Of sparkles, sweets & the light within your hearts...Happy Diwali !

Diwali this year...a day of many firsts...our first together...the first one in our own home...my first in Korea...the first away from India...and it has just been a wonderful magical experience recreating the celebration !

The day had started on a lovely bright note and the sunlight lit up every corner of our place, it shone upon the bunch of roses, and bathed my 'jhoola-ganesha' too...

The land of the 'khimchee' and the 'bibimbap' is still under exposed to Indian traditions...we do have a couple of 'Indian' stores where we get our desi provisions, but to hope for 'mitti-diyas' and 'torans' is asking for a bit too much :-) Nor do we have the luxury of Bikanerwala and Haldiram's outlets like some of the other Asian countries...so I ended up doing a bit of DIY (do-it-yourself, for the uninitiated) projects for our home such as these 'hand made diyas'...

...and converted unused mason jars into candle holders....added the 'fall touch' to them by glueing on a few maple leaves from my visit to the park a few weeks back, tied some ribbons and they looked all dressed up :-)

These combined with some lovely earthen 'diyas' that my Mom-in-law sent for us from India, we had enough to keep the home lit up and glowing :-)

Much as I love terracotta and brass, I do think glass has its own charm. I had picked up these textured glass candle stands last month in Korea, and tried out a combination of blue candles with them.Truly hadn't realised earlier how festive the colour blue can be too !

Don't they look magical ?

When you wish everyone 'prosperity' on Diwali, the most evident and 'visible' impact can usually be seen on the weighing scales, thanks to all the sweets that we end up gorging on :-) I made my own 'besan laddoos' for the festival. Did overdo the 'ghee' a little bit, but what the heck, it's Diwali and a little fat always helps the complexion, says my mother ! :-)

Thus far, I have always seen my mother lead the  'laxmi puja', today I thought of her as we replicated it in our home. Love my MIL for sending us two beautiful 'pratimas' of 'laxmi ganesha'...one in silver and the other in my favourite terracotta...I lined them with a simple pattern made with coloured rice, lit up some 'bandhani' covered 'diyas' around them and prayed for the well being of all those I love.

I must share with you that almost everything that could be converted into votive holders in our home was transformed into one :-)

Here is a lovely antique glass butter dish, shaped like a mermaid, gifted to me by my parents that I used to float some flowers and a tea light...

...a handwoven bracelet garlands the candle in this one...

...and a bright and beautiful 'toran' (that I picked up from a timely trip to Singapore last week) surrounds the flickering flame of the candle here...

The 'paan-daan' that I love so much also became a host to some blue tea lights and flowers...loved how this one turned out !

Fresh flowers adorn the home as always...nothing quite compares to the way they light up the home. I arranged a few as the centre piece on our coffee table to add floral festivities to our apartment !

A spanking new 'urli' is an addition to our home that I absolutely love...used it to float some marigolds and candles...

The better half indulged me with this lovely brass 'ganesha' lamp...it looked so beautiful all lit up, with the Lord assuming a graceful dancing pose...

As the lamps flicker in our home and the lights sparkle around us, I wish you and all those dear to you the greatest joy this Diwali ! May you 'shine' in all you endeavour to achieve, may your homes be blessed with all that is divine and may the light of hope and optimism never fade from your hearts. Best and nothing but the best for all of you....have a beautiful and safe festive season. Do continue to enjoy the revelries ! :-)

Snippets from my 'Sun'day !

When was the last time that you dropped all your weekend plans, visits to Costco, brunch reservations, grocery shopping and all the other zillion 'to-dos' on your list and just turned the car around and said, 'I can do without the bread and the milk, as long as I get my quota of sunshine...' and headed to your neighbourhood park for a 'date' with the sun ? :-)
...Well that's exactly what we did today once we left home with all kinds of ambitious plans of getting things done- however, the only thing we did do in this regard, was to joyfully cancel the plans and head to the family park near our home ! And boy, are we glad we did that, for it was one of the most spectacularly beautiful days Korea has seen in the past few weeks with the sun lording over the mighty blue sky and the breeze just mild enough to gently play with your hair and rustle the maple leaves at your feet ! The weather was beautiful, conversing with us, cajoling and coaxing us to put away our cell phones, to disconnect with the world and chase a deeper connect with the universe instead, to indulge in some quality time away from the rigmarole of our regular routine and we happily did as directed !

The park we went to is a huge rambling place and lovely most days of the year (barring the dreaded winter months of course), but today there was something special about it, it just felt so 'alive' ! Alive with butterflies flitting from one flower to the other, with dragon-flies pausing for a fleeting second on our shoulders as they played 'hop-scotch-jump' amongst themselves and with the birds twittering away in flight from one tree to another.

