Recipe to a great Diwali by Gopika Kapoor

Gopika Kapoor, Kidsstoppress Guest blogger tells us the recipe for a great Diwali.

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Gopika Kapoor, the author of well known books like Spiritual Parenting: Wisdom (and Wit) for Raising your Child in a Stress-free and Spiritual Environment, asks all the mommies to spend their time doing activities that they enjoy rather their following certain norms that restrict them to do so.

Recipe for a Great Diwali!

It’s my favourite time of the year again.

This is a time when my house smells and looks clean and fresh after its annual clean up. When I have an excuse to unpack and wear my mother’s exquisite Kanjeevaram sarees with jewel tones and delicate gold thread weaving through them. When vibrant rangolis decorate the entrance to every house. When every weekend there’s a party, candle-lit evenings of laughter, sumptuous food and friends sitting on plump white gaddas, catching up or playing a friendly hand of taash(cards)

In the pomp and grandeur surrounding India’s biggest and brightest festival, Diwali we often tend to forget the real reason behind the festival and all that it signifies: the triumph of good over evil, of light over darkness – told through the story of Lord Ram’s victory over the demon king Ravan. There are so many traditions to be followed during the festival of lights, which are laden with beautiful meanings. But often in our rush to clean the house or buy new clothes or recover from numerous taash parties, we forget about and ignore these very important rituals that are in fact, the essence of the festival. And who better to remind us of our traditions than grandparents.

For our kids, their grandparents are like the pensieve – a basin-like object in which people pour out their memories – that lay in Professor Dumbledore’s office in the Harry Potter books: any time they want a peek into the past, all they have to do is talk to them and another world can open up in front of their eyes. Those of you whose kids are lucky enough to have grandparents living in the same city, please take advantage of this! Take them on a trip down memory lane and talk about their childhood and what Diwali was like when they were little.  Ask them the meaning behind the rites and rituals we perform. Pester them for stories about the victory of Ram over Ravan, and any other myths surrounding Diwali.

 If you don’t have grandparents who live close by, adopt grandparents. It could be the aunty who lives on the 2^nd floor and who must be missing her own grand kids who live in the US or the uncle you say hello to every day at the park  – they’ll probably be thrilled to talk to your kids.

Here are some other tips to help you create a super-dooper Diwali:

1. Festival time is family time, so make sure you spend lots of time with the family, young and old.
2. For gifting, try and give gifts that are made by NGOs. This way, the joy you spread will go a little further than the ones you are gifting to.
3. Let’s all resolve to make this Diwali pollution free, and hence fire-cracker free. Apart from the smog they cause, the bangs, whizzes and shrieks of the crackers terrify birds and animals.

Wishing you and your family peace, abundance and infinite happiness this Diwali! May the light of the lamps shine on your life throughout the year ahead.

Happy Diwali!