Diwali Celebration with a local family

Overview

Diwali is known the world over as the Indian Festival of Lights. It’s about celebrating the triumphant return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile. It celebrates the triumph of good over evil, as Rama defeated the demon king Ravana. It’s a time of thanksgiving for a good harvest and the start of a new year for those in trade and business. On a more intimate level, it’s a wonderful opportunity for families to get together under one roof. Diwali is all about sharing and caring and enjoying the wonderful camaraderie of shopping and eating and dressing up in your finery and having fun.

Why you will love it

• Experiencing the rituals of Diwali in a local home
• Joining in the jubilant spirit which marks the Festival of Lights
• Sharing the intimate atmospherics of a Diwali meal with the host family 

What you will experience

This is a great time to spend time with a local family. Living with in their home, you get to witness and participate first hand in all the joyful things to celebrate Diwali. You will join family members in the old ritual of making the rangoli at the entrance of the home. A tradition handed down from mother to daughter, the rangoli is an auspicious sign to ward off evil and to welcome for the gods and guests who will enter the home during the festivities. You will get to help light up the interiors and exteriors of the house with the clay diyas and candles bought from one of the many pop-up potter stalls and carts which come up in the local market during the festival. This ritual symbolises banishing the darkness of this moonless night (Amavasya). It’s about banishing the evil in us, a kind of cathartic cleansing of our souls. It’s about lighting up the way to guide the Goddess Lakshmi (goddess of wealth and prosperity) to the house. Dressed in your finery, you will participate with the family in the Diwali Lakshmi Puja rituals at the shrine in the house with a priest in attendance. Along with the Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Ganesha, the Hindu elephant god, the remover of obstacles, is always worshipped on Diwali. The beautiful puja ceremony is followed by a festive Indian dinner along with traditional Diwali sweets. You will love being part of this intimate gathering.