Sunday 19 October 2014

Diwali - a time for family!


 

Diwali makes a festive mood in the air.

 A bundle of festivals and a chance to celebrate and enjoy with your loved ones. It is a festival of lights and crackers which symbolize conquest of divine thoughts over evil tendencies.



      Only a few days are left for diwali and we haven't prepared fully yet. We have purchased a lot of things for it. Specially a beautiful dress of mine to be worn on this special day. What other comprises of includes beautiful colorful powders for rangoli, candeels, diyas , diwali lights to put up in the balconies, decortive articles, Laxmi & Ganesha idols and two intruments to make rangoli as I am not experienced to make it good otherwise lol ;)

      Everything is deep cleaned and Sweets would be prepared on that day itself. My husband and me are very excited to celebrate this festival but a bit confused whether to fire crackers this time or not as environmental polltion is a big threat to the world and we don't want to contribute. May be we will liht up only 10 to 12 of them just for our satisfaction. Let's see...

      Diwali is a festival of lights. It is my favourite festival. It is celebrated on the new moon day of the dark fortnight of Ashwin. Diwali is regarded by me as a cluster of festivals followed as dhanteras, choti diwali, main diwali and bhai dooj.

       But this time we will not be able to enjoy it fully as we will be away from our respective families  as there is no leave left for this time. I just recalled of last year's celebration at my in laws. We all cleaned the house by helping each other, decorated home with diyas , candles and specially by garlands prepared by ourselves. We did a lot of shopping before the festival as well.
           


      It was my first diwali at my in laws. My sister in law's daughter insisted us to fire the crackers in the daytime and we emptied almost all the boxes one by one before the evening itself. Diwali lights were put up in the balconies. Beautiful color design was drawn by me at our doorstep.






   


  Everyone was very happy as all family was together. Laxmi pooja was performed at the evening. Twenty one diya's were enlightened in front of goddess Laxmi and lord Ganesha to seek blessings of health, wealth and prosperity for our family.

    After the aarti sweets were offered to god and prasaad was given to each of us. Gifts and sweets were exchanged with our family and relatives to strengthen the bond of love. Our dinner included pakode and sweets prepared by me and my sister in law.



     


      Then we all ran up to the rooftop and the rest of firecrackers were let off after dinner till midnight. Some of the family members were enjoying the view and some were enjoying the pleasure of lighting them up. There was great pomp and show. Everywhere there were rockets, lightnings, sounds of explosions, We all enjoyed a lot. Lamps were burned every night during the festival.

   

      I just reminded of my spinster days. Wow! That was really an utmost loved experience for me. I really wish to bring back the same old days again. We are three brother and sisters. We used to start planning for diwali a month before the fesival begins. Collecting empty bottles to help light rockets, buying crackers, shopping for clothes, diyas, candeels and decorative articles, lightenings, sweet boxes and a lot more things whatever fascinated us during the festive season.
















      All the children of our lane had formed groups and all the grooups gathered at night on the street with all types of crackers we bought for the day including fuljhadi, the famous one murga chaap patakhe, anar, anar bomb, saamp goli, patakha ladi in gun ,variety of rockets,chakri etc.





 





     My mom used to make gajar ka halwa and dad used to bring lot of sweet and savories including chumchum, rasgulla, gulabjamun, khoye ki barfi, kaaju ki barfi and a lot more.


     My daadi used to prepare the diyas by filling them with mustard oil and one big one with ghee. Twenty one diyas were lighted on the day of diwali. Then the diyas and candles were placed on the corners of doors, in the balconies and terrace. Days have gone but the memories are kept preserved. Those feelings can never be forgotten.


 
Diwali is a time for family but this time it is only in my feelings and my memory!!

  This time we will enjoy but that enjoyment can't be compared to the one which could be with our family.   Miss u all!!   Lots of love to you,,    Happy diwali!!