Pongal Festival

Pongal Festival is bestowed with the bliss of festivity. A major segment of the population here depends on agriculture. As a result, most of the festivals are also related to the agricultural activities of the people. These festivals are celebrated with different names and rituals in almost all the parts of India. Pongal is one of such highly revered festivals celebrated in Tamil Nadu to mark the harvesting of crops by farmers. Held in the middle of January, it is the time when the people get ready to thank God, Earth and their Cattle for the wonderful harvest and celebrate the occasion with joyous festivities and rituals.

The streets of mylapore glimmered in all colors during the pre-pongal time, many petty road side shops selling all types of festive materials was seen in the evening as the crowds started accumulating, there was no place to stand and stare! I have also captured some random pictures in and around the city during the pongal season….hope you all like it and enjoy it as I did.  

For the people who know little about the pongal festival please read the following... I hope I don’t write a long essay about it. I have made it short as possible 

 

The four-day Harvest festival is celebrated all over the state in January. The festival begins on the last day of the Tamil month with Bhogi Pongal followed by Surya

 

Pongal on the next day. It is on this day that Chakkara Pongal, a delicacy of harvest rice cooked with jaggery, ghee and cashew nuts is offered to the Sun God. The third day, Mattu Pongal is dedicated to the Cattle when cows are bathed and adored with colorful beads and flowers. Jallikattu, the bullfight is held on the last day known as Kannum Pongal.

 

First day !

The first day of the festival is called Bhogi. On Bhogi all people clean out their homes from all corners, and collect all unwanted goods. In the evening, people will light bonfires and burn what can be burnt.

 

Second day !

The second day of the festival, Surya Pongal, is the day on which the celebrations actually begins, is the first day of the Tamil month Thai. On this day, Surya, the sun God is worshipped and women will wake early on this day to create elaborate kolum on the grounds in front of their doorway or home. Kolums are created with colored rice flour placed on the ground carefully by using one's hand. This is a government sanctioned holiday for everyone around Tamil Nadu

 

 

Third day !

The third day is called Maatu Pongal, maatu meaning cattle. This day is devoted to paying homage to cattle. Cows and Bulls are decorated with paint and bells and people pray to them.

 

 

Fourth day !

The fourth day is termed as Kaanum Pongal. On this day, people travel to see other family members.

 

 

And for you all sweet lovers, My mom has given her recipe for making Sakkarai pongal (Jaggery  based rice ) with milk….

 

Sakkarai Pongal with Milk

 

This uses Milk as one of the main ingredients along with Rice.

 

Ingredients

 

    * 1 1/2 cups Raw Rice

    * 3 cups Milk

    * 1/4 cup Moong Dal

    * 12 Cashewnuts

    * 15 Kishmish pieces

    * 1 cup Jaggery (grated)

    * 1/4 teaspoon Saffron (crushed)

    * 1 teaspoon Cardamom powder

    * 4 tablespoons ghee or more

    * 2 teaspoons of grated Coconut pieces

 

Method:

 

   1. Wash the rice and dal several times. Add Milk and pressure cook.As soon as the rice and dal are cooked to softness, add jaggery and ghee. Please cook on medium fire for some time.

   2. In the meantime you can fry Cashew nuts and coconut grated in one teaspoon ghee and keep them ready.

   3. Kishmish also can be fried little . Now add cashew, Kishmish coconut (all fried in ghee) and saffron, and cardamom powder. Bring to one or two good boils Stir well. Add more ghee and serve.

 

  

Pongal, the harvest festival of Tamil Nadu, has traditionally been a good time to release films. Earlier, farmers used to make a beeline to nearby theatres during the festival as it was the only form of entertainment those days. Till the advent of one-day matches and satellite television up to mid-90s, Pongal in Chennai coincided with Test matches at Chepauk. Reminiscences Ashwin Rajagopal, a marketing consultant, cricket commentator and a die-hard fan of Kamal Haasan, “I remember the 1980 Pongal when I was just a seven-year-old I watched my first test-series; Sunil Gavaskar’s India vs Imran Khan’s all-conquering Pakistan team at the Chepauk. Kapil Dev won the match for Indiawith his all round performance and later that evening, we celebrated by watching a Kamal Haasan Pongal release.” This year, many may choose to have a slightly longer Pongal vacation. The holidays for them will begin on Jan 10 and end only on Jan 18, if they take leave on Jan 12 and 13.

