Diwali is in the Air

Diwali is not here till Saturday, but everywhere you go you can feel and breath the lovely festival air. Shopping areas are full of stalls selling fireworks. Packed in colourful cardboard boxes.

The colourful labels on these boxes have kitschy paintings of buxom south Indian actresses dressed as goddesses. Most of the fireworks are made in Shivakasi, a district in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

There is a wide variety, there are 'rockets', 'atom bombs', 'electric bombs', small crackers tied together, spinners, and "flower pots" that spew a dazzling array of colourful sparks when lit.













Diwali is not complete without small idols of the goddess of wealth Laxmi and Ganesh, the elephant headed god. People buy these for the Laxmi pooja on Diwali day. This is when they pray for prosperity and good fortune for the year that will come.


















Diwali is about the light of truth triumphing over the darkness of evil. The celebration of the slaying of the evil Ravana by Lord Rama, who personified truth in all its various meanings and interpretations.














This celebration is not complete with out lights...millions of lights. Days before Diwali almost all homes in India and where Indians live are lit up with dozens of candles and small earthen lamps called "Diyas".













The markets are full of brown cardboard boxes filled Diyas. Some come pre-fitted with candle wax and a wick. Others are empty. They have to be filled with oil and fitted with cotton wicks before they are lit.









Diwali is also about sweets, every part of India has its own special sweetmeats associated with Diwali. But the most popular are an assortment of Bengali sweets and a variety of Barfees.

















Dry fruits are gift wrapped and ready for sale at shops.












It is considered auspicious to buy gold and utensils during this time..especially on Dhan Teras, that falls two days before Diwali. The rush outside this shop is understandable.
















There are traffic jams, crowded shopping malls and markets filled with hundreds of people at any given time...that is probably the reason why there cops look so nervous.

(Photo : Rajesh Sundaram)