Homesick on Diwali!!!

One early morning in October, I got up with a very morose mood since Diwali was getting just around the corner. I was not looking forward to the festival as this year for me it would be like any ordinary day, without friends and family. Since I moved to Dallas just a few months ago from New York, I still cannot avoid comparing my life here to what I had in New York. This time of the year is especially more agonizing without my close friends.

New York was my second home after India. Diwali for me and all my dear friends, who are so many that we always thank god and touch our head that no one should ever cast an evil eye on our friendship, was to have an evening of total bliss. The enthusiasm of each was greater than the other- from dressing up in one of the most gorgeous ethnic outfit to the contribution with the most relish able food item for the potluck. Playing cards the whole night, dancing to the dhamaka Bollywood music were some of our group favorites. We would then settle down on the Karaoke system around 4 a.m.to a lovely musical dawn, as we have a few amazing singers in our group. The chirping of the birds matched the tingling of our spoons, early morning stirring the hot tea that preceded the goodbye that would soon take place. The most innocent hugs that were exchanged to conclude, gave us the assurance that each one was silently wishing the best for a bright and prosperous year ahead. We all stuck to each other like family, thousands of miles away from home.

This particular morning I had good reasons to be upset. My friends like my family will be missed a lot. I am sure a lot of them would be cursing me for the hiccups that I gave them. But they would still forgive me for I know how much they care.

Time and again I prove the proverb that ‘one sees only what one wants to see’. And this morning, the desi radio station in Dallas was announcing about ‘the Biggest Diwali Mela’ that was organized by the DFW Hindu Temple. I was skeptical to go there as I always refrain from a lot of crowded fun. For me it is less fun and more noise & chaos. Since there was not much of a choice, I let myself lose to experience a different kind of Diwali this year. I know once I settle down here and have found my friends I might not get a chance to go to a Mela.

The first impression of the event was the grandeur of more than hundred booths that circumferenced the stadium. There were all kinds of food stalls one could imagine and also a lot of ethnic jewelry and clothing stands. There were elephant and camel rides, magician and jugglers. It truly looked like a mela scene straight from a Bollywood film. There was Ramleela and Ravan dahan which I had least expected. KK’s concert added the much zest to the entire event. It was a beautiful evening with temperature in 70’s and the audience swayed and screamed their approval with each number he sang.

This mela was on Nov 3^rd, almost 2 weeks before the actual week of Diwali. But, it wouldn’t stop here. There was a DJ Diwali night organized the week after that, there still are events every weekend till the end of November for Diwali celebration. It is interesting that even in India we do not have such stretched Diwali celebrations. This sure is a different country that celebrates every occasion on a weekend irrespective of the date it falls on. People work hard the whole week and play harder on the weekends. The biggest Indian festival does deserve this treatment for sure.

The Indian grocery stores are bustling with happy cheerful moods of people, trying to buy everything for the festival.  The diya’s were already out of stock when I happened to stop by. I had to dig into all the broken pieces to ultimately land up with a souvenir of one diya.

The Indians surely enjoy their mithai and cannot miss out on any opportunity to indulge, which was more than evident from the long queues at the sweet vendors. My last stop was at the jeweler’s store which gave us a grand welcome. All the men and ladies behind the counters were dressed like Kings and queens in brocade Kurtas and jewel adorned sarees respectively. And why not, the business did look rocking, as every person had bought something valuable on the auspicious day of dhanteras.

This day did feel like I had witnessed mini India here in the US. Should I still be homesick? Home is where you feel your loved ones are, and I am excited today that I will soon find those loved ones amongst those faces which I might have seen today. But, I will still cherish, miss and remember my family and my friends from every corner of the world. Wishing them a very Happy, achieved and prosperous Diwali!!!

Navneeta Khemka