Deepawali: Festival of Lights

"When East, Meets West"


Walking through the streets of Delhi, I could smell the build up to the Deepwali. All the kids were out on the roads lighting their firecrackers and scaring the hell out of me. People of all ages were out on the streets doing some last minute shopping and the sweet stores were packed with variety of orders from Ladoos to Gulab Jamun, Khalkaan (my favorite) and of course Jalaybee. I dont know how I am going to survive in India with all these temptations. I was able to make my way to Amit's house without any issues. Actually I was shocked to see how busy the roads were but thanks to the wonderful Metro system ( its better than New York and Vancouver!), I was able to make it over in less than an hour.

Well everyone was napping when I went over. The entire family had just arrived from the States and jet lag had kicked in. Not to worry, Amit and I ended up heading out to the one of the local bazaars and chilling at a near by Barista. I am so happy that I haven't seen a single Starbucks since I arrived in India. India actually has it's own brand of coffee shops- “Cafe Coffee Day” which serves really good cappuccino's and lattes.

As the sun set over Delhi, we made our way back to the family house to begin the festivities. Surrounded by tons of food, fruits and yes sweets, we ate, heard stories and just talked for hours. I got to meet Amit's extended family and play with Keshav. He's growing up so quickly and is fascinated by doors and well all shiny objects. Of course, the main topic of discussion was the upcoming nuptials and the organization of the fun and 5 days of festivities.



The Chakra- The Crazy Wheel!

I got to light my first set of diyas (lamps) and place them on the terrace and we ran off to begin the real fun- Fireworks! I didn't realize there were so many varieties! Chakras (spinning wheels..soo much fun) to the flower pots and my favorite of all the Anar (Its basically and explosive pomegranate and so colorful)

The skies of Delhi lit up with various Fireworks. Every time we let out the big one (firecracker) the entire building shook with intensity. But , it was amazing to see it up close and personal.



Anar- The Explosive Pomegranate!


Note to anyone reading this blog: NEVER let me light any form of a firecracker. After lighting the big one, rather than moving away like a normal person, I stood there trying to see if it would actually shoot up in the air. Lucky for me, Amit was close enough to move me out of harms way. I know I am a silly goat. Oh well. With all the excitement, we finally managed to fall asleep at 4 am. The fireworks continued until dawn.