Diwali in three days, lights glimmer on streets and markets in cities around the world, dispelling gloom, bringing hope... here's a repost on the beautiful festival. …
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diwali traditions
First, I thought about food that my dadiji (grandmother) would make every Diwali. It was as much part of the ritual of the day as the new clay idols that my mother would buy – Lakshmi (Goddess of wealth) and Ganesh (God of good luck and success). Diyas (tiny mud lamps) with oil and cotton wicks were spread out on the roof, window sills and boundary walls. I maintained a smug superiority because we used traditional diyas over the more common…
night descends. the lamps are ready with oil and wick. my heart is in my mouth. it’s bhoot chaturdashi. the ghost fourteenth day, if i translate literally. and tonight, unless we put fourteen diyas or oil lamps, or even candles, in fourteen corners of the house and eat fourteen kinds of leafy greens, watch out, anything might happen. the spooks are out and about. i am laughing as i write this. i used to quake with fear every bhoot chaturdashi…
Diwali is the only festival that is celebrated with some enthusiasm in our family. Tam-Bram me, my GSB hubby and my two daughters, who actually grew up without knowing or following any religious rituals, look forward to festivals only because they mean days off from school/work! We live in a cosmopolitan locality in North Bangalore, where you will not find the usual hustle and bustle accompanying the numerous festivals in our country. The usual Office Professional Plus 2013 key ‘Habba’…