My family take Diwali very seriously – it’s basically our Christmas! I’ve been fortunate enough to celebrate Diwali in India many times and honestly it was one of the highlights of my childhood!
The streets are lined with diyas (lamps) and exquisite patterns from gulal (colourful powdered paint) and the skies are filled with fireworks all night.
History
Diwali is also known as ‘deepavali’ meaning ‘rows of lighted lamps’.
So why the obsession with lights?!
Diwali symbolises good defeating evil and thus light prevailing over darkness. This stems from the Ramayan (the first of two ancient Indian epic poems) in which prince Rama and his wife Sita return to Ayodhya having been banished from their kingdom for 14 years and defeating Ravana (the demon king of Lanka) in the meantime.
Jains and Sikhs also rejoice on this auspicious day:
- Jains - celebration is for Lord Mahvira (Founder of Jainism) who reached a state of Moksha (eternal bliss)
- Sikhs- Diwali marks the release from prison of the sixth guru Hargobind Singh in 1619. Furthermore, the foundation stone of their most holy place (Golden Temple in Amritsar) was laid on Diwali in 1577!
Diwali 2016!
30th October fell on a Sunday this year, meaning everybody in the family was home and we could really make the most of the day. I brought my boyfriend Alex to the festivities too - and we dressed him in a traditional Indian kurta (long-sleeved shirt)!
Alex and I all dressed up
On the Sunday, only vegetarian and non-alcoholic drinks were permitted. Fortunately, this barely affected me - but proved a significant challenge for Alex! I managed to squeeze in a very early morning workout (thanks to the clocks going back that night) before helping my family clean the house. We bought fireworks before spending the afternoon catching up with a close friend!
The main festivities for Diwali always occur in the evening. As soon as it began to get dark outside, I prepared for my favourite part of the day, lighting the diyas! Everyone helped to light the candles around the house and in the garden and switched the lights off… it looked BEAUTIFUL!!
After my extended family had arrived, we had the main puja (prayers) at a shrine created in our living room with Lakshmi, the goddess of Wealth, at the centre of worship. Following the prayers, we ate lots of mithai (Indian sweets) and went outside for fireworks!
If there is one thing to know about Indian culture it is that we love to eat massive portions as well as feed others!
The rest of the evening consisted of eating multiple courses and chatting with family and close friends. The night concluded fairly early as the young children had to go to bed, but it was a fantastic evening nonetheless!
If you ever have the opportunity, DEFINITELY attend a Diwali celebration!
Aditi
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