Diwali!!!

Also known as the festival of lights, this is the occasion when the whole of India celebrates the return of Rama to Ayodhya and the slaying of Narakasura by Lord Krishna. Families get together, no matter where the members are scattered, to enjoy this day every year. The rich and the poor both dress in brand new garments and pray to the Gods. Lights, fireworks and delicacies make these family moments even sweeter and more memorable! The old and young become equals for once while playing with firecrackers, thus proving the existence of a child inside each one of us. The obnoxious fumes of gunpowder miraculously transform into a pleasant scent! With gunshot-like sounds all around and kids carpeting the streets with thousand-walas, walking on the streets does seem impossible without running the risk of becoming hearing-impaired! Once the sun sets, the dark sky is adorned with SO many hues from the rocketing crackers, (making up for the absence of the moon) that it almost seems as a tribute to the gray carpet speckled with sparkling diamonds that’s almost like a blanket protecting us from whatever is out there in the universe (scientific facts to be ignored here)! It is an endless joy to just watch this glittering celebration, when the sky doesn't seem so distant for it appears to join us in these festivities! Oops, am I getting too poetic? ;) Pardon me, but it's because of the day's spectacular light show that left me not just dazed but also with a warm passion for Indian traditions like these!