We sit down with members of our Centric India team to hear their perspectives about celebrating Diwali in this Q&A style of Centric Commemorates.
In this edition of our Centric Commemorates series, we learn about Diwali from our Centric India team. Sagar Patel, Palak Rana, Namitesh Mishra and Kumar Sharma share their perspectives.
Give us an overview of Diwali.
Sagar: Diwali is a festival of victory and joy that everyone observes in remembrance of Lord Ram (Hindu God Avatar) and his return with Mata Sita and brother Laxman after spending 14 years in the forest (Vanvas). Everyone in the city of Ayodhya welcomed them with flowers, made beautiful Rangolis with decorations, and lit Diyas (earthen lamps) in every home and street.
Palak: Diwali is also known as ‘Deepavali,’ which means rows (avali) of lights (deepa) in Sanskrit. This festival symbolizes the conquering of ignorance (darkness) with knowledge (light). When talking about Diwali, the metaphor of light is often used. People light candles or Diyas during this festival of lights as a representation of bringing wisdom, love and joy into our lives.
Why do you love Diwali?
Sagar: Diwali is a festival celebrated with lights, colours, a ton of sweets, sparkling eyes, stunning ethnic clothing and the world’s most valuable commodity — smiles on everyone’s faces.
Palak: What could be more wonderful than seeing people of all ages, socioeconomic levels, and walks of life come together to celebrate? This festival is for all. You and I are connected by a sense of joy and celebration as we share the details of Diwali today. That is the impact of this holiday. Also, Diwali is usually celebrated in the month of October, which also marks the end of summer in India. This period is at the cusp of winter, the flowers are at their blooming best and the weather is more pleasant and enjoyable.
Kumar: Diwali evokes a feeling of warmth in most people, not only for the grandeur of the festival but also because of the break we all receive from our hectic work schedules. The festival is one of my favourites as it allows me heaps of family connections – the joyous mood takes away the stress, all the while extending the message of good striding back home before all have culminated.
How do you prepare for the festival?
Palak: Every family enthusiastically engages in several chores in order to get ready for Diwali. These include (to name a few) cleaning and decorating the house as well as purchasing new furniture, clothes, gifts, dry fruits and ornaments. Many people put in hours making lovely and vibrant Rangolis (some pictured below). You can use coloured powders, Diya (earthen lights), or even flowers to create these.
It is heart-warming to see the local markets bustling with excitement, anticipation, and positive energy. In turn, this benefits local shopkeepers and artisans who witness the influx of customers. The celebratory feeling of Diwali is evident when everyone around you is donning their vibrant and beautiful Indian ethnic attire. Everywhere you look, there is sparkle, colour, light and lots of sweets!
Sagar: Preparation begins with “Diwali ki Safai” (deep cleaning of the house), in which everyone in the household takes part and works to give the house a fresh, clean appearance. Speaking of other preparations, making sweets and namkeens at home is customary in some households. Every year, my mother used to carry it out. There were “besan ke Laddoo,” “Gujhiya,” “Choora/pohe wali Namkeen,” “Saloni,” and “Shakkar/Gud paare,” to name a few distinctive foods. I know everything sounds delectable.
Then comes shopping, where, in addition to brand-new traditional clothing, “chandi ka sikka” (silver coins) are still a required purchase. Then comes new appliances, accessories or even vehicles, as Diwali bargains are plentiful at this time of the year, and it is considered an auspicious time to buy these. Additionally, it’s time to get various pre-made sweets from the store and finally some firecrackers/ crackers.
How do you celebrate Diwali?
Sagar: The entire day is divided into five tiring but exciting steps:
- Preparing everything for the religious ceremony that takes place in the evening
- Rangoli, a decorative element of the home and a thoughtful way to welcome guests, is used as decoration in the interim. I used to do it annually for my sisters because I loved doing it.
- Worshipping Gods such as Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesh is the first ritual of the Diwali festival.
- Lighting Diyas and decorating the house with candles and Diyas, including the entrance and terrace.
- Skipping hunger and rushing out to burst crackers with full delight, happiness and enjoyment as the evening’s grand finale till late at night.
Palak: For ages, Diwali has been celebrated by bursting crackers. When we burst crackers, we bid adieu to the negativity which has accumulated in our lives and our minds. Diwali starts a new chapter of positivity, love and joy. Similarly, we celebrate this festival by distributing gifts and sweets. Sweets dismiss resentment and are gifts that are symbolic of a renewed friendship and relationship.
Often you will see beautiful and colourful Rangolis being drawn at the entrance of every house to welcome positivity, light, luck and wisdom into our lives. People spread smiles and joy as they give Diwali gifts to their neighbours, friends, relatives, housekeepers and employees.
Everyone spends time burning Diyas and candles in and around their homes after the evening Puja (prayer), and then they celebrate the night with fireworks.
Kumar: I look forward to this festival as I get to cherish enormous amounts of sweets which end up resulting in holiday weight that gets laughed at. Here is how I celebrate the festival every year, let’s begin with the dress rehearsal:
- I begin the process by evading my chores, which I then honourably return to after being scolded by my family for procrastinating.
- Shopping – this time of year we spend lavishly on new clothes to look our best selves.
- Purchasing gifts for all our near and dear ones
- Apparelling the house with all the bells and whistles
- Attending the pooja event that always appears to be on a record-breaking spree of the preceding year’s duration
- Tending to the delicacies would be the favourable part of my day!
What are some favourite childhood memories?
Namitesh: Since our school days, we have had many holidays from Dussehra to Diwali, which makes this period quite enjoyable. In my childhood, my friends and I used to ride bicycles, play cricket and enjoy a break from homework.
I used to buy crackers weeks before Diwali since there was a friendly competition among neighbours every year to see who could buy them first. Therefore, Diwali stands out as the most exciting and enjoyable festival in my memory.
It has always been special to us, from bursting crackers to eating loads of our favourite foods to meeting our dear ones. As a tradition, Elephant foot yam [jimikand] is cooked for Diwali which is so delicious that we keep stealing it from the kitchen until it’s gone.
Interestingly, every year we have a tradition where everyone in the family wears Kajal on Diwali night so that when we look in the mirror the next morning, we look crazy and have a good laugh.
The following day is rather laid-back, with people visiting family and friends before Bhaiya Dooj (the next festival after Diwali), which marks the end of the Diwali holiday.
How are traditions changing?
Sagar: Owing to all the lights in every home and even in the sky from firecrackers and air lamps, Diwali dispels the darkness of the night. Even NASA often shares photographs showing how the country (India) celebrates. It all looks so wonderful and heart-warming. I have not promoted or demonized firecrackers, as I loved them, too. However, I realized they can be harmful for our health and that of animals. Due to this reason, I have become more interested in sky lanterns and sky shots, which don’t cause noise pollution.
I have started incorporating the idea of sharing and helping others who do not celebrate Diwali like we do with goods, clothes and food rather than spending money on expensive crackers, which burn out in a few minutes. By doing so, I feel I am able to share the love and happiness of this beautiful festival with them.
Any parting thoughts?
Palak: Diwali is truly special and close to one and all. We extend the same optimism, love and excitement to you. Happy Diwali!
Namitesh: Fundamentally, this is the only time of the year when all our friends and relatives gather, as we all have our holidays, and the pleasant weather adds to the festive atmosphere. The Diwali festival season will always be my most favourite season of the year.
Sagar: So, with these realizations, let us make this Diwali special for someone by adding more smiles, because that is the real wealth and happiness.
Through these stories, we’ll seek to learn, understand, and empathize. We’ll celebrate our differences and realize that though we have varied backgrounds and perspectives, we are one team.