Shuba Deepawali! That means "
Happy Divali" which occurred from October 17 to 20. This year it was very early; it follows the lunar calendar, and usually falls mid-November. In Canada, Thanksgiving came and went, and I didn't even notice! I travelled to Baroda (Vadodara) in Gujarat with my flatmates Richa and Gunjan to spend the festival with Richa's aunt (mamiji), uncle (mamaji), and cousins. We arrived on Thursday morning and spent the day with Gunjan's family. On the way to Richa's family in the evening I had my first motorbike ride, carrying my big pack.
I met Richa's cousins Aprajita, Anamika, and Amrit, and got along really well with the two eldest girls, who spent the whole time I was there calling me didi, or elder sister. The first night I also lit firecrackers for the first time, and had my hair oiled with coconut oil like Indian girls do.
I spent the next few days eating sweets and amazing home cooked food. I bought a diya, or lamp, in Pune, which I brought to light. This is one of my favourite photos.
Anamika and I made a rangoli; the outline and most of the work is hers, but the design on the lamp is my own creation. With this type of art, you drop coloured powders in a pattern on the ground. Most houses drew them for the new year, and part of the round of visits during the festival involves looking at other families' rangoli. I'm very pleased how it turned out, since it was my first time trying this art form.
On Sunday I visited the city. I started at Sayaji Bagh, a large park with a zoo, a museum, and many tree-lined pathways. The museum was very interesting, with many statues from South Asian religious art, and a part of a beautiful wooden Jain temple. It also has a blue whale skeleton! Sadly, photos were not allowed inside.
I bought new Indian clothes for Divali, and tried
paan, which is a mixture of betel leaf and areca nut. It has a kind of menthol taste, and rickshawallas often chew it... and spit red all over the place! It stains your teeth if you chew it too much. The girls gave me a Laughing Buddha when I left. The day after Divali is also the Gujarati new year, so people were lighting firecrackers all over the city the whole week. Students also have vacation, so a lot of families are travelling and making pilgrimages. Fortunately I only had trouble finding a hotel once, but I'll post about my travels in Gujarat in the next week. I took a lot of photos again!!
Shuba Deepawali! That means "Happy Divali" which occurred from October 17 to 20. This year it was very early; it follows the lunar calendar, and usually falls mid-November. In Canada, Thanksgiving came and went, and I didn't even notice! I travelled to Baroda (Vadodara) in Gujarat with my flatmates Richa and Gunjan to spend the festival with Richa's aunt (mamiji), uncle (mamaji), and cousins. We arrived on Thursday morning and spent the day with Gunjan's family. On the way to Richa's family in the evening I had my first motorbike ride, carrying my big pack.
I met Richa's cousins Aprajita, Anamika, and Amrit, and got along really well with the two eldest girls, who spent the whole time I was there calling me didi, or elder sister. The first night I also lit firecrackers for the first time, and had my hair oiled with coconut oil like Indian girls do.
I spent the next few days eating sweets and amazing home cooked food. I bought a diya, or lamp, in Pune, which I brought to light. This is one of my favourite photos.
Anamika and I made a rangoli; the outline and most of the work is hers, but the design on the lamp is my own creation. With this type of art, you drop coloured powders in a pattern on the ground. Most houses drew them for the new year, and part of the round of visits during the festival involves looking at other families' rangoli. I'm very pleased how it turned out, since it was my first time trying this art form.
On Sunday I visited the city. I started at Sayaji Bagh, a large park with a zoo, a museum, and many tree-lined pathways. The museum was very interesting, with many statues from South Asian religious art, and a part of a beautiful wooden Jain temple. It also has a blue whale skeleton! Sadly, photos were not allowed inside.
I bought new Indian clothes for Divali, and tried paan, which is a mixture of betel leaf and areca nut. It has a kind of menthol taste, and rickshawallas often chew it... and spit red all over the place! It stains your teeth if you chew it too much. The girls gave me a Laughing Buddha when I left. The day after Divali is also the Gujarati new year, so people were lighting firecrackers all over the city the whole week. Students also have vacation, so a lot of families are travelling and making pilgrimages. Fortunately I only had trouble finding a hotel once, but I'll post about my travels in Gujarat in the next week. I took a lot of photos again!!
you look like you are having such a great time :) I oil my hair with coconut oil once a week, got that from my cambodian friends lol - cant wait to hear more and see all your pics
ReplyDeleteLooks like so much fun! I love that quirky little smile on your face as you're getting your hair oiled.
ReplyDeleteHmm. Do you think I can find clothes to fit me when I come to visit? Or will I need to see about get some made?
ReplyDeleteSo that's full of festive zeal.. I am really happy to see the nice description of everything that even we would hardly do. The part of PAAN was good, and you are looking great in traditional Indian attire - Suit. Hope you enjoyed the applying of coconut oil on hairs, which is really soothing and tranquilizing after a day's hectic schedules.
ReplyDeleteThe Diya (Lamp) pic is awesome, and depicts one of the finest skills of yours!
Enjoy India and its great vagaries.. :-)
-- Shashank