And this is Diwali 2023

It was intentional to take my flight from Georgia to Bangalore in the end of October just in time to celebrate Diwali.

Various sources:

"Diwali is often called the Festival of Lights and it is celebrated by lighting lamps and bursting crackers and fireworks. It is a festival which commemorates the victorious return of Lord Rama after saving his wife Sita from the demon king Ravana."

It is celebrated in Hinduism and Sikhism.

It is a 5 day celebration that symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. "

My accomodation was set up with my friend, Umar, who I stayed with on my last trip. Whenever I talk to him, he always reminds me "You are welcome to India anytime." He is the person who always wishes me a Merry Christmas, a Happy Easter, Happy Diwali, International Woman's Day, and any holiday in the 365 day calendar. I could always talk to him about my passion to revisit India and we always kept in touch. He was a real friend and he had his own plans for Diwali for visit his family in Mangalore. He was leaving just after I arrived and I was planning to stay in Bangalore and spend the holiday with my close friend's brothers family. I have my own family in India, but I do not keep as much as I do with my Indian friends...who I love so dearly.

I left the house around 1pm. It was a bit late as I was still tired and resting from the overnight flight that threw off my sleeping routine. I felt a bit refreshed with the couple extra hours of sleep. I walked outside the door and saw a girl in her mid- twenties and her mother placing all the flowers on the ground. The lines of yellow, red, and orange all beautifully and delicately placed on the ground.

I commented, “Wow that looks beautiful” and the girl smiled at me and kindly invited me over to the door. It was just one small comment and she kindly invited me into her home.

She said, “Please, come in.” I told her where I am staying and what brought me to Bangalore. I told her I am mixed, which is often the first thing that comes to my mind to mention. Why? I am very proud to be an Indian and I want to make sure that people know who I am. I would much rather identify as an Indian than American, but it an interesting conversation starter. I am grateful for my upbringing and my time in USA, but I just let people know that I prefer to live abroad.  

The first thing the mother says to me is “I am also mixed.” I am from Aslam and this is my daughter, Naryana. They kindly ask me if I would like some tea or coffee. She makes me an amazing coffee and asks me how it is and if I want sugar or if she needs to add sugar. So incredibly kind and attentive, which is how the real and authentic Indians are and I appreciate it so much.  

They spend time educating me on Diwali and all the different festivals that were in October. She mentions how beautiful the celebrations are in Kolkata and how I must visit the Seven sisters or hills of India. The area of West Bengal is a must visit and she hopes I can go explore the region. She says I will definitely love the beauty of the people and the different types of food. I shared with her my strong desire to go to Kolkata. She said in Kolkata they have celebrations for a whole month and they have the Durga Puja, which I also read about on the top ten places to visit for Diwali.  

They asked many questions about my life and intentions in India and some I had an answer to yet others were a bit of a questions mark. I am staying with my close male friend right upstairs, but it is hard for Indians to understand a woman staying with a male due to the cultural norms of society.  

They said that they recently moved in just  

15 days ago, but the house felt just like a home. You would think they lived there at least a year. She said that her father is stationed in Delhi for work and she attends classes during the day. They are usually home and they encouraged me to please stop by again. It always amazes me how these people I meet can be warmer than any family member I have…it is truly a phenomenon how beautiful people connect and understand one another in such a short amount of time.  

We parted ways and I went off to the Iskon temple. I had not visited the temple for quite sometime…7 years to be exact. I loved the energy of the temple and the traditional rituals. Walking on each square step by step chanting“Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hara Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare “ until you make it up to the first temple. People lay on the floor worshipping and people bring coconuts and flowers. There were two smaller temples and then the main temple where you sit on the red carpet and worship the beautiful idols in front of you and the Swami is on the left of the temple. There was a group singing the chant and lots of people going to the front to say their prayers.  

I am not sure what the exact terminology of the temple is because I am Christian, but I have learned a significant amount traveling across India meeting multiples swamis, monks and gurus (having my own amazing Guru who I cared for so much). 

When I was sitting and admiring the beauty and I got up the guard was smiling at me and doing the traditional head nod back and forth. I really am an Indian because I give the same exact nod back time and time again.  

