ITs the brightest time of the year in Mumbai and I believe in the the rest of the country too. The chills in the air have already set the perfect ambiance for Diwali. The streets are lighted with a plethora of colours, beautiful lanterns and ofcourse the colorful outfits of the people :)
As a child, Diwali meant vacations :) We would be given Diwali homework and there would be a prize for the best decorated and well written Diwali homework book. We would work so much on the book. I would write it first in a rough book and then make it fair only after I was satisfied. The coloring, collecting stamps if the work demanded, the charts and the final stage of decorating the exterior. It seemed so important then! I never got a prize for it courtesy the better made books by parents of other kids :P Damn I have serious issues with such parents!!!
Diwali also meant lots of chocolates, sweets and shopping. Wearing new clothes in Diwali was a MUST and I used to go with Mom for shopping as soon as my mid term exams were done. As the years progress you realise that shopping in Diwali is over rated :P The prices are double fold, the crowds multifold and the quality of garments 1/1000th of what you get otherwise. It seemed so essential to be dressed up in the best clothes and do nothing but flaunt it with other kids while now even if I go to buy I m always thinking, "I could buy two outfits at that price and the colour is dull anyway" :P
Before Diwali the whole locality would be busy with cleaning the house and making snacks called "faraal" locally which includes chakli, karanji, ladoos, naan and a lot of others.
I and dad would set up the lights for the house and we had this lantern which lasted for years :D Now the house is lighted by dad and my brother while I only light up my room :P
I remember when I was younger I didn't know how to make a rangoli but I wanted to do it anyway. So I made Mom buy me rangoli colours and I would sit hours making a designed then sweeping it all off and then again making another. I used to make things like a big lotus and drain up all the pink colour. The first proper rangoli design was taught to me by my mother. The traditional seven dotted rangoli.. Following that the coming years I used to make designs on paper then color it with crayons and try to make it on floor with rangoli. Some worked and some didn't. Years of practice and scheming brought me to a stage where I can draw rangoli impromptu :D
Yes, these are what I can make now :D
On the laxmi puja day, we make special delicacies at home and do a small prayer.
Then comes the bhai dooj which is similar to raksha bandhan..Only that here the sister gives gifts :D
The five days of diwali are loaded with calories and lots of masti and truly is the festival that lights up people :)
Happy diwali people. Make the most of it :)
The piles of notes are temporarily set aside as the next exam is on 19th :) Two more exams left!
Now off to clean that cupboardful of clothes.. Yes I need to make space for what I will buy after the Diwali frenzy is over :D
As a child, Diwali meant vacations :) We would be given Diwali homework and there would be a prize for the best decorated and well written Diwali homework book. We would work so much on the book. I would write it first in a rough book and then make it fair only after I was satisfied. The coloring, collecting stamps if the work demanded, the charts and the final stage of decorating the exterior. It seemed so important then! I never got a prize for it courtesy the better made books by parents of other kids :P Damn I have serious issues with such parents!!!
Diwali also meant lots of chocolates, sweets and shopping. Wearing new clothes in Diwali was a MUST and I used to go with Mom for shopping as soon as my mid term exams were done. As the years progress you realise that shopping in Diwali is over rated :P The prices are double fold, the crowds multifold and the quality of garments 1/1000th of what you get otherwise. It seemed so essential to be dressed up in the best clothes and do nothing but flaunt it with other kids while now even if I go to buy I m always thinking, "I could buy two outfits at that price and the colour is dull anyway" :P
Before Diwali the whole locality would be busy with cleaning the house and making snacks called "faraal" locally which includes chakli, karanji, ladoos, naan and a lot of others.
I and dad would set up the lights for the house and we had this lantern which lasted for years :D Now the house is lighted by dad and my brother while I only light up my room :P
I remember when I was younger I didn't know how to make a rangoli but I wanted to do it anyway. So I made Mom buy me rangoli colours and I would sit hours making a designed then sweeping it all off and then again making another. I used to make things like a big lotus and drain up all the pink colour. The first proper rangoli design was taught to me by my mother. The traditional seven dotted rangoli.. Following that the coming years I used to make designs on paper then color it with crayons and try to make it on floor with rangoli. Some worked and some didn't. Years of practice and scheming brought me to a stage where I can draw rangoli impromptu :D
Yes, these are what I can make now :D
On the laxmi puja day, we make special delicacies at home and do a small prayer.
Then comes the bhai dooj which is similar to raksha bandhan..Only that here the sister gives gifts :D
The five days of diwali are loaded with calories and lots of masti and truly is the festival that lights up people :)
Happy diwali people. Make the most of it :)
The piles of notes are temporarily set aside as the next exam is on 19th :) Two more exams left!
Now off to clean that cupboardful of clothes.. Yes I need to make space for what I will buy after the Diwali frenzy is over :D
