That Unique & Pleasant smell of Diwali...!

So it's that time of the year again when the air around is much more ebullient, moods across are unanimously joyous and people on the streets are all in a festive mode, yes it's the festival time in India once again.The festive season starts in late August with the reverberating Dahi Handi and Janamashtami bash, then it's the vibrant 10 day long Ganesh Festival which sets the tone for the festive season which is further toned up by the 9 day long Navratri festivities, where in the idols of different avatars of the Goddess are made and worshipped for 9 days and congruently the colorful Dandiya Raas adds more valor to these festivities, and all this eventually ends with one of the biggest and widely celebrated festival of the country, Dussera. Also amidst all these annual festivals we also celebrate Id with lots of fervor, which falls in the holy month of Ramzan. But the undisputed Amitabh Bachchan of these festivals is Diwali, which is celebrated by one and all irrespective of their faith,sex and race.

In my childhood whenever somebody asked which is your favorite month of the year, I promptly told them its February (that being my b'day month), but in my heart I always had a toss up between February and the months of October/November, mainly attributed to an entirely joyous and festive mood prevalent in these months. And till this day the lead up to Diwali always has an inexplicable but pleasant string of feelings attached to it, the air around is actually so buoyant with lot of freshness and positive vibes that you can virtually smell that Diwali has arrived. And this beautiful something happens every single year, giving you a feeling of Deja'vu!

The smell of fresh paint and white washing in the house makes you realize the fact that Diwali has arrived. The shopping spree in which the entire family or the entire locality or rather the entire nation indulges in before the Diwali day is infectious. All round the year we tend to plan our shopping in and around Diwali; the excitement and frenzy to wear new clothes in Diwali is absolutely matchless. That smell of Diwali special snacks cooked around all the houses is so damn tempting, those dry fruit stuffed Gujiyas, those crispy Salonis, those spicy Mixtures and Chudas, those delicious platter of umpteen variety of sweets apart from the regular Dahi Vadas, Chholey, and Puris are all in a sense a true indicator of the festive and celebration mood around.

And how about our mothers and sisters drawing those beautiful and colorful Rangolis infront of our houses, for hours, to make our houses seem even more beautiful and all set and ready for the D(iwali) Day! Then that further decorating of our houses with flowers, festoons and banana leaves, those string of colorful lights hanged all over the house to make it shine and glitter in the festive glory. That hyper exuberance and super excitement to buy and burn the fanciest of crackers and noisiest of bombs weeks before Diwali which almost turns into a show of might between the fiercely contesting neighbors, are all an experience of its kind.

If this is not all how about all the biggest blockbusters of Bollywood lined up for release in and around Diwali, making it even more special. Also those mega Diwali special offers flashed all across the town by all the leading shops and brands, be it Clothing, be it Furnishings or be it Automobiles, one can easily sense the Diwali mood in the markets which are comfortably five times more crowded than normal. Though the ways and means in and around Diwali might have changed a bit in the last few years, like a greater focus on a greener Diwali as against the noisier and the polluting one earlier, a health awareness amongst the masses to consume lighter and oil free food, even a sad diversion from the pure and natural form of sweets and snacks around Diwali to a much adulterated and a synthetic one these days but the essence and the zeal still remains the same.

Literatures and history might say that Diwali is a Hindu festival but any resident of this country very well knows that this beautiful occasion is not barbed by any religion or faith. Even a Muslim lights lamps and decorates his house on the Diwali Day, a Christian burns crackers with the same excitement as a Hindu does, and a Sikh family cooks and eats as many sweets and delicacies in Diwali as any Hindu family does. Such is the grandeur of our culture, such is the beauty of this festival and such is the unity in diversity of our great Nation.

A Very Happy, Joyous & Prosperous Diwali to All!

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