Culture Check!! [West]

By immersing ourselves in other cultures beyond our own, we can learn about each other—where people came from, what their traditions are, and what they struggle with as a community. It also forces us to criticize assumptions held about our own daily life and practices, encouraging incredible personal growth.

So here we are again to enlighten you with how different regions of India celebrate Diwali!

Today, we will cover the Western region!!

West India also celebrates Diwali and the arrival of Goddess Lakshmi in style. Making Rangolis is an integral and sacred part of Diwali celebrations across all states in western India. Families make intricate and colorful Rangoli patterns at the entrance of the house and in the puja area to welcome goddess Lakshmi. Small footsteps of the goddess are made all over the house. The imprints of her footsteps are symbols of wealth entering the house along with the goddess.

MAHARASHTRA:- Maharashtrians perform Lakshmi Puja in their homes and organize a feast known as “Faral.” There are also some places in the state where people perform rituals to worship their cattle. People’s houses are resplendent with rangolis and diyas, along with a kitchen overflowing with sweets and snacks! A fascinating tradition is the offering of a sweet called Naivedya to the goddess. It is a delectable treat made of coriander seeds and jaggery. It is also quite common for people to wake up early to bathe on the day of Diwali after applying a powder made of gram flour called Uptan.

According to the people of Maharashtra, in the archetypal Marathi family Diwali starts from ‘Vasu-baras’ which happens to fall on ‘Ashwin Krishna Dwadashi’ date according to the Marathi calendar. This includes a celebration held in respect of cows that are considered as a mother in the Hindu religion.

GUJRAT:- Gujaratis have a cause for double celebration! Not only is it Diwali, but the day also coincides with the Gujarati New Year and is considered immensely auspicious. Some houses in Gujarat leave a diya of ghee burning the whole night. The residues of the flame are collected to make kajal the next day. The women apply this kajal on their eyes to bring prosperity to the family in the coming year.Diwali in Gujarat begins in the second lunar fortnight of the Hindu month Ashvin and according to the Gujarati calendar, is also known as the month of Aso. What makes Diwali in Gujarat unique is that the state announces an official five-day holiday to bring in the festivities with a bang.

RAJASTHAN:- In Rajasthan, the famous temple of Nathdwara rings in Diwali with great religious fervor. The deity at the temple is washed with milk and adorned with gold ornaments. Also known as Govardhan Puja in many parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat, the ‘bhog’ prepared on this day is special for devotees. The forts and palaces in Rajasthan are magnificent in their own right, but they look even more majestic lit up for Diwali celebrations. One can enjoy the display of fireworks or traditional dances that are specially arranged in the evening.

This it for today!! We will cover East India tomorrow!

We hope you now know about at least a few cultures other than yours and appreciate the multi cultural nature of our nation!

See you all tomorrow!!

-Priyal Rao (Vice Cultural Prefect)

Session 2020-21