delights

Manpreet Singh

mad moment, he put the turban on Ted’s head! Now Ted has an impressive personality, and the photograph of him with the turban hit many newspapers next day with the title Maharajah Ted It was fun and at the same time, something to be proud of as we shared a piece of Indian culture with the Premier and people of Victoria.

Something similar happened at another Diwali event that was organised by the Bank where the chief guest was former Lord Mayor John So. Rakesh and I realised that there was no Indian music available, so we got the Aussie DJ a CD from my car, and we played it at the event. The Indian Bollywood music had everyone on the floor

True communal harmony Amitabh Mattoo

My most memorable Diwali experience was in 1975, at my home in Srinagar in the beautiful Kashmir valley. We lived in a neighbourhood that had Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist and Hindu homes right next to each other. Unlike today when Kashmir has become synonymous with violence and conflict, in the 1970s the valley was synonymous with religious and cultural harmony and togetherness.

in no time, including Indian High Commissioner Butshikan Singh and Lord Mayor John So, as we urged them to try some Bollywood moves. The Mayor later told us it was the first time he had ever danced to a Bollywood song and even though he liked Bollywood, he never thought he would ever be able to dance like them. He enjoyed the experience and his photograph speaks for itself. Diwali for us is all about sharing our vibrant Indian culture with everyone and spreading the joy and light of this festival with fellow Australians.

This Diwali will be a special one for the Raizadas, as they celebrate the launch of their new venture Ramon Consulting & Financial Services.

On the morning of Diwali in 1975 (I was 13 years old then), all the children in the mohalla first collected money from the elders and then went to buy the best fireworks from nearby Maharajah bazaar, which was converted into huge fireworks supermarket. And in the evening, instead of celebrating Diwali just in our own houses, everyone, Sikhs, Muslims, Buddhist and Hindu families, assembled in the grounds of nearby Amar Singh College, ate together and then watched the spectacular display of fireworks. It didn’t matter which faith we belonged to, or our political loyalties, we all came together in celebrating the victory of good over evil. Those were the days, unimaginable in Kashmir today! It’s a special Diwali for Dr Matto as the AII has just concluded its fifth successful year of operations, and continues to build positive Indo-Oz relations.

There have been so many happy Diwalis, I couldn’t possibly pick one! Ok, let me see, turning all the lights on in the house on Diwali night, but first checking to see there were no fused bulbs and changing them if there were any; helping to line up the façade of the house with electric light strings, which would stay on from just before Diwali to just after Guru Purb, which is equally significant, if not more so for us Sikhs. Then there’s that much awaited afternoon when we would be taken to the shops to purchase our choice of patakas; the endless parties night after night in the week of Diwali as we made the rounds to homes of close friends and family; the special little things I would have for all my cousins, especially as the oldest cousin in the clan; the special moments with each of my brothers on Bhai Dooj (Brothers’ Day). Oh, there definitely were some notso-happy moments which we all still laugh at today, such as when my hair went up in flames from a stray phooljhadi (sparkler), or when my brother burnt his hand! But overall, the outstanding memories are those magic moments of sharing and happiness and nonstop partying… A very Happy Diwali to you. May the diyas enlighten you, may the crackers add a sparkle to you; may the candles fill you with hope, and may your fears go up in smoke! Congrats to Manpreet as she celebrates her Walkley Award nomination and UNAA’s media award for increasing awareness of women’s rights and issues. It’s certainly going to be a happy Diwali for her!

symmetry to the mango-marigold torans, while giddy sugarcanes propped precariously against jambs.

Rangoli, riotous or regimental, claimed their rightful role in the foreground. Clay lamps were lit in rows in the home, and colourful paper lanterns or Akash kandeels proudly stood in every doorway.

While mothers and grandmothers spent time in the kitchen making sweets like laadu, karanji, shankarpali, chakali and chivda, us youngsters had our own things to do. We used to make a fort called a ‘Diwali quilla’, out of mud, cardboard and upturned clay pots. This tradition from Maharashtra signified the victory of the great Chatrapati Shivaji over the Mughals and kings of other dynasties. The fort was built over many levels and toys from our collection vied for space in this display. GI Joes rubbed shoulders with the Air India maharaja; a clay Marwari seth and his sethani dolls, the South Indian dancing dolls stood incongruously next to varied plastic dinosaurs. Meccano robots and the Magic Sando man in his sleeveless vest were the most unlikely sentinels.

The quilla was as much a part of the preparation for Diwali as baths followed by heavy feasting on Diwali goodies or pharal

Little ornamental clay pots filled with puffed paddy, coriander seeds and round airy light sugar batashas candies were placed besides Lakshmi and Ganesh. I vividly remember my mother patiently answering my incessant, curious questions, telling me that this pooja was a thanksgiving gesture, a symbol of prosperity and plenty, which celebrated a bountiful harvest. The paddy puffs symbolised the staple, the coriander seeds stood for all the spice of life and the batashas were representative of the sweet things in life! A lovely explanation for my young mind.

Far away from the idyllic Diwali of my childhood, I now celebrate the festival differently, sometimes not even on its designated day if Diwali falls on a weekday! But we do celebrate! And we cherish these memories while creating new ones for my children, our hearts full of gratitude for the values and experiences our parents have bequeathed on us.

This Diwali will be a special one for Shruti as it marks her VET resources and compliance consultancy company

NEXTEXT’s first year.

Lessons learned Nalin Sharda

A particular Diwali memory sticks in my mind, when I was about 10 or 11. A favourite post-Diwali pastime for us kids was to gather all kinds of leftover stuff from the firecrackers of Diwali night and play around with them. For instance, we would melt them down and try to create more of the cherished patakas for one last splurge. I was doing just this when some of the burning stuff fell to the ground. By instinct I extended my hand to catch it, supposedly to save the floor from burning… well, you can guess the rest of the story!

There’s much I’ve learnt from this incident, I have to say. The first lesson, of course, is that firecrackers are dangerous and they do so much damage every year.

The second lesson, and the one that I share with my research students on a regular basis, is that children are the best researchers, and so we must learn to think like them while doing research. My mum must have told me innumerable times that firecrackers are dangerous, but did I remember her words? No, I had to try it out for myself! It was probably my first ever science experiment, to investigate the behaviour of chemicals when strong heat is applied to them!

Another lesson is something my dad taught me, and which I practice to this day. If you’ve suffered a burn, don’t rush to put it in cold water. Instead, put it as close to a heat source as possible, that is, as close and for as long as you can tolerate. You’ll notice that after some time, the pain will ebb away, and this is when the healing process starts. You will also find that no blisters will form if you do this. I actually used this method only recently when I burnt my hand after picking up a very hot plate that sat next to the stove in my kitchen.

Daughter Pallavi’s recent Bollywood success ensures that this Diwali will be a special one for the Sharda family

Compiled by Rajni Anand Luthra and Sheryl Dixit