Happy and Safe Diwali

So now it’s that exciting and dhamakedaar time of the year, Diwali. It’s one time when lots of families bury hatchets and get together and celebrate. Well, that’s what the newspapers claim about that the biggies like the Chopras, Ambanis and the Kapoors are having the great Indian family reunion.  Anyways, that’s got nothing to do with me. I would find it more interesting to talk more about the Diyas and crackers. I just remember how Amma used to light loads and loads of diyas in my ancestral home. Rows and rows of it. It’s another thing that there was enough space to light all the diyas and we had enough place for an army of kids to run around and light the crackers and enough corners to hide in case we broke or burst out something. And how vibrant my home used to look with all those traditional lamps. That’s something that I miss very much. Moving into an apartment has made me appreciate all the more of my ancestral home and it’s celebrations with a huge family and extended family. Uncles, aunts, cousins and even friends were enough to remind you of a Sooraj Barjatya’s elaborate movie set. I was fortunate enough to experience it for a few years of my growing up before we moved. Anyways, it’s a beautiful memory cherished.

And bursting crackers was an event by itself.  All of us scampering around and bursting crackers sometimes lead to some unpleasent things like one of us getting burnt and howling at the top our voices creating more and more ruckus. One particular mark on my hand reminds me every single year that I should’ve been more careful while bursting crackers since it’s remained and is a small little ugly mark that could’ve been avoided.

This feeling was even more cemented when I saw this video featured by Seventymm.com which had a small video of Tom and Jerry.If only we took care and paid some attention to the elders while we burst crackers, a lot of us could avoid the permanent damage to our eyes, ears and any other body parts. Anyways lets keep the morose thoughts away and have a safe and happy Diwali.

Here’s the video which you must watch.

Festivals and Festivities…

Bliss is the time when a big festival’s around the corner. And India being a country where every other day is festival, for some community or the other, has enough to celebrate. And October sometimes has double dhamaaka. Literally, since we have two big festivals this year. Navarathri and Diwali. I am not really sure if I can decide which one is my favourite or may be I can. I think it’s Diwali, the festival of lights. We’ll come back to that in a bit. 

 

The first one to come is Navarathri. This festival literally takes your breath away ’cause this one is celebrated in different ways in different parts of India. For Gujaratis, it’s the dandiya time (This was mentioned and featured in seventymm) This is so colorful that it just makes you want to pick those two sticks and join the group and dance the night away. Wanna see? Here’s a small illustration. Then there’s also the garbha.  Ain’t it colorful and nice? This reminds me of the song from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Doli Tharo…

 

And how about the unsurpassable Durga Pooja in Calcutta? Amazing! Bengalooru shows this true blue Bengali spirit in the Bengali Association in Ulsoor. One must visit this place. And the food? Ahem, lets not talk about it right now, since one is on a serious weight-loss program!

Even in down South there are different ways of celebrating it, something really worth mentioning is the one celebrated in Mysore Dasara procession. This was started by the Maharaja of Mysore I suppose. Whatever the history this such a treat to see that people from all over the world come here just to have a look at this. Especially the Palace which is lit all the nine days. This is how Mysore would look during Navarathri. I wish the picture was a bit more clearer. But that big mass of light that you’re seeing is the Mysore Palace which is lit sepcially during the Dasara.

 

Tamilnadu has it’s own special way of celebrating this festival. With dolls. They have special doll arrangements which depicts stories. Earlier it used to be about the epics now it’s somewhat changed and has adapted to the modern times while retaining the tradition.

Now that’s what I like about festivals, traditions. Traditions that most of us have probably left behind and these festivals bring it back. Something which I’ve particularly looked forward to always. There’s something about these traditions that city dwellers like me find fascinating. Something that takes us back to our roots. Traditions, which are our identity. More on Diwali will be posted, so watch this column…