First off, I need to clarify that my favorite festival is the Navratri festival, the one that just went past us. I love it for the golu, the doll display, and all that it includes and entails. But then there is the radiant festival of lights – that wondrous festive Deepavali – right after. It is both literally right after the Navratri festival – on the calendar and in my heart. The magic of Diwali is truly a sensory experience!
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The Magic of Diwali: A Journey Through the Senses
Deepavali endears itself to me, and to many around the world, in so many ways. From the memories it brings to the way it incorporates itself in all the senses.
Sight: The Dance of Light
Diwali invariably lights up every corner with glowing diyas, twinkling fairy lights, and the shimmer of sparklers. Homes seem to shine with the vibrant rangolis and the diyas on their pathways and porches. It’s as if everything is dipped in magical hues of light, creativity, and tradition!
As for fireworks, I am glad that they are banning them across many places to reduce pollution and allowing only some of them, like the sparklers and such. And I am also loving the availability of ecofriendly options. Like this spinning top which can double as fun toys for kids, or these stakelights for the pathway that can light up our yards like mini fireworks(!).
While I know the lights might be dancing with gusto in India, they certainly do a gentle glide here in the USA – one that is more than enough to wrap us in a festive ambience!
How to use these clay diyas:
- Prepare the diya: Before using a clay diya, you can soak it in water for a couple of hours to make it less porous and less likely to absorb oil. If they are already painted, then you can skip the soaking process because the paint will prevent the clay lamps from absorbing the oil anyways (like mine pictured above)
- Add a wick: You can use a cotton wick or make your own by rolling cotton balls into a thick thread.
- Fill with oil: Traditionally, clay diyas are filled with sesame oil. Though you can use any other too.
- Light the wick: Ensure the tip has absorbed the oil too and light it.
Keep the diyas on coasters or tiles if you are using them indoors.
Sound: Echoes of Celebration
I love the sounds of Diwali, even here miles and oceans away from India. The air seems to hum with the symphony of celebration – the crackling of sparklers, the laughter and cheerful greetings at the festive gatherings, and even the gentle clinking of cutlery at these get-togethers.
For me, there is also the soundtrack of memories: that familiar sound of my dad waking us up, and MS Subbulakshmi’s Suprabhatham playing in the predawn air (yes, somewhere around 4 am!).
Smell: Fragrance of Festivity
Even for me, whose sense of smell has taken a nosedive (pardon the pun!) these past few years (I am guessing a round of asymptomatic covid in its infant days), there’s a scent that’s unmistakably Diwali. It is a fragrant mix indeed. And while today, here in the US, it is more a memory than the reality, parts of it still linger on Deepavali morning and in the weeks around the festival with the sweets and snacks I try to make in the days before, the sesame oil I warm up with peppercorns the night before to use for the Ganga Snanam on the day of, and the memories of scents from years ago.
Add to that the smoky fragrance of diyas, and it’s as if each breath takes us deeper into the festival. And if we do manage to wake up for the pre-dawn oil bath ritual using that sesame oil I mentioned earlier, even the air feels a bit more festive and fresh on Diwali morning.
Taste: A Festival for the Taste Buds
For as long as I can remember, Deepavali has been a treat for my (and well, everyone’s) taste buds! The flavors are unforgettable, and I speak from memories of years past and present too!
Every bite of the countless laddoos, halwas, and barfis (the quintessential 7-cup burfi) is pure delight wrapped in nostalgia, while the crunchy, spicy snacks — my mom’s marvelous mixture comes to mind first, and then the murukkus, omapodi, kachori, and more — offer that perfect balance, teasing every sense.
Of course, I need to include the smell, sight, and the taste of the leghiyam, that magical confection/paste we had to eat first thing in the morning, right after our oil bath. But I have to admit, it was necessary to counter all the indulging to come. I still make it whenever I can, though nothing comes close to what mom used to make.