 

This has brought cheer to Kollywood as the industry believes that people will have a lot more money to spend because bonus is paid at this time of the year. The weather too is pleasant in January.

Pongal Festival

Pongal Festival - A festival celebrated in Southern part of India.
The first day of Pongal known as 'Bhogi Pongal' is a day for family gathering and is dedicated to Lord Indra. A huge bonfire of useless things in home is lit. The houses are then cleaned till they shine and are decorated with kolams.

The second day of Pongal known as 'Surya Pongal' is dedicated to the Sun God. The granaries are kept full on this day and Sun God with his rays are painted on a plank as he is worshipped with the birth of the new auspicious month of Thai (Tamil month). A special dish is cooked on this day in a new mud-pot that comes in innovative shapes and have artistic designs on them called 'Pongapani'. A colorful sugarcane market is also set up on this day.

The third day known as 'Mattu Pongal' is dedicated to the cattle as cowherds and shepherds pay thanks to their cows and bulls, wash them, paint their horns and cover them with shining metal caps. They are fed 'pongal' and tinkling bells are tied around their neck. Cattle races are conducted and in the game called 'Manji Virattu' groups of young men chase running bulls. Bull fights called 'Jallikattu' are also arranged at some places where young men have to take the money bags tied to the horns of ferocious bulls single-handedly and without the use of arms.

Top beautiful photography of merry christmas

Christmas bear

Christmas rat

Christmas ball

Christmas puppet

Christmas candle

Candy cane

Christmas gift

Christmas cat

Christmas tree

Christmas house

Christmas festival

Christmas dog

Christmas cookie

Christmas sweets

Following yonder star and revisiting Bethlehem

On a small city block in a small Texas town, winds a sidewalk through a walled yard with crude replicas of buildings, markets and sights of a small village near Jerusalem from 2,000 years ago. This is the home to a Christmas tradition – Bethlehem Revisited!

Each year for the evenings of two weekends in December, this small city block is opened up in Waxahachie, TX for visitors to experience the birthplace of the Christ child. Each of the crude structures is converted into a shop or home with craftsmen busy at work such as someone making rope or carding wool or a man making and demonstrating wooden flutes. There is a place for people to pay taxes as was decreed by Cesar Augustus and an inn that happened to have a stable nearby.

As you arrive at “Bethlehem” you are greeted by shepherds who are tending their flock. You then enter the city gates guarded by Roman centurions and walk the streets of the town. Throughout the night, you can experience the events of that one night from 2,010 years ago that changed the course of history.





A couple enters the city to pay their taxes with the woman on a donkey. After you watch them visit the tax collector you follow them to the inn where they inquire about a room. The inn keeper informs them there is no vacancy but there could be room in the stable. The couple is led there and a baby is born.



As I watched this reenactment, I was touched, not by what was being portrayed but by the children who were asking their parents if that was Mary and Jesus and by the parents who told their children of the baby who would be our Redeemer and the star that would lead others to him.

The shepherds who watched their sheep by night by the city gates are told by an angel the news of the holy birth. You can follow them through the streets as they seek out the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes. When they reach the family in the stable, they rejoice at the glad tidings and go throughout the city proclaiming the news.

The grandest of these journeys is that of the three wise men from the east who followed the star to find the new-born king as foretold by prophesy. You can argue that they didn’t actually visit that night. However, they have been associated with the Christmas story for many, many years. These three men begin their journey in “Jerusalem” (a stage across the street) where they meet Herod and seek the new king. Their camels are then led through “Bethlehem” and they follow.



It is pretty cool seeing these large mammals strutting down the streets with throngs of people all around. When the wise men enter the city, they stop at various places seeking the baby and eventually find him. When they arrive, they too rejoice at the glad tidings then one by one they present their gifts to the holy child.



Even with the not completely accurate costumes, the plywood buildings painted to look like the old world and angels that appear as projected flashes of light, the true spirit of Christmas was ever-present in the cool evening air. The fact that people volunteer to recreate this each year, that throngs visit to experience the night Jesus was born, and that it even happens in today’s holiday neutral, secular society warmed my heart and brought tears to my eyes at points throughout the evening.

What a wonderful adventure that has been happening for years just a couple of hours south of where I grew up. For your Christmas and holiday adventures, don’t just watch the endless hours of movies on Hallmark Channel or ABC Family, but get out and experience something more meaningful and lasting. I’m sure there is something going on within a couple of hours of where you will be spending your holidays.

Now go out and have a Christmas adventure and remember the reason for the season!

