The air is abuzz with the spirit of Diwali. Everywhere I go, I find the cheer and happiness so contagious. Friends have started making plans about Diwali parties, and we are all in a bid to freeze the dates as to who will host a lunch or dinner on which date.
But before we start with the parties and decorations, we indulge in the yearly ritual of cleaning and decorating the house and making it the best we can for Goddess Laxmi’s visit. People get their homes painted and buy new furniture and light. Some even plan to purchase their vehicle around this time.
Personally, I am very fond of the akashkandil. As children, we would look forward to being given craft paper and sitting with cousins to create the akashkandil and, among the healthy competition, try to make our best version. I feel happy to see that the trend is coming back, and many schools are encouraging this as an activity for the children and in some houses, even parents are engaging in making the akashkandil with their children. Besides being a mark of festivity, the akashkandil is also said to reduce the negativity in the household.
Diwali is a festival of lights, and by getting rid of negativity, we can overcome darkness. Through the light of knowledge, we can overcome the darkness of ignorance. All of us have our moments when we feel low on energy or feel overwhelmed with the amount of work or problems that we face in our lives. At such times, the festival of Diwali invigorates us with newfound energy and prepares us to face life’s challenges. In a true sense, this is the victory of good over evil.
I am also very fond of cooking, and I love making Diwali Pharal, which I have imbibed from my mother. In various parts of India, Diwali pharal is known by different names, but it is prepared in most households. No matter how busy one’s schedule is, families find time to come together to celebrate this occasion. At Symbiosis, we consider everyone associated with us to be a part of the Symbiosis family. It was with this thought of inclusivity that the women from the neighbouring village were encouraged to set up stalls within the Symbiosis campus to sell the pharal that they had prepared. Some of these women have been associated with Symbiosis since 2012, and have gained digital literacy and financial literacy through the Symbiosis Community Outreach Programme and Extension, and have given shape to their small-scale businesses.
Since childhood, I have celebrated Diwali with foreign students and continue to do so. At the Symbiosis Centre for International Education, every year, we welcome all our foreign students from different regions across the world, from other religions and cultures, to enjoy Diwali, the festival of lights. We want to make them aware of the spirit of oneness that India has and believes in celebrating through its festivals.
Overall, Diwali is a time for celebration but also a time to imbue in our kids the significance of why we celebrate this festival and what are our beliefs behind the traditions that we follow. I hope that this Diwali, we will gain knowledge and move away from darkness and, thereby, bring light into our lives.