The lotus flower stood proud and 'resplendently-pink' in the centre of the pond,  the sun-kissed mane of the weeping willows waltzed from left to right with their silken strands glistening in the sunshine, the centre of the pine trees showed off their newly acquired deep- orange tan and if you looked carefully you could see spots of autumn on the branches and in bushes, pops of crimson, yellow and red.

The lawns were dotted with colour with the presence of little boys and girls out with their footballs and skipping ropes, and one particular girl stole my heart with her pink butterfly net, chasing butterflies in the sun... :-) There was also a group of Korean toddlers, about three or four year old, out for a school picnic. They made such a delightful sight, darting around the grounds, laughing and running after each other. It brought back fond memories my own school picnics, my friends, the food, the races and the games we would play....of running on the green grass and of the simple pleasures of childhood days spent outdoors ! :-)

There was music in the air as someone hummed a tune and strummed their guitar and it was the perfect moment to kick those shoes off, stretch out on your belly and catch up on your reading or simply lie on your back and catch the streaks of the sun making their way through the leafy arbour above your head...we enjoyed the quiet company of a lovely magpie as he chose to sunbathe its deep blue wings two feet away from our camping rug...how could anyone not embrace a day as gorgeous as this one !! :-)

Today, the park made for a perfect spot for solitude as well as for some time for togetherness, for quiet reflections with yourself as well as for some moments of silent companionship on the wooden benches under the trees...

I shall share another glimpse of it once it has attained its autumn glamour in entirety, but for now, I hope you enjoyed reading about my day as much as I loved telling you about it...getting back to finishing my book, promise to be back here with more very soon. Have a great week ahead :-)

A beautiful belief called 'Karva Chauth' !

'Karva Chauth' is an essential part of this beautiful warm up to the festive season in a large part of the Hindi speaking world. Having spent half of my adulthood in Delhi, this festival is one that I have seen being celebrated with great commitment and reverence in the Northern part of the country. While I always did notice the festive air about the market place near my home in NCR through the corner of my eye, this is the first time I have reason to truly internalise it and read up about it and I was happy to learn some interesting dimensions to it.

Most of you know it is for the well being of your beloved, to pray for his good health and long life. But I was also happy to discover that another origin to this occasion is to celebrate 'god sisters' or 'kangan-sahelis'. In ancient times when the girl got married and left for her husband's village she was far away from her family and home with few to call her own in the new locality. With no relatives to talk to or to meet regularly, she would befriend another woman in the same village who would be like her 'god-friend or god-sister' and this friendship would be sanctified and blessed by the bride's in-laws. 'Karva Chauth', according to some, is also a celebration of this bond of friendship...

I also loved reading about other folklore and legends about this festival, the stories that trace back to the age of the Mahabharata, where Draupadi too observed this fast, as did Queen Veeravati and Savitri. 

I loved chatting with my mother-in-law the past few days and understanding from her how to go about the fast. I do believe in all things traditional, and I enjoyed making notes of the 'dos-and-donts' for the day. I must also share with you that she made the special effort of lovingly sending me my 'sargi' (a ton of goodies that are sent from the mother-in-law to her daughter-in-law) all the way to Korea...a bag full of beautiful things...the 'mehendi', the 'mewa', the 'anjeer ki mithai' , the multi-coloured 'choodis'...so Mom if you're reading this, love you ! :-)

Many have contradictory views on the subject, and debate whether this custom or practice should be allowed, terming it as 'outrageous' and 'blasphemous',  describing how it has a negative impact on the health of the woman observing the fast, staying hungry and thirsty from sunrise to moonrise, while some argue that this is submissively putting the man on a pedestal. Everyone is justified to their opinion, and am sure they have their reasons to form them. I just feel observing the fast makes neither of the two 'less equal', to me it is just another way of expressing your affection for your beloved and making him feel special, from the time the sky is still star spangled in the wee hours of the morning,till it is punctuated again by the sliver of the moon. And what can be more wonderful if the love and commitment (and the fasting) is reciprocated by the other in the equation, as a symbol of mutual respect and devotion :-)

So all you ladies out there who are observing this ritual, enjoy it, dress up and look even more gorgeous today than you always do. Enjoy the 'mehendi', matching the bangles and the 'bindis', the bright colours of your silk sarees and bejewelling yourself. Festivals call for it ! I know am looking forward to my day ahead, to putting my feet up, to getting spoilt and relaxing through the next eight hours or so and to the 'katha-and-kahani' and the 'badaam-ki-puja' with the other ladies in our part of the world later this evening. See you on the other side...have a beautiful day ! :-)

'Pujo' is here !!!