If you haven’t got a ha’penny then God bless you!

Christmas is a time of giving and a time of compassion. Hundreds if not thousands of organizations exists solely to provide a Christmas present or experience for children who may not get it otherwise. Love for Kids is one of those organizations and a very fine one indeed.

Last Saturday, I had the great privilege to help with their annualChristmas party, the largest of its kind in Texas hosting approximately 3,000 underprivileged children each year. I’ve participated in Angel Tree giving, Salvation Army gift distribution and Toys for Tots collections, but this event is unlike anything I’ve ever seen, and such a blessing to many of those who participated.

The event is held at Circle R Ranch in Flower Mound, TX and has hundreds of volunteers who show up from dozens of organizations. The hundreds of volunteers are needed to make the experience special because soon after they arrive and are assigned to various tasks like arts and crafts, horseback riding or carnival games, more than 60 buses arrive carrying kids from all over the DFW area.

When I arrived with others from my church congregation, I volunteered for the carnival game area thinking I would make a good barker. There were already several volunteers there so the coordinator asked me to join a few others at the adjacent playground. Our goal was to ensure no one killed themselves or anyone else on the small, rickety, old play set. We prepared ourselves not thinking that the playground would be a big draw with carnival games, hay rides, horses, a petting zoo, crafts and so much more, but we were wrong. I never knew that a playground could mean so much to a child.

As the swarm of children came down the hill toward us and began to devour everything in front of it, our little wooden play area came under attack. I proudly took on the duty of the swings to ensure kids weren’t kicked by the swingers and that everyone got a turn. A line quickly had to be formed and the kids entertained while they waited their turn all at the same time as monitoring the surrounding area. What I thought was going to be a hard task of keeping kids safe and an easy task of making them angry with me, turned into a Christmas memory I will not easily forget.

Children went back and forth on the two swings for a couple minutes apiece. I would give some a push and teach the little ones how to propel themselves. For the ones waiting eagerly in line, I asked them about Santa and if they wrote him a letter or saw him yet. We sang Christmas songs like Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Coming to Town. I watched children laugh and smile as their faces beamed telling me what they asked from Santa for Christmas.

One of the highlights of the day was a moment right out of Miracle on 34th Street, when three children, I’m assuming part of a refugee family, from Eritrea were in line. The oldest sibling looked like she was 12 while her younger brothers were probably not far behind. They didn’t speak English and didn’t understand what I asked them, but they lit right up as I sung about Santa’s lead reindeer, Rudolph. Then it was their turn to swing. They had never been on one before and probably never seen one before. They loved it so much and laughed and smiled just from their couple minutes of be pushed on the swings, something millions of us take for granted everyday as our swing sets get rusty in the backyard or park down the street.

Overall, the experience was enlightening and very joyful. I can’t judge the children or their family situations, but I could give them a small amount of my time to help them smile and find a little joy at this Christmas time.

There are hundreds of organizations that do similar, although smaller scale, projects like Love for Kids’ annual Christmas party. I encourage you to go and find something to get involved with. It was an adventure I will not likely forget for years to come. Spread a little cheer and goodwill this Christmas. And if you haven’t got a ha’penny then God bless you!

Christmas Festival

Christianity came to India in a.d. 52. Twenty years after the crucifixion of Christ, one of his apostles, St. Thomas, is said to have landed on the Malabar Coast, established a few churches and converted a number of local inhabitants in Kerala.

This was the first Christian settlement in the subcontinent – the Syrian Church. Today the ‘Syrian Christians’ (as they are known, owing to their spiritual practices and adoption of the Syrian liturgy) form the oldest Christian community in India.

The Syrian Orthodox Church functions as an autonomous body under its Indian prelate but remains loyal to the spiritual preeminence of the Patriarch of Antioch (the ancient capital of Syria).


¤ Advent of Christianity In India

The 15th century was marked by the advent of the Europeans and the beginning of a slow but sustained missionary activity that gained momentum in the 16th century.

The first church in North India was established in Lahore (now in Pakistan), under the rule of Akbar (1556-1605) the greatest Mughal emperor, known for formulating the Din-i-Illahi (‘Universal Religion’, formulated by combining the salient features of various religions).

Today, India is home to 23 million Christians, 50% of whom live in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Christians constitute 2.3% of India’s total population and form the third most prominent religion in India after Hinduism and Islam.

