Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Happy Diwali


~Happy Diwali~ 

Diwali, the festival of lights is certainly the biggest and 
brightest of all Indian festivals. This ancient  five day festival,
spiritually signifies the triumph of good over evil. As per 
the Hindu mythology ,it is believed that Lord Rama returned
to his native city Ayodhya after an exile of 14 years ,to welcome 
him the entire city was lit by clay lamps and beautifully  decorated 
with colorful flowers and buntings. 



There is a festive atmosphere everywhere, the houses are cleaned 
days in advance and  decorated with colorful lights and tiny clay 
lamps called Diyas. Diyas also called a Deepam, deep or deepak 
are the most integral part of Indian celebrations. These tiny 
terracota/clay lamps are filled with oil or ghee (clarified butter) n 
lighted in temples and homes alike. It is believed that the  flame of 
these diyas is divine and illuminates not only the surroundings but 
also cleanses our  mind, soul and spirit. 



People worship the idols of Ganesha & Laxmi and pray for peace, 
prosperity and happiness .Huge colorful patterns called rangolis
 alpanas or pookalams  are made on the floor while  the threshold is 
decorated with the most vibrant yellow marigolds and betel leaves. 
Tiny clay lamps are placed all over the house. 



Over couple of  days , I have been juggling time between work and 
festival preparations. While daughter has been happily helping me 
with all the festive decorations and traditional sweet preparations 
it was my turn to add fun to the snacktime yesterday. Thus made 
some diya on stick pops to adore our table and a few cheesy diya 
topped crackers for a light evening snack . 

Diya on Sticks 



Halved cucumber slices and carrot topped on a satay
stick. Use a tiny piece of spaghetti to attach the carrot
 flame to the diya. 


Easy peasy  Diya appetizers 

These Diwali appetizers are super easy to make, perfect for 
a quickie kiddo party too !!



Smear crackers ( I have used Britannia cream crackers) with some 
flavored cheese spread , sprinkle some oregano/zatar or  chilly flakes 
top it up with a veggie diya of halved cucumber and carrot.
Bunting- Red & yellow pepper triangles. 

May these little diyas light up your life with peace, prosperity and 
happiness !! Have a wonderful and  pollution free Diwali !! 



3 comments:

  1. Como me atrae la CULTURA INDIA!!!
    La encuentro INTERESANTE, BONITA Y LLENA DE COLOR como tus CREACIONES.
    FELICIDADES AMIGA, A DISFRUTAR DE LA FIESTA!!!
    Conxita

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gracias mucho. La India es muy colorida y hermosa seguramente, usted debe planear una visita a veces.

      Delete
  2. bookmarked!!, I love your website!

    ReplyDelete

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