Every time I go into the temple, I get a blessing- you put your hands over the fire and then you take the oil and drink it. I usually just rub it on my arms and on my hair- the right thing to do. I just like to feel that blessing all over me (that sounds a bit strange) For me, there is nothing better than the blessing from a religious figure. It lifts my spirit up especially when I am feeling down. 

As I walked down, there were two young girls inviting people to a dance group and lunch on Sunday, which I put my name on the list to attend. I told them that I am Indian and she said, “Oh You are a hybrid.” We laughed so much as I think I heard someone say that to me, but it was a very long time ago. She said I hope you come see us on Sunday. I definitely wanted to participate in anything in the community-always open to new experiences especially in the temples.  

After I left I went to the Bazaar where I had to buy some nampkins for my Diwali invitation.  It is quite entertaining going into the store and asking for things.  They try to understand what you are asking for and they give you options. They always get shy when there is a foreigner around and they are laughing in such a cute and friendly manner. I was confused with the whole nampkin thing until I saw it is just salty snacks, nuts, and dried fruits-basically it is not the sugary or sweet treats.  

I took an auto(Riksha) to Kempegowda bus station. This station during Diwali celebrations (quite a zoo). The auto directed me across the street and I asked the conductor which bus to take and he pointed at the 233 that looked like it was about to leave. I ran just in time to catch it and off I went 25 stops or so to my destination. Many locals think I am crazy for wanting to take the bus as they would never even imagine doing such a thing, BUT I absolutely love taking the bus because I can sit up high and see all the different area, the people on the street, the cars next to us, the mad traffic, and the different restaurants and streets. It is just one of my favorite places to be-the bus especially when it is not super crowded.  

While there is a tremendous amount of beeping, that is just all vehicles in India. From the bus I could see the firecrackers shooting up into the sky. It sounded like there were bombs going off every few minutes. It was like July 4th, but 5 days straight of it. I then got off the bus and took an Ola E bike to my destination. The E-bikes are very comfortable, and the drivers are generally very good.  

As I was riding on the back of the bike, I was just sitting and watching all the fireworks in the sky and streets full of people setting off those firecrackers with the streets painted in chalk and flowers covering the ground.  I arrived at my close friend’s brothers house who were nice enough to include me for their Diwali celebration. Immediately, they were so kind and welcoming. I brought some Diwali items for her and she was so grateful. She was an artist and I was not sure of his profession. Tatu, Byra’s brother was a Software engineer. The artwork done by her was incredible. She was so humble when I told her how talented she was and how she should showcase her paintings. She never had an exhibit, but she would love to one day. She walked around the house showing me all her different paintings. She also showed me the jewelry she makes and offered me a piece to wear and keep.  I insisted I could not keep it, but I would wear it for the evening. This woman was so talented and  it is a shame that some people just do not get the opportunity for others to see what talent they do have. Those who are privileged with money usually get to showcase their work.  

We went around the house lighting all the candles. Occasionally the wind would blow them out and we would relight them.  They sat and told me the ancient myths about the snake and Rayana. They told me these stories like they just knew the exact details and explained everything so clearly. They told me that the lights at night are to bring good fortune and get rid of the evil. The light should shine brighter than the day so that goodness comes peoples’ way. It was interesting to hear about Rayana as I was watching a series about him. His 10 heads represented the knowledge of six shastras and four vedas. Ravanna chopped off his head 10 times as a sacrifice to Lord Brahma.  

They had a big statue of Saraswati upstairs and there was a white duck there. They told me about this duck and why it is white. Ducks when they eat food- they always filter out what is clean and pure. The duck represents purity and fresh air.  