Christians form a majority of the total population in the eastern states of Mizoram and Nagaland, a third of the population of Goa and a quarter of the population of the coastal state of Kerala. But the influence of Christianity can be seen and felt through the length and breadth of the country.


¤ Biggest Festival of Christians

Christmas is the biggest Christian festival and one of the national festivals of India. It celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ on the 25th December every year.


¤ Merriment Celebrations

The towns and villages dress up for the yuletide spirit. Shops get ready to do brisk business and offer mega discounts and sales. Markets are packed with huge crowds. People buy new clothes, gifts (exchanging gifts is an age-old Christmas practice and people choose gifts for their loved ones with great thought and affection), a variety of things to cook, Christmas decorations, amongst other things.

Folks send Christmas greetings to their friends and families in faraway places. People decorate their homes to the hilt with Christmas trees (or the various substitutes available in the markets), wreathes with bright red decorative baubles, festoons, bells and other small trinkets.

In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, people hang beautiful star-shaped paper lamps of various colours and sizes outside their homes. The star lamps of Kerala are however more elaborate with some patterns or cutwork designs on them.

Nearly a week before Christmas, the church, club and school choirs start doing the rounds of their neighbourhood and are greeted by people with cakes and other eatables. Christmas carols are sung in various local languages all over the country.


¤ Special Prayers

Churches hold a special Midnight Mass, attended by most people of the community. People especially look forward to this Mass, as this is not only a sacred prayer ceremony but an important social event as well. Men and women wear new clothes and come for the Mass looking and smelling their absolute best. The Mass goes on for over a couple of hours and people fondly remember the Saviour who gave up his life so that they may live. The ceremonies held in Calcutta, Kottayam (this town in Kerala has the headquarters of the Syrian Church and also a sizeable Roman Catholic population), Delhi, Sardhana (U.P), Martandam (Tamil Nadu), Aizawl (Mizoram), Kohima (Nagaland), Shillong (Meghalaya), Panaji (Goa) and Pondicherry are worth a special mention.


¤ The Festive Celebration

After the mass, people head off home on this hallowed night, and children gambol on their way back, burning sparklers and bursting loads of crackers. Everyone sleeps with a peaceful easy feeling, as the next morning brings with it, the Big Day! On Christmas Day, people get ready for the biggest feast. Relatives and friends visit and wish each other a ‘Happy Christmas’ or a ‘Merry Christmas’ and eat the ‘haute cuisine’ especially prepared for the occasion. Many towns hold special carnivals and circus shows on the 25th and the entire community gets together to have a jolly good time. Young people organise excursions, go out to watch films and shows and generally live it up. Thus, all to soon, Christmas comes to an end but each year, it leaves the people with more memories to cherish.

The Twelve Days of Christmas: Eleventh Day

Christmas is a festival, Christmas is a time for bells, joys, and cheers. It’s a time of presents and warmth that can withstand even the frostiest of snows and the strongest of blizzards. The feeling of contentment that arises from being with your favorite persons, within a city full of excitement, is magical.

But what if the person you hold dearest cannot be there with you? What is a celebration with no one but yourself, confined in an apartment devoid of life, to sing songs with?

Angel Taiga-sama is there to prevent it for you! She will track that person down, carry that person back to you if need be, and quietly leave you two together with a bright smile on her face. Minorin will be happy, Ryuuji will be happy, everyone will be happy. It’s Christmas afterall!



But then… who is going to help Angel Taiga-sama find the one she wants to be with? Who is going to bring that person to her? Who does she want to be with?


“Ah”, she sighs in realization, as tears roll down her soft cheeks. Angel Taiga-sama reminisces her fun times spent with a man named Takasu Ryuuji, how he’d imitated Santa to cheer her up on this lonely night, his delicious lunch boxes, and his reliableness in always backing her up. She doesn’t want those good times to end, she doesn’t, but she has to. She believes she has to because Minorin is her best friend, that Minorin she loves so much… she wants her to be happy too. Besides! Angel Taiga-sama has always been alone; what Ryuuji did for her was enough.

Nonetheless, she’d sob, and will continue to do so until she picks herself back up and sleep through this holy, holy night. It pains Angel Taiga-sama greatly, but at least she knows her feelings now.

Kushieda Minori, who’d ventured to Angel Taiga-sama’s home to ask her what her real feelings are, and instead watched her broke down, also does now too. She knows the fragile little angel needs Takasu much more; she herself can always continue being the happy and carefree Minorin she’d always been. UFOs and ghosts are nice, but… angels are better anyway. And with that, the red-haired girl decides to stop short Takasu’s confession, even if she has to pull her beanie down to hide her suddenly dimmed eyes from his confused stare.

