Just shine

It’s beginning to feel a lot like… Diwali. The festival theme is creeping in when we catch up with friends or ring the family back in India. To get into the mood full on, what else can we do but bring out the diyas! We ask our friends here to pick their favourite diyas

COOL CANDLES Manan Luthra

I like candles of different shapes. Mum gets my sister and I to pick our own candles for Diwali. When we were young, we used to bring out the number candles left over from our birthday cakes. They became our ‘special’ Diwali candles. Then we started buying our own cool candles. Cupcake candle was always a favourite. We found animal candles, ice cream cone candles, watermelon candles and other fruit shaped ones, and car and truck candles. One year we picked really cool thong candles. But Mum said she didn’t want chappal candles for Diwali.

THE DIYA AS HERITAGE Sanam Sharma

There are days that are all about tradition, and Diwali is one of them. In these times of fancy LED lights, there is a soothing romance about lighting up your home with those traditional earthen diyas that flicker long and slow through the jubilant Diwali night. Eight years ago, for our son Arjun’s first Diwali, my wife Jasdeep and I bought this old-style, rustic, handmade diya It has since remained the centre piece of our Diwali decorations each year. An important part of passing on our cultural heritage to our kids in this adopted homeland is for them to understand the folklore associated with these festive occasions, and diyas are therefore an inherent part of Diwali celebrations in our households. This particular diya holds a special place for us for it has marked every single Diwali for us, since Arjun was born. This Diwali too, we shall wash it clean and fill it with sarson ka tel (mustard oil), dip a cotton wick deep into its sanctum, and let it sparkle our Diwali night.

LIGHT THAT DISPELS THE DARKNESS OF IGNORANCE Dhanya Samuel

The nilavilakku always ignites the fondest of memories for me. It takes me back to my childhood and my annual holiday visits to Kerala. Quite contrary to popular belief, the nilavilakku is not just significant to the Hindu religion, but also extends its significance to other religions. A strong and vivid memory is the huge lamp that adorns one of our ancient churches, the oil and wicks constantly replenished to ensure that the lamp is always lit, signifying the victory of good over evil always. I remember my aunt telling me about offering oil as a donation to the church, a practice by most believers who visit the church which helps keep the lamp constantly lit. And we would always collect a little oil from the base of the lamp to bring back home, as it is considered to be holy. My belief in the ritual has waned over the years. But every time I light the nilavilakku in my home, it’s not just fond memories but also the belief that light is like knowledge which dispels the darkness of ignorance.

THE MAGIC OF LIGHT Aparna Ananthuni

I don’t do diyas, but I do have a favourite diya in a work of art. In this watercolour portrait of a young girl dressed in a salmon-pink sari and shielding a richly painted, lit diya from the wind, we see the quiet, secret magic of light. It gilds the golden blouse of the subject, casts a warm, friendly glow over her sari and face, and seems to have its own personality. The portrait is highly skilled in its realism, and yet the direct gaze of the young girl (artist Haldankar’s third daughter Gita Uplekar, then aged just twelve) and the shadows blanketing the wall behind her, combine to create a sense of mystery and subtle happiness. ‘Glow of Hope’, finally, makes light both a beautiful and complicated thing.

HOPE AND LIGHT Chetana Ganatra

Diwali symbolises hope, knowledge and the victory of light over darkness. Of the various rituals involved in the celebrations, the lighting of a terracotta oil lamp, or diya, is my favourite. The diya illuminates the whole house with its warm glow and is a delight to behold. On Diwali, every nook and corner of my house is lit with an oil-andcotton-wick diya - it brings a sense of enjoyment and celebration in my household. On one such fine occasion back in Mumbai 15 years ago, there was festivity in the air just before Diwali. For almost a week, I had been noticing a frail old lady, fondly called Aaji (grandmother), sitting in a dark and lonely corner of the local mall. Her handmade diyas were not exactly selling like hot cakes. But that didn’t sour the friendly smile with which she greeted passers-by. That she had not lost hope was endearing. When it was time for me to buy diyas, I decided to get them from Aaji rather than a fancy showroom. I didn’t need to light the diya for its light; I felt a glow inside when I bought it from Aaji and saw her face light up. The diya travelled with me across the ocean as a cherished possession. Aaji’s undying optimism - that’s what it reminds me of today.

NEVER JUDGE A GIFT BY ITS WRAPPER Punita Udeshi

I have a set of brass diyas that are very close to my heart. On our first trip back to India as husband and wife, Gopal and I visited Pune. It was Diwali. Gopal had been to university there, and rented a flat with a few other students. A retired couple, the Sardesais, were their neighbours and would invite them for meals from time to time. During our visit to Pune, they invited us newlyweds for dinner and showed us the fun side of their retired life. Uncle, a retired army officer and Aunty, a social worker, made the most of this stage of their life. As we took our leave, the Sardesais gave us warm blessings. To my utter bewilderment, Sardesai Aunty handed me a box of Bagpiper whisky. Times must have changed in India, I thought, if new brides are given alcohol instead of something traditional! Back home, I opened the pack - out came the parts to two beautiful brass diyas. I will never forget Aunty’s laugh when I described to her my (double) surprise, the next day. For 14 years since, the brass diyas have come out for Ganpati Pooja, Diwali and all other auspicious functions at our home. When it’s time to put them away, they are disassembled, and stored in the very same whisky box they came in! My diyas remind me of the gorgeous couple who gifted them to us - their blessings are always with us.

CANDLES WITH A CAUSE Tia Singh

I was raised in Australia, but there were a few times that I was lucky enough to celebrate Diwali in Delhi with my grandparents. I remember buying diyas from the Blind Relief Association’s annual Diwali Mela. This Mela has become quite an institution in Delhi over the past 30 years. It all started with a simple effort to teach visually impaired people a skill - making earthenware diyas and wax candles - as a means of earning a living. Today, their beautiful, handmade candles see people lining up at the stalls, and subsequently selling out. Although they themselves cannot see, their effort to spread a little bit of light is inspiring. I encourage all to embrace the spirit of Diwali by buying charitable candles to light up their homes with. There are plenty of places that sell the most wonderful candles for a variety of charitable causes – women, children, and animals in need. My favourite diya is a charity candle.