They had purchased many firecrackers and they promised their maid’s kids that they would all go to the rooftop and set them off. The kids arrived and the older girl was dressed in a beautiful red sari with gold bangles and the younger boys looked like twins. Tatu explained that they do not get the best education they need in school and it would be a goal for them to start an NGO to teach kids the skills they need that are not taught in public schools. Tatu-sweet, very good looking, mysterious with a great smile and sense of curiosity. He wore a yellow kurta with a symbol of (Ganesh) I believe in the corner.  
We went upstairs on the roof to start the fireworks and the kids were so excited. I had a bit of fear of the noise, but I later joined in on the fun and let myself enjoy with everyone. The best part was sending the lanterns off. I did this when I was in Thailand years and years ago at the Lantern festival. You make a wish and just pray to God that it comes true. I just kept wishing for peace as I wanted to just feel content rather than so much sadness and loneliness.  

We were waiting for another family to arrive. All of them were local friends that again come from the are of West Bengal(these people seem to be really nice from this region whenever I meet them). In comes a young boy just 16 who speaks perfect English and is so adorably cute. He asks me the best questions in the most innocent way. I tell him that I traveled through India for 6 months and he asks all kinds of questions. He tells me that if I am a foodie, I definitely need to visit Kolkata. He said you can get different types of food everyday for days and days. He loved the food so much that he could not even name his favorite-there were just too many.  

He asked about USA and what he should know about the culture and his father said he would love to travel to Chicago and New York. His son was just in 10th standard, but once he finishes his exams in 12th he will travel with his lovely wife who is by the way, a fantastic chef. This Bengali food was definitely making a statement on my stomach.  

His father I truly met multiple times throughout my travels. He was just one of those entertaining and animated indiviudals who made you laugh. He said that since my father is Indian-that makes me a real Indian and don’t let anyone tell you any different. He was so comical in everything he said and they spoke English most of the time so I could understand besides their little rants they had, which I just love to sit and observe. It is so cute how they try to reason, they make jokes, and just laugh about the silliest things.  

We sit down and eat and I watch as everyone eats with their hands. It is fascinating for me the way Indians can manage so well that way. The young boy asked me, “Why don’t you eat with your hands?” 

I wanted to tell him that “my family frowned upon me when I would eat with my hands so I just stopped doing it, but I said that I was not really skilled at doing it and preferred a spoon. Post pandemic, I definitely will not be eating with my hands-sorry India.  

The 16 year old, lets call him Tatul, he said that his mother knows how to make 10 versions of Papadum, but at this time we will have just three. The kindly served me first with the food made specially for Diwali, vegetables, potatoes, and this amazing homemade chutney. They were worried there would not be enough food for everyone so I tried to resist eating more when they offered it to me.  

Tatu was trying to explain to me in English what they were chatting about and I said “Don’t worry I am just enjoying my food.” 

     Having homemade Indian food is my greatest pleasure in life.  

After we ate, we went up to the roof where the 3 hours of setting off firecrackers began. T hey had traveled to a special place 30 kilometers away to get the firecrackers and boy they were definitely special. They had like 15 varieties and they were all super cool. I never thought the experience would be so enjoyable. Tatul kept encouraging me to light them up and I lit up a few, but the best entertainment was watching them do it. Tatul said he had been lighting up firecrackers since he was 3 years old-Indians were true experts-something I really didn’t know. They started off with just one and then they would light multiple fireworks at a time. They would burst right in front of them and I would get scared something happened yet they would just run off laughing. The innocence that Indians have when doing things, the way they enjoy, they just have fun, and they experiment with trying new things.  We lite maybe 3 or 4 lanterns and one ended up hitting the power line and we were all laughing. The last one they let me help light and we watched it fly off deep into the blue sky into the stars.

We each made a wish as we would watch a lantern fly off into the dark midnight sky. May all our wishes come true God. Let the light shine bright over the dark.

Spending time with these types of people and feeling like you are valued as a guest makes such a special experience. They want to make sure you are having your best time and they do everything to make sure you are happy. I spoke with Tatul about his plans and he said he wants to go into the medical or engineering field.  He had the rubix cube and he was showing me the steps to solve it. At this point, it was 3 am-wayyyy past my bedtime and it was not the time for me to learn the Rubix cube secrets. They ended up leaving and 

Tutul said to me, “It was very nice to meet you. I hope that one day we can welcome you into our home.” What a lovely, lovely child they raised-you could see how proud they were of their child. It is all in the eyes. An evening to remember for sure….