The period of the Goddess is here...it is that beautiful time of the year when all heads bow in worship of the supremely radiant, fearless, feminine force, the divine 'shakti', the warrior Goddess, the one who slays all evil and frees the world from 'Mahishasur' (the invincible demon) ! And it is that time of the year when Bengalis across the world drop everything, work comes to a standstill and the entire community starts to prepare for Maa's descent onto earth, orchestrating festivities in all neighbourhoods, setting up 'pandals', creating the stage on which Maa shall reign, mounting the Lion and holding weapons in her ten hands, yes the season is here, the long awaited festival, 'Pujo' is here again after one whole year !!! :-)

This time of the year is not merely 'beautiful' with the crisp autumn air and 'shiulis' (the Bengali word for the 'harshingar' flower) forming a white and orange carpet on the grass beneath the trees, it is a period which is full of raw energy, where the change in the air is palpable. As a Bengali, I have grown up to love these days, right from 'Mahalay' (the first day of Pujo) when the Goddess comes to earth, to the all important ones from the sixth day ('Shoshti') onwards, earmarked for the Bengali world to celebrate with fervour and force as the Goddess is unveiled and the Pujas officially commence !

This is the first time I am away from my homeland during Durga Puja and the festival becomes even more important and special to me as the desire to recreate and participate in the festivities and revelries of this time of the year magnifies manifold with the distance from my loved ones in India.

As I sit in my living room, the all familiar sight of the frail 'dhakis' beating their leather strapped 'dhak' slung comfortably across their shoulder (almost as though they are feather weight) and that of the ladies and gentlemen serenading Maa, holding 'dhunuchis' in their hands and very often even by their mouth, flashes in front of my eyes. Be it during college or work, I would unfailingly take time off and go home to be with my family during this period. I remember going to the 'pujo-pandal' in my home town with my parents every year and soaking in the electrifying energy of the atmosphere as everyone around us would rejoice and celebrate the presence of the Goddess amongst us mere mortals, in reverence of the destroyer of evil spirits on earth, our saviour and protector ! I remember the excitement of seeing how the 'pratima' would look that year, the preparation of the 'thali' for the 'maha-ashtami puja' with five different varieties of fruit and the names of our ancestors written on it, the critical debate on whether the 'pandal' in the other neighbourhood looked better, the discussion on 'who-will-eat-what' from the food stalls (that started right from the time we sat in the car to get to the pandal, smiles), the queuing up for the 'bhog', the 'khichudi', the 'bhaaja', the 'chaatni' and the 'paayesh' (Bengali word for 'kheer').

I am reminded of the sight of some of the most beautiful women ever, draped in their newly acquired 'Dhakais' and 'Jamdanis', in pearls and flowers, with lace handkerchiefs and sling leather purses, of crisp kurtas and 'notoon' (Bengali for 'new') 'dhotis' for gents...it is Pujo after all,and it is the time to don new clothes and look as festive as you can ! And I as I run my fingers against the fabric of this beautiful saree bought by my father for me from Kolkatta during his recent visit it feels as though am there with my mother and him, participating in all the fun and excitement...

Living in a country like Korea, I have to admit, one is left wanting as far as celebrations for Pujo are concerned. But nothing stops one from creating a fuss about it at home, and am doing what I can to ensure the feeling of 'Pujo' embraces our home, right from painting my own version of the 'pratima' of Maa Durga on my canvas...

...to being courageous enough and venturing into the kitchen to make some Sondesh...what Bengali worth her salt or 'sugar' in this case, would let Pujo go by without some 'mishti' in her house ! :-)

These are 'Norom Paak' Sondesh ('Norom' meaning soft in texture and 'paak' meaning cooked in Bengali) which I made earlier today...made with home made 'chhena' (paneer),sugar and some saffron and nuts thrown in. I didn't have the luxury of moulds and hence the shape (or the lack thereof).

Just like every other occasion, the various corners of my home have flowers to celebrate these festive days. My better half got these as a surprise, which made it even more special :-)

Here are some of them in a teapot that I have seen my parents enjoy their morning tea out of for as long as I can remember ! Seeing it here just makes me feel closer home :-)

Invoking Maa's blessings, I wish you and your loved ones a very happy festive season. There is so much to look forward to in the weeks ahead, I hope you feel the positive energy within your homes and within yourselves during these beautiful days as you celebrate them with your loved ones ! And to those of you heading to the 'pujo-pandals' over the next two days, have some extra mishti for me, and to the ladies out there, do smear some extra vermillion on your cheeks from me during 'shindoor-khela'. I shall remain content feeling the goosebumps on my skin, with thoughts of the distant echo of the 'dhak', of the fragrance of the camphor emanating out of the 'dhunuchi' as the coconut husk inside it burns above the layers of coal and the memories of the frenzy of the dance that accompanies it all...

Signing off feeling festive, actually make that 'poignantly festive' :-) Happy Durga Puja to all of you...until next time..take care :-)