WISHING YOU A HAPPY DIWALI.. the festival of light..

 It’s that time of the year again.. the festive time with Dhan Teras.. Diwali and “Bestu Varas” (Hindu New Year according to the samvat calendar).. Diwali is a favourite festival with lots to celebrate.. fancy clothes.. scrumptious snacks.. traditional food.. (almost) mandatory pujas and rituals.. traditional food.. exotic fireworks.. vibrant rangoli.. elaborate flower arrangements and of course.. pretty diyas burning brightly everywhere around us!

As little children, the best part about Diwali was the long vacation we had from school! Lots of playtime with friends.. presents and money from family and relatives.. and best of all.. NO homework! Listening to the story of Ram Sita Lakshman and Raavan narrated by our grandparents and parents.. and always with a little homily at the end.. with a gentle reminder about how we should always be “good”.. tell the truth and so on..

Growing up only added temptations like getting to go shopping and choose our own clothes as well as participate in the menu planning etc.. Being youthful around Diwali started with a few responsibilities.. running simple errands.. being entrusted with money and being held accountable for spending.. and supervising safety while the children were bursting crackers!

Adulthood and Diwali was a learning experience at so many levels.. gratitude and appreciation to the “people who help us” with monetary and other tokens.. understanding the importance of a household budget and how to manage it at festival time.. spending quality time with family and giving thanks to the Almighty for our abundance and seeking His blessings.. being blessed with stories advice and gifts from our elders and wise people.. practicing gratitude and getting sensitized to the fact that there were so many less fortunate than us.. the importance of being content with what we had.. understanding family dynamics etc..

My father had this disconcerting habit of often asking me “How do you feel eating this mithai or bursting these crackers or what are you going to spend your Diwali money on or why is Diwali your favourite festival?” and over a length of time I understood that these were important questions! It was a real thinking process before I answered.. because these questions were not idle ones.. and deserved honest answers not frivolous ones..

When I thought about it I realized that it is a festival of lights.. lights that paved the way for Ram Sita and Lakshman to return home safely.. and celebrated the victory of light over darkness! I choose to reinterpret it slightly as “returning home as feeling safe enough to be completely yourself”.. because sometimes we get so caught up in the glitz & glamour that we go astray for a while.. but when the “spark” of the divine inner light appears.. we “reset” ourselves and become our authentic selves once more..

At every age and stage we are faced with the choice of being with the light (and doing what is right).. or going over to the dark side.. and giving in to temptation wrongdoing etc.. It takes a great deal of strength and courage to choose to celebrate “walking in the light” but the more consistently you do it.. the easier it becomes! And beset by distractions and temptations you ask “How do I do this?”

“You have to find what sparks a light in you so that you in your own way can illuminate the world” are wise words given to us by Oprah Winfrey. It’s important to make sure the spark is the RIGHT kind of spark.. not the “cheeky bright spark” or the “igniting spark” but the bright kind of “internal heart and soul spark” that extends itself and magically transforms into a “sparkle” in the eyes!

Celebrate Diwali every day by “doing what you love and loving what you do”.. by sharing the joy.. sharing the music.. spreading the sunshine.. being inspired.. aware of and sensitive to the world around you.. and most of all.. by being the light that reflects your inner radiance!

Wishing you a wonderfully happy Diwali and festive season!