The festival of lights is here! It’s my favorite – a day when the house is adorned with flowers, colorful rangolis decorate the entrance, diyas are lit all over. A day for family and loved ones. A night of twinkling lights, of visiting friends and neighbors and relatives, and yes, of those infuriating fireworks that go on until all hours of the night!
I typically spend the first half of the day making a rangoli outside the door with flower petals, while the husband hangs garlands of marigold and Ashoka leaves at the entrance, in the balcony and on some of the doors. After relaxing in the afternoon, it’s time for pooja (prayers) in the evening, then we spend a quiet evening listening to music, drinking wine, talking. Bliss!
This year, my mother will be in town for Diwali, so we’ll go over to a cousin’s house after the pooja. That should be fun!
The window display at The Wishing Chair, Shahpur Jat, New Delhi
Here’s wishing all of you a very, very happy and prosperous Diwali. Be safe. Be happy!
If you’d like some more information on the festival of Diwali, take a look at these articles:
It’s the festival of lights! (An older post that gives some details on Diwali)
Light that lamp (A brief look at how and why Diwali is celebrated by different religions, from thehindu.com)