And this year, I hope to get into the sweet-and-snack making timeline early next week, in time for the festival. If you are feeling like having some sweets or snacks now, do let me know! Or you could check your nearest Indian grocery store (if you live in the US) and get some of these for yourself.
Images from years past:
Touch: A Warmth You Can Feel
The warmth of Diwali isn’t just in the lights; it’s in every hug, every blessing, and even the feel of sweets between our fingers! There’s the soft comfort of a new outfit, the textures of beautiful saris and intricate rangoli patterns we create, and that thrilling moment when we hold a sparkler, feeling like we’re grasping a bit of stardust. Diwali is a celebration one can feel in every touch, every decoration, and every family moment.
The Sixth Sense – The Spirit of Diwali
Beyond our senses, there’s a sixth sense of warmth and belonging. It’s that unexplainable joy and peace that fills us, reminding us of love, light, and life’s beauty. This spirit of Diwali is what lingers in our hearts, long after the lights are packed away. And I cannot forget those long-ago early morning sparkler competitions, where the first one to light up in my sleepy neighborhood in the middle of nowhere practically glowed with victory—literal sparkle and all!
Diwali is truly an immersive experience where every sense is engaged, creating a powerful memory we carry with us long after the lights fade. It fills our senses, this festival of lights, laughter, and love that we look forward to each year.
Bookish Memes Five: The Forest of Enchantments
The Forest of Enchantments by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (Fiction/Mythological Retellings)
The Ramayana, one of the world’s greatest epics, is also a tragic love story. In this brilliant retelling, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni places Sita at the centre of the novel: this is Sita’s version.
The Forest of Enchantments is also a very human story of some of the other women in the epic, often misunderstood and relegated to the margins: Kaikeyi, Surpanakha, Mandodari. A powerful comment on duty, betrayal, infidelity and honour, it is also about women’s struggle to retain autonomy in a world that privileges men, as Chitra transforms an ancient story into a gripping, contemporary battle of wills.
(1 & 2) Book Beginnings and First Line Friday
BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAY is hosted by Rose City Reader. What book are you happy about reading this week? Please share the opening sentence (or so) on BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAY! Add the link to your blog or social media post and visit other blogs to see what others are reading.
Happy Friday and welcome to the FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line.
The first excerpt from the prologue… (The Forest of Enchantments)
This excerpt below from the first chapter…(The Forest of Enchantments)
3 Friday 56
THE FRIDAY 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice (currently by Anne at HeadFullofBooks) To play, open a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% on your e-reader). Find a sentence or two and post them, along with the book title and author. Then link up and visit others in the linky.
From The Forest of Enchantments
4 Book Blogger Hop
The purpose of THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, and befriend other bloggers. THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer.
Which horror-themed book or novel is your all-time favorite? Which one made you shiver or made you feel like it was Halloween?
I don’t really read much horror but I recall that reading The Exorcist kept me awake for a few nights more than even watching the movie
5 Other Posts to Read to Enjoy the Magic of Diwali
- Five For Friday: Fascinating Facts About Diwali & More
- Pumpkins and Diyas: Celebrating Wonderful Festivals Together
- Diwali: Then Now and Later
- 7 Great Children’s Books About Diwali
- 13 Quick Tips to Get Your Home Diwali Ready
And Now, the End of this Post
Dear reader, what are the sensory elements you associate with the festivals you celebrate – be it Diwali or any other? What are your favorite parts of the same? Do let me know
This sounds like a great book. I need to read it.
I love how you describe the sights, sounds, and flavors that make our Diwali celebration so special! Navratri/Durgapuja is my favorite festival, too 😍❤️.
Happy Divali. It sounds like such a beautiful and sensory celebration. Many people mark this event in the UK
It was nice to read about this celebration, and preparing a diya. I enjoy learning more about different traditions.
Just read this beautiful post about the magic of Diwali. I love how it captures the celebration through all the senses!