Shopping for Diwali

Like with Christmas in the West, Diwali, which is happening this weekend, involves a lot of shopping: decorations, gifts, sweets, new clothes. Unlike in the West, the bulk of the shopping happens just a week or two beforehand (instead of months!). The shops in the lower bazaar burst into a explosion of colors, and the street suddenly teems with people jostling each other as they search for the best deals in silk flower arrangements and garlands, blinking fairy lights, candles in every shape imaginable (from tea lights to dogs and cats to fruit and corn), and sparkling banners proclaiming, “Welcome,” and “Happy Diwali.”

There are piles of little clay pots, which will eventually hold oil and a wick to light the way home for Lord Ram, and men sell bags of cotton to turn into wicks. Tables are heavily laden with mithai, including pastel-colored burfi, a fudge-like milk-based sweet (sometimes studded with nuts or given a thin layer of edible silver), and laddoo, balls of dough soaked in sticky sweet syrup. People buy boxes by the kilo to give to friends and family. Hanging from yellow and red awnings are lengths of colored string, from which images of Ganesh and Lakshmi hang in either paper or silver plastic. For children, there are shiny paper hats with noise-makers attached to the top (the kind often found at kids’ birthday parties), with a little straw that hangs down so the child can blow into them.

 

At night, the bazaar lights up with bare bulbs, shining through plastic beaded chandeliers and flower garlands in primary colors, and multicolored fairy lights in the shape of bulbs (both traditional and round), flowers, and stars.

I did a little Christmas shopping myself and picked up a few things to bring home. There were some pretty tea lights for sale, in holders that were decorated with tiny beads and sequins. I also picked up a couple pretty kurtas with silver thread woven into the fabric and metallic edging along the hems – perfect to wear at the holidays when I get home.