Diwali is the biggest Hindu holiday. It’s a five day celebration known as the Festival of Lights. It’s the celebration of inner light that protects against spiritual darkness. It is like our New Years and Christmas celebrations. For Diwali, people light their homes with exterior lights and clay pots. They design Rangoli on their floors. They participate in worship services, the lighting of fireworks and hope for a prosperous year.
First, we had to pick up the needed supplies to decorate their home. We bought pots, flowers, saw dust, stencils and fireworks. The Diwali market was packed with vendors selling their wares.
Emma and I used colored sawdust in stencils that they bought to design the Rangoli. They were symbols that represent prosperity.
The final product for their worship display. Then they asked us to design our own Rangoli outside between the clay pots. We didn’t have high expectations, but they turned out better than expected.
Emma’s flower
Heather’s flower
Heather’s peacock
The work in progress. We had to be careful since one wrong movement would change all the loose sawdust.
Then a girl did one downstairs. She showed us how to really do them. They drop circles of color then blend them into some of the other colors. It is amazing!
As part of the festivities, they dress in traditional attire. Emma wore a new Indian Kurti that she received.
After the worship services, they light the oil lanterns. This was one of the prettiest ones we saw.
Then it was time for the fireworks. We always do our own fireworks in the US, I don’t just mean the sparkler and top kind. I’m talking about the big, high cracking ones. Let me just say, those don’t hold a candle to what they did. We lit off floating lanterns that made Emma feel like Rapunzel. We did fountains that blinded us for days and just when we thought we found relief, they exploded to signify their end. We watched a 25 gun salute that is just like ones the city back home does. We saw the neighbor light off one in their covered patio and the plume of smoke that enveloped their roof. But typical of boys, the favorite were the firecrackers. These were not the ones that scare the neighbors dogs on the 4th, but as large as our hands. Ones that even with your ears plugged, still make you deaf. Ones that hit your chest and your heart skips a beat.
Here is what’s left after the destruction ensued. Pictures and videos, never do justice but here is a glimpse of what we saw.
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