Happy Diwali - From Calgary

Hello You!

My first blog and I think there cannot be a better way to give my introduction than to take you to my childhood Diwali, after all, Diwali is just around the corner...

Festival of Lights

Diwali, the festival of lights, signifies the removal of darkness from our lives, gives us hope and brings happiness. Is the definition still stay the same? After two difficult years of covid, festivals are taking a different turn as well. Online Diwali, Zoom Diwali...hmm.

We changed, celebrations changed but we managed to maintain the spirit.

My Diwali changed after I left Nagpur, the Orange City. To me, Nagpur is a city of festivals. Throughout the year, every festival arrived with its own beauty, adding colour to a monotonous life. I love this city where days are not fast and nights are starry. Even before the festival starts, the city starts transforming into that festival town of greeting card.

Diwali comes there wrapped in old printed woollen sweater and looking all pink just like winter and smelling like chandan utana. Local markets start displaying Akash Kandils and marry gold flowers. And in advance, kids would start making clay forts...killas. This is a tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his victorious regime. These Killas (forts) were modelled after the forts he built to protect his people. It is a wonderful tradition to keep kids connected to their heritage (#Killa #DiwaliKilla). That is how Diwali begins to evoke excitement in all hearts, from kids to adults; in all corners, from alleyways to the skies.

Five Days of Diwali

The first day is Vasu Baras. There is no shortage of cows and their calves in Nagpur, but I remember my father drawing them on the slate so that my mother can perform worship rituals of Vasu Baras. After all with the real one there is always a risk of walking away 🤭. In Hindu religion, Cow is considered a divine and sacred animal. It symbolizes the bond between mother and child, life and love. Vasu Baras is not celebrated as a grand day but it quietly marks the beginning of Diwali and start kindling those Diwali feelings. I remember my mother making bhakri and pithala on this day, and lighting clay lamps...Diwa 🪔. From this day until the Tulsi marriage ceremony, these Diwa/Diyas will be lit every evening.

Next day is Dhanteras, celebrating the God of medicine and Ayurveda Dhanwantari. The important thing I can remember about this day is.... (...wait for it...)... Aachari and his cooks, who would arrive with all big iron pots and pans, to make delicious Diwali special snacks and sweets. Therefore, it was a valuable day 💃. They would arrange their kitchen in the backyard under the sky surrounded by large trees. So much fun!!! You could feel the energy of Diwali in the air and the grand delicious faral (#DiwaliFaral) would be created... not only for my family but for family of aunties, and for neighbours. They all would come with their grocery bags and will give their specific instructions to Mr. Achari. During the faral tasting "ceremony", all my cousins would come together and there would be abundance of laughter to share along with Chiwda, Chakli, Karanjis, Gulabjams, and Shev ...whoa...all mouth-watering snacks. I am very grateful for those days and of-course for snacks. Nowadays to show my gratitude towards this art, I try to make a few snacks every year. Such a beautiful custom. Although I'm away from my original gang of cousins, these days I still have an amazing beautiful person with me who's excited to help, taste and create new traditions -- my daughter. She's always curious about culture, and seeing "culture" cooking in her own kitchen, helps her get geared up and taste her roots 😉.

It's time for Narkachaturthi and Laxmi Pujan...which means.... (...wait for it...)... fireworks. Bhui-Chakra, Anar, Fulzadi, Lavangi and it goes on. I wonder who came up with these dhamakedar names.

In Calgary, I am still getting up early and continuing the tradition of Narkchaturthi. I put utana/ubtan (mom still sends me from Nagpur), fragrant oil on my daughter. And she loves it too. In the evening I arrange puja for Godess Laxmi. Being away from home, when you try to make your new home for your kids these traditions play a beautiful role. They give you a kind of essence, where you come from, what you believe in and what you want to hold on to.

One more colourful tradition is Rangoli. I still remember in back days, I used to put never-ending Rangoli on Laxmi Pujan. A big and colourful carpet of Rangoli. Those days we were not having cell phones so I do not have any photos. For that matter, in those days we were not taking photos every now and then. We were simply living beautiful moments. And interestingly now when a cell phone is the first thing I pick up every day, I cannot draw a straight line of Rangoli. Change is the only constant. My Rangoli is nowadays more contemporary than traditional. Flowers and Diyas are my main ingredients 😎.

I miss big Rangoli in the front yard, the same way I miss my family from India for Padwa and Bhau Beej, the last two days of Diwali. The Padwa and The Bhau Beej are the days to celebrate relations. Padwa is to cherish father and daughter relations or husband and wife. Bhau Beej is for brother and sister. To make the Brother-Sister bond divine, the moon becomes the brother of every woman. Who would have thought that? On Bhau beej all girls and women wait for the crescent of the moon to smile on the sky. I used to wait on the terrace with my cousins for the moon to rise so we could send a messenger to the adults and continue the traditions of Bhau Beej. On that day, the moon would behave like a extremely busy celebrity, appearing briefly in your yard before vanishing. However, his brief visit has created ever-lasting memories.

Despite the main Diwali days being finished with Bhau Beej, still Faral's invitations would continue to go out for the next few weeks and so were the meetings with friends, and families, sharing stories, making stories, fireworks, new dresses and all in name of joyous spirit. Diwali festival begins with the and gentle celebration of Vasu Baras, ends with strong bonds and a taste in the mouth that assures life is safe, colourful, hopeful and worth celebrating.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

I enjoy re-living the Nagpur's Diwali because it is like going through an old album of memories. When I look closely, I see Diwali is still the same, only the backdrop is different. It still brings cravings for Chivda and ladoo. It still creates memories...this time with my new amazing family, my daughter, my husband, and my new friends and at a new beautiful place far away from my home Nagpur... my new home Calgary.

Happy Diwali from Calgary!