Its said that when Ram, the crown prince of Ayodhya, returned after fourteen long years in exile, the people welcomed him joyously, decorating their homes, streets, with lamps-Deep- hence Deepavali or Diwali. People exchanged sweets to share their happiness, and dressed in new clothes. After all, Ram-vanquisher of evil, a Vishnu incarnate, saviour of the world, was finally returning home.
In India, memories run long and deep- of even mythological events. Diwali is again upon us-and a sense of excitement fills the air. Weeks before, fabrics are bought, tailors are visited, bothered, spring cleaning begins at home. As the week approaches, special Diwali sweets are planned, and cooking begins-days of cooking snacks and sweets to be put away for the festival days. Children's hands reaching into jars are tapped off, husbands scolded lightly for dipping into goodies. Coloured paper streamers hung across doorways, thresholds decorated with coloured rangoli.
The actual festivities begin two days before Diwali. First day is Dhanteras-a day to invite Lakshmi-the goddess of wealth home. Lamps are lit outside doorways before dawn, swastiks are marked for auspiciousness, and footsteps in red marked leading into the home-just to make sure she finds and enters the threshold. People throng to the silver shops and buy silver as a token of peace and prosperity.
The next day is Kalichaudas; a day when women are granted their share of beauty for the year. Early morning ritual bath with sandalwood, cream, turmeric,is followed by dressing up in fineries. Traditional Indian dressing is an evolved art form, where the eyes are kohled, forheads painted in a kum-kum red dot, hair braided, coiled, sarees draped. Flowers for the hair, and jewellery for the rest of the body. Silver payals around the ankles, and silver toe rings. Silver belts to adorn narrow waists; gold bangles for the wrists, rings for the fingers, and arm bands;necklaces of gold and gems, and also earrings, noserings. For a daring few, gold tika on the forehead. Finally the women and girls are ready to welcome their prince.
Diwali day sees a stream of visitors in and out of homes, and children dressed in fineries taking trays laden with holiday delicacies to neighbours. At night, lamps line thresholds, windows, balconies, oil lamps that cast their golden glow on sparkly homes, smiley people, excited children. Finally there are the fireworks-coloured sparklers in hands of children,"flowerpots" that throw out light,sparkley volcanoes of fire, fire wheels spinning furiously on land, or in hand, and rockets carefully poised in empty bottles taking off for the stars in brilliance of red and green.The prince has finally arrived!
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