Do you remember this post from 2013? I keep telling people how Diwali isn’t the same for me any more. For the first 20-21 years of my life, I have seen the Diwali of only one city. All of us cousins live in different parts of India but on Diwali, we all used to gather at our grandfather’s house to do the Puja together. It used to be the highlight of my entire year. We looked forward to meeting each other on Diwali every year. This tradition is slowly fading away. Although the bond among us cousins is as strong as ever (touchwood!), it is not a mandate now that we meet every year on Diwali. I am not even exaggerating if I say that each one of us wants to meet on Diwali still. However, now we are ‘mature adults’ or in the process of becoming so. 😀 We understand how we have our own houses now where it should be taken care of that we light earthen lamps and worship Goddess Lakshmi on Diwali.
For me, Diwali would always mean that. What we had in those years. I am so lucky to have experienced that. I really, really thank God that he gave us the chance to experience those wonderful Diwali years. My grandfather’s house is in Churu, a place in Rajasthan. Trust my words on this, the commercialized Diwali of the metro cities doesn’t even compare to the beauty of the Diwali of these small cities. Especially when we are talking Rajasthan where the people are so, so innocent. Although I am a Punjabi, due to the interactions with my neighbors from my grandfather’s place, I have learnt that the people are very innocent and nice. I would always miss my beautiful Diwali years and they will be written in my mind forever. This is what Ghar Wali Diwali means to me. This would always remain my favorite, close-knit Diwali. 🙂
I would always remember the laughter we shared, the lipsticks we put on as kids to seem dressed-up, the chants we sung together during the Puja as one big family, the toy guns we played with, the judgement we passed on other people’s Rangoli and clothes and most importantly, I will always remember when at the end of the Puja, my grandfather used to light one fire-stick (phooljhadi) in front of the Gods and we all held his arm and sang Diwali-Diwali till it burned. This memory is one of my most cherished treasures. 🙂
This post is written as a part of Indiblogger’s happy hours campaign of #GharWaliDiwali. You can check out further details at https://www.gharwalidiwali.com/. Here’s a video of PepsiCo #GharWaliDiwali film:
PS: Although I wrote this post when I got to know about this campaign, this is one post I wanted to write since forever. It is a very heartfelt post and I am so glad that I finally managed to write it. 🙂
Life of Srish 
We realise the true value of things only in retrospect- or, at least, it appears so for most of the things I seem to love ( hair, money… home ). But that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Once the realisation part is over, we look at things differently whenever they come around- which they always do!
I have been out of home for over 15 years now ( no, not exaggerating ) and have almost forgotten what it used to be with parents and my baby-brother ( who is not so baby anymore
). Reading your post does takes me back in time though. When the world was innocent and sweet…people were good then 🙂
Maybe everything can become the way it was then. Better? Why not 🙂
I am sure you will find ways to be with your cousins and family in days to come. There is always a way to make it happen- if you truly want that. A family reunion that you can organise maybe… Choose someone’s place every year and everyone else gathers there. Rotating venue 🙂
A very happy Diwali to you young lady!
Thank you so much tatsat and i am so happy that you took time out to comment, i know how caught up you are these days. We do meet, it’s just that Diwali is so different now. 🙂
Oh its entirely my pleasure. Just that there is more on my plate that I can manage- and every single thing is as important- hence the absence from around here.
Things only get better with time. Serious but better. So I hope your ‘different’ is of the same flavour 🙂
🙂 all the best and yes, happy diwali! 🙂
I hope you also get time to spend tine with your family just the way you wish 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this Srishty , it was so beautiful , I just cant hold back my tears . Missing my GharwaliDiwali !
Awww Shruti, i know it’s too hard for people like you who are living so far away from home 🙂 do share a post sometime like you did on Onam 🙂
I will 😊 . It’s beautiful ….
It reminds me of my own GharwaliDiwali. And same pinch on the cousins part. We were the most unbearable during Diwali. Someone amongst us always ended up with a burn :-D. Ohh i miss all that fun now. This Diwali is still the worse. I will be celebrating all alone. Sigh!
childhood days are the best, aren’t they? I hope you get to have a ton of fun this Diwali as well. 🙂 Happy Diwali! 🙂
Yeah they are 🙂 Happy Diwali to you too 🙂
Awww !! It sounds so much. Its hard to experience this kind of diwali now a days.
Happy diwali.
http://Www.theitgirl.in
True Mukta di. 🙂 Happy Diwali to you too.
Last year i was all alone.. this year il be home to celebrate diwali★★
Great! I hope you get to have a lot of fun. 🙂
Heyy srishty… thnq and wish u a happy diwali in advance :))
Happy Diwali to you too! 🙂
GharwaliDiwali…. Sigghhh…. It is just a struggle to not have a completely lonely diwali.
I hope you manage fine and have a ton of fun, PB 🙂
This is such a beautiful post 🙂
Thank you 🙂 I honestly did not expect that it would touch so many people.
PS: I hope you are recovering fast.
awww. that’s the sweetest thing. For me Diwali is definitely family time. I don’t have a lot of cousins so it mom, dad and sis that mean the most.
I guess it all depends on how you celebrated your Diwali as a child. That’s the kind you miss the most, be it with cousins or only parents and siblings. 🙂 Happy Diwali Kay! 🙂
We bongs have similar emotions for Durga Puja…though luckily for me…since I stay in the city I grew up in…and since people living outside make it a point to come back home for their annual leave…we end up having good fun! But, for how long…that time will tell!