And as for Ryuuji himself, Kushieda’s words must’ve hurt him quite a bit, considering his longtime crush on her. Maybe he can still do something to change her mind, albeit the chances are hardly auspicious. Yet there is something else nagging at his heart. The way he almost forfeited his wait on Kushieda to go back to Taiga… was Ryuuji merely fulfilling his role as Papa? Or perhaps, as the blue-haired model asserted, there is no Papa or Child or any of that House-playing, only a true direction in which feelings lay? His heart certainly knows the answer, but only time will tell through his action and choices.

And so, in this holy, holy night, the story takes a new turn into a significantly different future. Such was the tale of Angel Taiga-sama, the lonely fairy of Christmas Eve, who suddenly found herself yearning, for the first time in many years, for the company of a specific individual known as Takasu Ryuuji.

A quick chat with the 2011 Barossa Vintage Festival Chair, Bill Biscoe

Here at Everything Barossa we just love to celebrate the Barossa and what better way to do that than write about something that is proudly established in Barossa tradition – The Barossa Vintage Festival. We recently had a chance to catch up with the Barossa Vintage Festival Chair, Bill Biscoe and ask him a few questions.

How long have you been involved in the Barossa Vintage Festival?
My first experience with the Barossa Vintage Festival was back in 2003.


How did you get involved?
At the time I was working for Penfolds and I volunteered to be involved with the Rare Wine Auction. Fascinating experience that sparked my interest and led me to join the Barossa Vintage Festival Committee in 2005. Adrian Hoffman was Chair and I was elected Deputy-Chair which was an honour. I was re-elected Deputy Chair again in 2007.

What has been your favourite experience so far?
2009 was the first Barossa Vintage Festival that I chaired. On Easter Saturday 2009 I had to pick up my son from Adelaide Airport and drive directly to Seppeltsfield for the opening event - Carnival. It can be extremely stressful for the all volunteer Barossa Vintage Festival Committee when implementing new events. We worry if new events will be successful, but when I came over the hill and saw the line-up of parked cars and the huge crowds, I felt so much relief and pride that Carnival was so well supported. Carnival set the tone for a hugely successful 2009 Barossa Vintage Festival.


What event are you looking most forward too in 2011?
There are so many great events it’s hard to single out any particular one. Each year the Committee tries to retain traditions whilst invigorating interest. We are trying to increase and emphasise the arts component for 2011. If we can put together a concert/performance to showcase the strong arts scene in the Barossa, this will be a huge development for the Festival. I also love the old favourites:
• The Festival Parade
• The Ball
• Big, Bold and Brassy
In 2011, we are hoping to have a separate and true jazz night i.e. separate from ‘Under a Hot Tin Roof’. The Friday night of the Festival has been dedicated for many years to ‘Jazz under a Hot Tin Roof’ which is always a great party night, but not particularly a true jazz event. As an unrepentant jazz fan, I am looking forward to a true and separate Jazz event. I know party goers will just love ‘Under a Hot Tin Roof’ which we will retain on the Friday night.

How do you think the Barossa Vintage Festival rates against other events you’ve seen?
I personally rate the Barossa Vintage Festival very highly. It’s unique, well managed and its history and traditions are second on none. I have been to a number of festivals and similar events in Australia and around the world, and to me the Barossa Vintage Festival has unique events and a feeling that we are showcasing a very special culture which we are all proud to be part of.

We hear that it takes well over 1500 volunteers to run the Barossa Vintage Festival each year. Why do you believe people are so happy to get involved with the Festival?
Pure pride in being part of the Barossa. We have a unique history and I find it interesting that so many of our volunteers are comparatively new to the region, but still feel motivated to show off that history and be part of the community.

What do you think makes this event so special?
We are a regional area with a unique mix of agriculture, commerce, food, arts, tradition and history. The Town Days particularly reflect this. I feel very fortunate to be part of the Barossa.

Holi – The Festival of Colors in Pune City

Holi is the festival of colors celebrated all around the country at the end of winter season on the last full moon day of lunar. It is also known as ‘Dhulivandana’, ‘Dhulandi’, or ‘Dhulheti’. It is celebrated by throwing colored powder and colored water on each other. Bonfires are lit the day before and also known as ‘Holika Dahan’. Pune city is known for its religion and culture. Holi is celebrated in Pune India by the people of all communities. It is celebrated in the memory of the miraculous escape of Prahlad, the staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu, from the pyre from hands of Holika, sister of demon Hiranyakashyapu. 

