Desi Talk

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know 5 DIWALI SPECIAL November 1, 2024 Ancient Recipe For Joy: Light Up The Diwali Night! D iwali is here once again with its festive celebration. Over the years of accultura- tion, Diwali has involved serious efforts to relive the nostalgic cele- brations mainly in the privacy of homes, to bring and pass on awareness of its cultural significance and to preserve the heritage for the younger generation. At home, most families have their children participate in the festival preparation and celebration, leading to the second generation of Indian Ameri- cans to grow up knowing the history, and the traditions. Since parents, espe- cially mothers, made it fun, Diwali has remained a festival of fun and joy and family time. Mothers have taken immense care to see that their young children learn about the festival, and their cultural heritage and the festivals get accepted among their classmates at school. Dr. Vrutti Dave-Shukla, a pediatric dentist and a second generation In- dian American born and raised in New York, told News India Times her fam- ily loves Diwali. She said she and her daughters light diyas around the house, make sweets, decorate cookies, create Rangolis, and enjoy sparklers. They also perform puja together and dress up in traditional clothing, she said. Dave-Shukla said she shares Diwali stories with her two daughters, bringing the festival to life through pictures and videos, also discussing the differences in celebration in India and here in the US. Her daughters love making rangolis, decorating, and putting up the lights, Dave-Shukla said. “It’s a beautiful way for us to connect with our culture, and they truly cherish the family time,” she said. Brinda Soneji, Product Manager, a first generation immigrant in NewYork, told News India Times her children love cel- ebrating Diwali at their home with lights, puja and food. She said her daughter even shares Diwali celebration stories with her friends at school, and hosts Diwali party at home. Soneji said her children love making sweets including cookies and coconut rolls, making rangolis outside on the gravel and inside with special rangoli col- ors. “They love the opportunity to dress up,” said Soneji. Her children also love meeting close family friends and listen to stories of the festival, she said. Professional accountant Dharini Trivedi told News India Times her family loves celebrating Diwali with lights and diyas on the porch, and rangolis in the house. On Diwali day, it is a must for the family to visit the temple early in the morning, and then visit relatives and eat good Indian food, she said. Her children also love to participate in the rangoli competition at the Diwali party, she said. Shreya Mehta, a senior Product Man- ager in a Fintech company, is a second generation Indian American. She told News India Times that she and her kids love to be in NewYork, with a large Indian community in Long Island, many mandirs and many events, she said. Mehta’s Diwali celebration includes a puja at home with her family, a tradi- tional full Gujarati dinner for Diwali, with desserts including barfi and penda, and snacks like mathia and farsi puri, a big celebration at the temple, and a party with friends, she said. Mehta said her children love the BAPS temple’s special kids Diwali celebration with rangoli con- tests, dances and other activities. At home, her children enjoy draw- ing on the driveway with chalk to make rangolis and decorating the house. Her children like learning the cultural and traditional significance of the festival rituals, she said. Kalpita Parikh, a Pharmaceutical Scientist, told News India Times her fam- ily celebrates Diwali traditionally, with decorations and food. Parikh said her daughter began draw- ing rangoli at the age of 4, having seen Parikh decorate the house, drawing rangolis and winning prizes at rangoli competitions. Parikh’s daughter loves Diwali and is interested in rangoli and candle decora- tion, and organizing interactive Diwali Trivia and Diwali games for kids at the annual Diwali party, Parikh said. Now in medical college, Parikh’s daughter orga- nizes a Diwali party at her college dorm. Ruta Dave, a former school teacher in the NY school system, and the Claims Administrator at her husband’s Insur- ance company, told News India Times she celebrates Diwali with her whole family performing Laxmi Pujan on Dhan Teras. The whole house is decorated in flower garlands and lighted up, and later sweets are exchanged with neighbors and friends. Dave remembers telling Diwali stories to her sons when they were children. She said her grown sons are spiritually inclined. They respect the Diwali tradi- tion, she said. IT Specialist Poonam Shah told News India Times Diwali celebration with her family begins with cleaning of the house, decorating the house and making sweets with the daughter helping enthusiasti- cally. Shah said she cooks special Diwali food for home and for the Annakut at BAPS temple. On Diwali day, Shah’s daughter wears an Indian dress and takes Diwali gifts and special fusion dishes to her class. “Last year, she made Jalebi bark and rasmalai cake,” Shah said. Her daughter also vol- unteers at the Parker Jewish rehab center. At home, for her daughter’s friends, Shah organizes an interactive Diwali party, she said. Those countless hours and days moth- ers spend every year on explaining and arousing the spirit of the festival have definitely paid off. The second generation Indian Americans do not shy away from claiming their heritage. Instead, they feel and share pride in it. By Archana Adalja Poonam Shah’s daughter (in red dress) participates in interactive Diwali game to guess the ingredients in a dish at their organization’s Diwali party. Poonam Shah’s daughter performs the Diwali puja at her home. Photo:CourtesyShreya Mehta Photo:CourtesyPoonam Shah Photo :CourtesyKalpita Parikh Photo:CourtesyPoonam Shah Shreya Mehta’s daughter paints rangoli on her driveway with chalk to celebrate Diwali. Kalpita Parikh performs Diwali puja at home. Photo :CourtesyDhariniTrivedi Photo :CourtesyDhariniTrivedi Photo :CourtesyDhariniTrivedi Dharini Trivedi and her daughters create a rangoli on the porch of their home for Diwali. Dharini Trivedi’s daughter (left) participates in a Diwali rangoli painting competition at their organization. Dharini Trivedi’s daughters participate in the Kids Diwali at BAPS Temple.

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