Diwali Blast

Written on 6:50 AM by Tushar

My company had arranged a small party to welcome Diwali in style (!). There were games ranging from good old dumb charades to mimicry, fish ponds, mad ads and 1 minute games. A few people were forced (!) to sing. I was the host of two games namely dumb charades and mad Ads. The party (read the food!) was great. It took place on Friday afternoon when most of the folks were planning to leave early. Even though not many people participated it was nice revival of college days.

I left for Aurangabad on Sunday morning along with my family in our car. I was driving after a long hiatus. I like driving immensely and I crave speed. Actually I am highly influenced by the way Vin Diesel drove in “The fast and the furious”. But I could not let go off my Pulsar which kept me away from car driving for almost a year! Thanks a billion to Maharashtra state government or whosoever concerned for amazing roads. I drove at a stretch for almost 200 kms and we reached a’bad in the noon.

In the evening we left for Kachner, a small village near a’bad, which is famous for the old Jain temple. Scuds of Jain devotees come here every year because of its religious importance. I was having a discussion with my dr. uncle about whether it is worthwhile to pursue a master’s degree in the land of Uncle Sam. It did sweat me out but in the end I was happy that I could convince him.

On Monday I passed most of my time playing with my niece Laado (Ain’t that a really sweet name!). While talking to my cousin Mayur, he mentioned about some dhaba in the outskirts of a’bad which serves amazing baigan handi! It was enough to fuel my appetite and I took all my cousins to that hotel for dinner.

Laxmi Poojan carries a lot of importance in the Jain community as most of them are businessmen. Jains go to the temple nearby to celebrate the Nirvana Day of Bhagwan Mahavir. We got up really early (5.30 am!!!!) in the morning and left for our village SajjanpoorJ. It has been our family tradition, ever since I gained my wits, to celebrate Diwali in our village which is just 4 kms away from Ellora which has the world famous caves. After the religious ceremony in mandir we headed towards another Jain mandir in Ellora called as Pahad mandir in tractors. It was really a bumpy ride but it was fun!

Soon we came back all weary and everybody took an opportunity to take a nap after glutting the food. By the time I woke up in the evening all gals were busy in drawing rangoli. Rangoli assumes a lot of importance in the Hindu culture. It welcomes good spirits. We put up the lighting on the house and were ready to welcome guests. My village has this tradition wherein everybody goes to each others’ house to perform Laxmi Poojan unlike other places where people perform Pooja in their houses on their own. After Laxmi Poojan, we danced to the local band’s beats. I did shake a leg and learnt a few tips about garba.

The next morning was Padva which marks the beginning of Hindu New Year, when we go to everybody’s house to convey regards to elders and not to mention to eat sweets especially made for Diwali!

In the afternoon I accompanied my uncle to our farm house where I grabbed the opportunity to explore our fields, survey the crop and eat the sugarcane. As a kid, I used to spend my entire vacation in my village and this short trip to the fields evoked a feeling of nostalgia in my mind.

In the evening I came back to a’bad with my cousins as I had to leave for Pune at night. Just to complete the perfect picture I convinced my entire family (14 members including my 2 uncles and their families!) to go for a Hindi movie. Thank god that the movie (Garam Masala) was good and it didn’t ruin my happiness. After a nightlong journey I came back to Pune to mark the end of yet another memorable Diwali celebration.

This is a feeble attempt to capture the fun and joy I share with my family members every Diwali. Wish you a very happy Diwali!

If you enjoyed this post Subscribe to our feed