Lakshmi Poojan, we worship Goddess Lakshmi, and thank her for the wealth and prosperity and on Bhau Been we come together as a family to celebrate the special bond between brother and sister.” In Surekha’s household the main highlights are, cooking a variety of delicacies and sharing it with family and friends, decorating the house and surroundings with light to spread message of victory of light over darkness and spreading the message of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’.

Surekha Amruta Thite

Diwali brings happy memories to Amruta Thite. “Our kitchen would be busy with Aaji (grandmother) and Aai (mother) making all the traditional Faral. I used to help in cutting shankarpali and stuffing the karanji. My baba (father) looked after the firecrackers. I loved the sparkles but was very scared of the loud noisy ones. I would watch them from a distance. I would help Aai with the Rangoli and making lanterns that would be hung in our balcony. She had a lot of patience with my poor craft skills. Diwali gifts were always two new dresses, one from my Aaji and one for bhaubeej. It made me feel like a queen. Diwali always reminds me of my Aaji’s cooking, my Aai’s humility and my Babas efforts in providing the best”.

“Diwali for me is an indescribable feeling”, says Sonali Saxena, “a feeling of celebration, joy, elation. As a young girl, I used to wait for the Navratri and knew that the celebration months had started. It was food, festival, and fun from there on. As I grew up and moved to another land, I maintained my excitement and still celebrate it with the same gusto. Diwali for me is a culmination of a year on a high and banishment of any darkness that may have lingered on. I am glad that I have passed on the excitement to my son. As an Aussie child, it is heartening to see that he is excited as me about the festival. For him Diwali is about understanding about his roots and doing the special rituals that makes him more connected with his parents’ origin. Of course, the food and celebration further light him up. He is looking forward to lighting the house up and visit friends after a hard year this year”.

Sonali Saxena

Pooja Bharat

In Pooja Bharat’s family Diwali is one of the favourite times of the year. The mindset of Diwali starts with being spiritual in our lives and worshipping Goddess Lakshmi (symbolism of wealth) and Lord Ganesha (symbolism of auspiciousness).

“When we left India, Bharat and I were determined to keep our festivals, rituals and traditions running and active in our boys. My sons are crazy about Diwali, fireworks, new clothes, rangoli, decorations and sweets,” she remarks. Pooja’s 11-year-old says, “Every year I learn a new thing about Diwali, plus I want to keep celebrating Diwali even when I grow old. Also, I always see my mum very, very happy on Diwali.” Pooja reiterates that they “Open the doors for Goddess Lakshmi; Pray to Ganesha for wisdom and prosperity; open our minds to good thoughts; so, this festival of light brightens our home and bears us all joy and contentment”.

Diwali had different significance at different stages of Anjalee Zaveri’s life. As a kid it was about helping mom and grandma with snacks, lots of sweets, crackers, and new clothes. But then came that stage in her life when she began dreading the festival because of the enormous hardship she was put through a month before the festival and after all the hard work there were no new cloths or celebrations. “But every tunnel has an end and here came the time when I started celebrating my favourite festival with my kids,” she smiles. Anjalee arrived in Sydney just before Diwali. The initial two years were engulfed with homesickness as she had no family or friends to celebrate with. Things changed in 2019 when the staunch Christian organisation she worked for celebrated Diwali with her in the office for the first time. “It changed my perception about everything. Since then, I started celebrating Diwali with friends who do not have their families with them in Australia and now, they all look forward to my invitation every year. So, for me Diwali is about a sense of belonging, a sense of connect”, Anjalee said.

In Arti Aggarwal’s family, for Diwali the finest clothes are worn, and the interior and exterior of the home are illuminated with diyas and rangoli, religious ceremonies are performed invoking Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and wealth. “Traditionally, Rangoli is an art of decoration drawn on the floor or the entrances of homes. It is thought to bring good luck, prosperity in the house and in the family, and to welcome guests”, Arti explained. “Diwali is special for us as we decorate our home with diyas, home decorations, and families get together. My daughters want people not to use fireworks as much because of pollution and want Diwali to be eco-friendly”, she elaborated.

To Sneha Rao, Diwali was a time to be with family, be present. “Coming from a middle-class family, with both parents working, mum in a bank, we rarely had a day where all four of us were together, but Diwali was different”, she says. “Dad

Anjalee Arti Agarwal

Sneha with Sahana & Samhita

would ahead of time, visit Old Delhi and buy crackers and we would with all gusto come together in the neighbourhood playing with firecrackers and lighting clay oil lamps,” she continues. Her most wonderful memory however was, “mum and dad celebrating me. I was born on Lakshmi Puja Day and every year on Diwali mum and dad would celebrate their Lakshmi coming into their life. Getting up at the crack of dawn for an oil bath, was totally worth it for this Lakshmi!” says Sneha proudly.

Bhumi Bhatia’s family begins the Diwali season with decorating the home after a thorough clean-up. “My daughters love to do different styles of colourful rangoli designs. We offer prayers, light diyas and enjoy some fireworks. We make sweets at home and visit family and friends”, smiles Bhumi. She says they look forward to Diwali as it fills their life with good hope, love, peace, rejuvenated mind, and lots of happiness. Bhumi’s message to all is, “The threat of Corona Virus still exists. May the good vibes of Diwali put an end to the bad vibes of corona and leave us with happiness and smiles. A very Happy Diwali to all of you”.

Padmaja Sahani Sarkar has this to say about Diwali this year, “The key word ‘celebration’ it was and will always remain forever. However, in the last two years, it feels like the spiritual aspect of this festival is getting more significant to me. The burning of the lamps is more significant than ever as the focus is on the light of the lamps which symbolizes courage and faith amid the darkness of the Pandemic. This flame, a powerful light that will burn away the evil and dark failings of the Pandemic. This Diwali for me is to forget, forgive, love, indulge and bless. May the diyas illuminate your world, the rangoli colours fill all the greys and may Goddess Lakshmi shower blessings universally this year. Happy Diwali!”

For me personally, Diwali is all about togetherness. I enjoy decorating my home with diyas and crackers were a part of the celebrations when my boys were younger. It is not an official festival of the state I come from, and I have no idea of the different religious ceremonies or traditions that go with the festival. But I have absolutely loved the idea of visiting friends who celebrate Diwali, taking sweets over and enjoying a meal together. My fondest memories are those with my ‘fauji’ family. It was the snowball, we would start by visiting one family, collect them, move to the second and then finally all would end up in the Officer’s Mess to dance the night away. Diwali always brings that warm fuzzy feeling and wherever you are celebrating Diwali, it reminds you of home filling you with nostalgia. Wishing all the readers a Happy, Prosperous and Safe Diwali.

In Neha Kumari’s household shopping also starts a month before Diwali. This includes buying a lot of gifts for the loved ones. She says, “the best part is when we start exchanging the gifts and sweets with our family and friends”. She and her family spend Dhanteras day shopping around for clothes, utensils or jewellery. “And when the big day arrives”, she continues, “we celebrate it by worshipping Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi. We light up the complete house with diyas , candles , fairy lights and burn a lot of firecrackers@. The best thing about the day for her is all the different sweets and food she gets to share with her family. It is almost close to a chappan(56) bhog.

Padmaja

Bhumi

Neha Kumari

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Celebrating

Halloween this year?

Trick or treat in a COVID safe way Hang individually wrapped lollies and chocolates on your fence or gate, or pop them on a tray outside your house Organise a treasure hunt outside to avoid people coming to your house Get creative and build a “lolly chute” so you can stay 1.5 metres apart from trick-or-treaters.

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