Diwali

A single 'fountain' pic looks meaningless to me.
Hence i merged the stages and mirrored it. Loved the result!

  The festival of lights or popularly known as Diwali or Deepavali is one of the most widely celebrated festival in India. Contrary to the more publically celebrated Ganesh Utsav, Diwali is more of a private event celebrated by almost every family. Shopping of clothes, lanterns, diyas and sweets precedes the festival. Many families enjoy making their sweets at home. Leaving the religious significance apart, this festival does the very essential role of bringing the families and friends together to celebrate each other’s company. Hanging lightings outside the house along with the lantern, making a killa, making colourful rangolis, eating faraal (sweets), waking up really early in the morning for the abhyanga snan (holy bath), wearing new clothes are some of the things that I enjoy very much; just fills my heart with mirth and cheers up my spirits. The ‘enjoy faraal’ statement is totally visible by the round tummy that’s been popping out of my t-shirt these days.

The lights on earth shall stare at us as we take on the sky

  There are a few events organized in Pune during diwali to which I had never been before. But this year thanks to some very enthusiastic friends of mine I got a chance of waking up at 03:45am and going to Sarasbaug where tons of Punekars gather to light diyas, blow crackers and listen to melodious Bhakti Geets (devotional songs). Feels serene and auspicious just by being there. A new attraction this year were the Chinese lanterns which people loved leaving in the air and watching them rise with the dark blue early morning sky in the background. I couldn't find a dslr camera to borrow this diwali because everyone of course needed their own cameras, hence couldn't capture an image that could perfectly depict the feeling of watching those lanterns fill up the sky just like hundreds of little yellow suns would. If you really want to feel like you celebrated diwali, you have to be at Sarasbaug for Padwa Pahat and preferably before sunrise to experience its complete grandiose.

Shine on you crazy diamond! Fly High!
All those yellow dots in the sky are the lanterns i mentioned above.

"Rise above them all son. Let everyone look up to you. Make papa proud"

  On the very same day, I visited Chaturshringi temple in the evening for Deepotsav and again for the very first time. Once I arrived, I thought why hadn’t I been there ever before even though the temple is just 4km away from my home. The premise was beautifully embellished with many beautiful colourful rangolis, lights and positive celebrational energy. Thousands of diyas later enhanced the Diwali experience. This is the second thing you can’t miss in Pune during diwali.

Many such beautiful Rangolis made by 'Rastriya Kala Academy' beautified the premise.

 As against the boisterous Ganesh Festival celebrations, diwali celebrations maintain their simplicity and yet prove to be equally ethnic or may be even more. You have to attend such events in Pune to feel the intensity of diwali. Finally before we part company I would like to thank literacy and public awareness. Because of these two friends of mine I observed a reduced amount of fire crackers this diwali (at least in my area). And now let me end the article before I start criticizing people who still burst crackers and contribute to global pollution, and come across as melancholic.

Some of these Rangolis were just awe inspiring.
Such a beautiful gradient blended with sweet uniformity.

The newly beautified Chaturshringi Temple.

Similar to the picture on the very top. I really started liking this picture more after my friend pointed out that it looked an eagle flying with all its might.

Camera: Sony W170 Cybershot