Holi falls on 19th March this year (2011). People come together to celebrate Holi on this day. The bonfire is burned on the previous day of Holi to celebrate the demise of ‘Holika’. On the next day, people are ready for playing Holi. The elder member of the family begins the festivities by sprinkling the colored water or colored powder on the family members. Then people visit their friends and relatives to present the wishes for Holi and celebrate by playing colors. 

People drench each other in color on the streets, symbolizing washing away of the sorrows. People toss colored powder and balloons filled with colored water at each other. 

There are many versions of the origin of Holi; however, all relate to the victory of good over evil and love over indifference. The festival timing is based on the Hindu lunar calendar. It generally occurs in late February, March or April.

DIWALI...our favourite festival

DIWALI…Our Favourite Festival
Diwali, the festival of lights, is just a few days away. India is in the mood to celebrate and festivities have already begun. The celebrations and the rituals in different parts of India may differ but the spirit with which people welcome Diwali is just the same. The sound of firecrackers, well lit lamps, beautifully designed Rangolis make this festive month the most enjoyable one for everyone.

Diwali celebrations differ from region to region and it's amazing to see how many different forms one single festival can have.

Celebrations in the East
People in West Bengal celebrate Kali Puja during the festive occasion of Diwali. This is what makes Diwali different in Bengal. Mostly, Diwali is known to be a time when people buy new clothes, utensils and gold but in Bengal the Diwali celebrations are quite different. Evenings are always pleasant as family gatherings, fireworks, lighting lamps, gambling and feasting- all happen during this time. The nights are beautiful and the well lit streets of Bengal are a sight to see.

Towards the east of West Bengal is Assam where people celebrate Diwali by lighting diyas and these decorated lamps are placed on trunks of banana trees. People here believe the banana leaves to be auspicious and is widely used for offering prasad after the Laxmi puja is done. Children, especially eagerly await this festival. For them, it's all about bursting firecrackers and tasting the mouth-watering sweets prepared at home.

In Orissa, Diwali celebrations are again all about lighting diyas, worshipping goddess Laxmi and Kali, bursting crackers and decorating homes. The only thing that makes it different is the ritual where people appease their forefathers by worshipping with a lit jute stem. In Bihar, Diwali celebrations start 2 days before the actual festival of Diwali, and is known as Dhanteras. During this occasion new utensils are bought and kept at a sacred place in the prayer room. Chhoti Diwali is celebrated a day before Diwali and the main day is known for celebrations that happen on a much larger scale.

Celebrations in the West
People in the western part of India, especially in the west celebrate Diwali by worshipping goddess Laxmi, the goddess of wealth. Important is the fourth day of the festival when people celebrate the Govardhan Puja, which also marks the New Year Day for Gujaratis. There is a belief that homes that are not well lit are not visited by goddess Laxmi and this is one of the main reasons why people leave no stone unturned when it comes to lighting every corner of the house.

In Rajasthan too, people decorate their homes with artistic and colourful rangolis, prepare sweet dishes and invite guests in to celebrate together. Firecrackers are very popular and people in Rajasthan are step ahead when it comes to celebrating this occasion with renewed vigour.

Celebrations in the North
Shopping sprees, spring cleaning, heavy discounts and renovations; Diwali is possibly the busiest and the most enjoyable festival for Delhiites. New clothes are a must and people simply can't get enough of shopping for household goods. During Dhanteras, new utensils are bought to usher in good luck. Gifting is a common practice in Diwali and sweets and dry fruits are the most popular amongst all the gifts available in stores. For shopkeepers, this is an important time of the year. There is a belief that sales during Diwali are an indication of how things are to progress in the coming months.

In Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, people are busy decorating their homes with Rangolis and prepare a variety of sweet dishes for loved ones, guests, friends and others. Celebrations begin days in advance and thousands of diyas lit during this festive occasion make this festival quite a magical experience.

Celebrations in the South
In the south, especially in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra, homes are cleaned and Diwali preparations begin at a frantic pace. Ovens are cleaned and scrubbed with lime. Kumkum dots are applied as part of an ancient ritual. Rangoli designs made in this part of India are very popular and are known for being innovative yet traditional. New clothes are worn and people look forward to celebrating Diwali with fireworks lighting up the dark night sky.