This is 'MY' Diwali...

From Today, Dhanteras or Dhanatrayodashi, Diwali has started.

Diwali, a time for celebrations.

Diwali, a time for sweets.

Diwali, a time for fireworks.

Diwali, a time for new clothes.

Diwali, a time for fun.

Diwali, a time for family.

I miss everything. Celebrations. Sweets. Fireworks. New clothes. Fun. And Family.

Diwali would be five days of total relaxation. Five days for family.

Today, when I am not in India, I am remembering each and every moment of how my Diwali would be.

Just before Diwali, we, the whole family, would go shopping. Ours being a joint family, we'd be a minimum of seven people going out shopping. Obviously, the most time consumimg would be the saree shopping for Mom and Kaku. And hence the most boring time for me, my dad, my Kaka and my brothers. We would be spend our time passing comments on the various so-called "in-fashion" sarees. Our shopping, mine and my brothers'. Well it used to be pretty quick as we generally did know what we wanted. The only problem with it used to be the budget. Normally, we'd definitely overshoot it by a handsome margin. We'd have some resistance from our Kaka and dad. But then such lovely guys they are. Either of them would always give in. Mom and Kaku would normally take care of Dad's and Kaka's shopping.

After shopping of clothes, the next item on the agenda would be firecrackers. For the last few years, we'd generally have a lot of crackers unburst from the last year's stock. But then that would always look insufficient for this year. So we would have to convince Dad and Kaka for almost an hour to get them agree to buy more. Sometimes I feel, they know that they'd buy more, but then they show some resistance just for fun sake. The arguments that we would have would be real entertaining. We would have to come up with innovative ideas to convince them. Then once we land up at the crackers shop, we'd literally pickup a sample of almost all the items. Kaka would do a review of the items. He would reduce a few of them, obviously which we would oppose. But then we'd reach a compromise and by then we'd get crackers worth a few thousands of rupees. Before Kaka would pay the bill, we have to convince him that this year we would finish almost all of them and not keep anything, except a few for the cricket matches which India would win. (I think that explains why we are left with so many crackers).

Meanwhile, Mom and Kaku would stock up the various Diwali Special snacks and sweets. Most of the snack items would be ordered from a sweetmart. But a few items would be always prepared at home. e.g. Karanji, Laddoos made of desi ghee, etc.

Just before Dhanteras would start, we'd light up the house with a lantern and the lighting of small bulbs along the perimeter of the roof. Mom and Kaku would draw very nice and colourful Rangoli in front of the house every morning.

This is how we used to get ready for the five days of Diwali.

On Dhanteras, we'd have pooja of the golden jewellery items in the evening. Everyone would sit down together for the pooja.

The next would be Narak Chaturdashi. Generally Narak Chaturdashi and Lakshmi Poojan would fall on the same day. Narak Chaturdashi would be in the morning. Everyone had to get ready by 6.00am in the morning. Being the most lazy folks of all, we, brothers, would be the last ones to get up. Uncle or Dad would come up to us and force us to get up, take bath and get ready. I dont know why we have to get up. But as a tradition for every year, we get up. We'd get up, light a few fancy crackers and then get back in the house for some Diwali snacks as the breakfast.

Lakshmi Poojan. Finally the time to wear the new clothes arrives in the evening. We get dressed up and get ready to go to Dad's and Kaka's offices. Mom and Kaku would go and light the diyas outside the office doors. Dad and Kaka would worship the account books. Coming home, we'd have to get ready for the pooja of Lakshmi devi at our home. Mom and Kaku would keep everything ready and they would sing the Aarti. We'd be forced a book of Aartis and made to read out loud from them. This would be the best time to play pranks. Me and my brother would keep pushing each other and then when Mom or Kaku would notice they'd give a cold stare indicating us to do the "needful". The most fun part of this would be when we all would be reciting the aarti of Durga. Kaka, who would otherwise keep mum for the whole aarti, would get into action. Of the whole aarti, he would speak out only one phrase loudly, which being "Taarak Sanjivani Jai Devi Jai Devi". The simple reason being my Kaku's name being Sanjivani. Everyone would be giggling at that moment. And that too in the midst of the Aarti.
After the Aarti, again it would be cracker time and then we would all go onto the terrace to see the different types of fireworks in the sky. That would be a very lovely scene. Colours of red, blue, green, white all around in the sky.

The next day would be Padwaa. Mom and Kaku would do an aarti of Dad and Kaka respectively.

After that on Bhaibeej, my aatya( My dad's sister) would come down at our place and all the sisters would do an aarti of their respective brothers.

This is how I celebrate every year. But not this year.

Diwali for me has been more than just a festival. It has been a time together with the family sharing the small joys.

Woh Kaka ka bhaav khaana..

Aur Humaara unhe manaana.

Woh Ghar ka Diwali special khaana...

Aur Saree ki shopping ke waqt Mom/Kaku ka maara hua taana.

Specially now when I am away, I remember each and every small thing. I miss each of the small thing that I wrote here on this blog.

Contrary to the current happenings in India, I am here in US avoiding to go to office that too on a weekend. I have been missing Diwali so much that I am now very eager to make up atleast a small bit of it. I want to celebrate my Diwali here. I dont want this Diwali to go as if it hasn't come at all this year. I have been thinking all day about the various things that I can probably do. Finally, I have got a few diyas to light along with some other pooja items.

Rarely ever I would do a pooja or even go to a temple. But somehow today I feel like doing it. It makes me feel how important is my culture, my values are to me. I may say I dont believe in God or so. But today I am considering doing a pooja or going to a temple 50 miles away on the eve of Dipawali. It makes me feel closer to India. Closer to my country. Closer to my roots. Closer to my family.

I got some stuff from an Indian store nearby with a determination to not let this Diwali pass by without a noise. Afterall, this is 'MY' Diwali and I am not used to a Diwali, where there is no noise. I'll do my best to celebrate in whatever way it is possible for me.

Finally, to sum up my feeling,

Lamps - $14
Incense Sticks - $1
Kumkum - $2
Agarbatti Stand - $3
Silver Kumkum and Haldi containers : $20
Lakshmi Coin - $5
Steel lamp - $2
Cotton Wasps - 50c

Feeling that Diwali is here and I am close to my family and country - PRICELESS!!!

WISHING EVERYONE A VERY HAPPY AND A PROSEPOROUS DIWALI....