Diwali is by far the most beloved festival in India. It is sort of like Christmas. It was my first significant holiday off from work, so I decided to visit my friends in Bangalore. I stayed with Nimish and his mom Promilla, and it was a super time. It's definitely worth staying with a family for Diwali, because my favorite part of the festival was all the friends and neighbors coming by to bring homemade crackers and cookies, and everyone sitting around visiting and drinking tea. My favorite part within the favorite part of food and snacks was helping Promilla make stuffed parathas called kachoris. You roll a ball of dough, work a big hole into it, put some ground dal filling into the hole and pinch it closed. Then you roll it out into a flat disc and carefully put it into a wok of hot oil. Fry on both sides and watch it puff up like a balloon, and eat hot with pumpkin spiced with garam masala and cilantro. Yum! THE BEST!
Here's the first night they called "dress rehearsal". We even "practiced" lighting fire crackers. :) Here is also cousin Tushar, Nimish, Promilla, and brother Ayush practicing their prayers.
Diwali is the festival of lights, and represents the triumph of good over evil. Nimish's family are Jains, so for them it represents the birth of their main prophet Mahavira. Promilla drew this picture! These pictures are from the "real night". Filling the tiny terra cotta lamps with oil and wicks, arranging them, and lighting them was so much fun. Just like decorating a Christmas tree.
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