Dilliwali Diwali

Chaar janib hai yahi shor Diwali aayi,
Saale-maazi ki tarah laai hai khushiyan imsaal.

— Kanval Dibaiwi

The most-awaited festival is finally here. Diwali is going to be celebrated with much fan and fervour throughout the country. Every person has his/her own way of celebrating the festival – some love decorating their homes, while others are busy enjoying (and overeating) scrumptious delicacies. And while most of us worship Goddess Lakshmi, for some it is the day of revering Goddess Kaali.

Delhi Messenger asked the Dilliwallas about their plans this Diwali and the meaning the festival holds for them.

“For me, Diwali will always be the most important and grandest festival of the year. This is probably the only time of the year we actually get to sit together with friends and family, share sweets and spend some genuinely good quality time, admiring the beauty of every nook and corner of our home! Diwali brings together two very important things for me — lights and sweets. It is the time when I light up every possible corner of my home and gorge on all kinds of sweets without any guilt. Also, since it’s the last major festival of the year for Hindus, it has a special significance.
Like every year, I plan to make a rangoli, dress up, sit for the pooja with my family and enjoy at home. With lesser crackers around this year, I would probably go out for a stroll with friends at night to look at the beautiful decorations around.”

“Diwali means light; the light which can deter the dark. For me, Diwali means hope, happiness, family, and food.
This year, I will be celebrating Diwali by reading a few books, meeting friends, and of course eating walnuts – all three activities which are good for the heart and the brain.”

“Diwali is all about ‘ghar wapsi’. No matter whatever I do throughout the year, I make sure I spend this day with my family. That’s the true essence of this festival.
I am not a cracker person. But like a diligent daughter, I take up the charge of rangoli-making, home decor and gift packing. Also, the Diwali dinner for the family is on me.”

“As a 25-year-old person, I now have to deal Diwali with maturity. That’s what the family, society and Delhi’s environment expects from me.

Diwali is ‘ghar ki saaf-safai’, lighting up your home with candles n diyas n bulbs. Diwali is a week-long holiday from the office which gives you a Soan Papdi dabba. It’s about overeating lots of good food at home and watching animated Ramayana on kids’ channels. Lastly, Diwali is about wishing everyone happy Diwali in person, on the phone, spamming on Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.”

“Usually, I don’t celebrate Diwali or any other festival. But this time I will be celebrating Diwali since my flatmates love to celebrate Diwali. I love diyas and candles because they make me nostalgic also I love free mithais. Firecrackers make me insecure though.”

 

“Diwali to me is definitely a festival of spreading happiness. Earlier, it used to be a celebration of the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana. But now that I do not believe in the extremes of good and evil with respect to Rama and Ravana respectively, the meaning has changed. Diwali is rather about embracing all goods of Lord Rama and Ravana, and acknowledging that even a person like Rama could be unjust as he was to Sita, and also that someone like Ravana could be as dignified as to not touch Sita against her consent.

Diwali for me is a celebration of the fact that everyone is flawed and that flaws are beautiful.”

 

“Diwali, the festival of lights, brightens up every dark corner around us and makes even a gloomy heart fill up with light. There is brightness, lots of it and brightness gives me joy. It seems like when you’ve been in a dark room for a long time and your eyes get used to the darkness… And you’d forgotten how beautiful the light is. There is a spirit of goodwill and hopes in the air. You can feel it in the smiles of the strangers walking by. Everyone is celebrating, and it just gets to you; makes you happy.”

“Let there be light – that is what Diwali means to me. I am going to celebrate it in the mountains.”

“For me, Diwali is a festival where I can enjoy and spend time with my family and engage in actives where we all are involved and which make us happy. I always look forward to make rangoli with my sister and decorate the house put lights around. Personally, for me, Diwali is more about family than socialising with other people. I don’t like when commercialism gets attached with the celebration of Diwali.

This year I will be celebrating it the way I have always celebrated it by making rangoli, buying diyas, making tasty food, clicking pictures, doing the elaborate evening aarti and enjoying the time with my family and relatives.

“For me, Diwali means togetherness transcending religious and caste barriers. I celebrate it by meeting up family and friends and hogging over sumptuous meals beyond my intake capacity and not to forget by remembering our deities.”

“Diwali reminds me that I should move to a better city where I can breathe better.”

Like every year, Diwali is going to be about Lakshmi puja, diyas, and sweets. My parents have, from our childhood, restrained us from burning crackers. In those days, I used to be angry at them, but now I understand the importance of celebrating a cracker-free Diwali, especially in a city like Delhi.

Masti-mazaak, food, and sweets. And yes. Meeting childhood friends is the best part about Diwali.

Delhi Messenger wishes you a very happy and prosperous Deepawali! Be safe. And say NO to crackers.