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Diwali My Way

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Diwali brings hope and cheer to all age groups. It’s a festival in which people participate with great enthusiasm and joy. Various delicacies, rituals and practices are observed during these five magnificent days. This Diwali, RobinAge asked its readers about various Diwali traditions and got some surprisingly amazing answers

KAINAZ ZAROLIA, CLASS 6, ST JOSEPHS CONVENT SCHOOL

What are the different things you do during the five days of Diwali?

I like bursting crackers on Diwali night but I don’t burst too many crackers as they are harmful to the environment. I am looking forward to cooking during this festival.

I would like to bake a cake and prepare a Parsi delicacy out of semolina and seviya.

Diwali is also celebrated as the season of gifting. If you were to gift an underprivileged child something of your own, what would you give away?

I would willingly give away my toys which are in a good condition and my clothes which I don’t need. I would also like to buy something small for them from my pocket

money.

State what you like, and dislike, about Diwali.

I love the prayer service which takes place as I love watching people pray together. But I hate the noise made by firecrackers that burst throughout the night.

If you were told to avoid crackers as they harm the environment, would you not light crackers?

Definitely, I would give up crackers for the sake of the environment. But I would light up extra diyas because it is a festival of lights.

According to you, what is the one strange fact or tradition about Diwali?

I think the gods and goddesses are very beautiful, but I really find it strange when they have so many heads!

Describe Diwali in three words.

Colourful; Bright; Amazing

HIMIKA SHAH, CLASS 5, SHISHUVAN SCHOOL

What are the different things you do during the five days of Diwali?

On Diwali day, my friends and I go to my father’s office and take part in the pooja. We also worship our car by drawing a swastika on it and garlanding it. The main door

of the house is also garlanded and prayed to. We conduct Lakshmi Pooja and perform some rituals according to the Jain religion. On New Year’s Day, we visit our relatives’ and friends’ homes and wish them Saal Mubarak.

Diwali is also celebrated as the season of gifting. If you were to gift an underprivileged child something of your own, what would you give away?

I would like to give my toys, clothes and some sweets.

State what you like, and dislike, about Diwali.

I like cleaning my house and I help my parents decorate the entire house with diyas and lanterns. I also enjoy cooking sweets with my mother and then exchanging

them with my friends and relatives. But I hate the sounds of crackers bursting throughout the night as I cannot sleep with that noise.

According to you, what is the one strange fact or tradition about Diwali?

It’s strange that Raavan, a demon, is considered as a god in many places.

Describe Diwali in three words.

Colourful; Gallery of gods; Bright

PRATEEK ASOLKAR, CLASS 5, SWAMI VIVEKANAND HIGH SCHOOL

What are the different things you do during the five days of Diwali?

We conduct poojas, meet our relatives and friends and give each other gifts and sweets.

Diwali is also celebrated as the season of gifting. If you were to gift an underprivileged child something of your own, what would you give away?

I would give away my toys as well as clothes.

State what you like, and dislike, about Diwali.

The best part of Diwali is bursting crackers, but I hate pollution.

According to you, what is the one strange fact or tradition about Diwali?

I find Bhai Dooj really strange because it is like Raksha Bandhan. I feel I am celebrating Raksha Bandhan again.

Describe Diwali in three words.

Lights; Happiness; Enjoyment

SIMRAN DHAVADE, CLASS 6, AUXILIUM CONVENT HIGH SCHOOL
What are the different things you do during the five days of Diwali?
I go out with my parents as it’s time for our Diwali vacations in schools too. We take blessing from elders and enjoy the company of our family and cousins.

Diwali is also celebrated as the season of gifting. If you were to gift an underprivileged child something of your own, what would you give away?

I like soft toys and I have many teddy bears, so I would like to give them some of my teddy bears.

State what you like, and dislike, about Diwali.

I like bursting crackers the most and I hate having the pehli aangol known as uthna, which is a bath that is had by mixing herbal and medicinal powders in water and has a very bad odour. But it is compulsory as my mother says that all are sins are washed away after having the pehli aangol.

If you were told to avoid crackers as they harm the environment, would you not light crackers?

Yes, I won’t, as the environment is the best part of my life.

According to you, what is the one strange fact or tradition about Diwali?

The pehli aangol or uthna is the strangest thing about Diwali.

Describe Diwali in three words.

Happiness; Enjoyment; Spreading of love everywhere

ADITYA RAVISHANKAR, CLASS 9, DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL

What are the different things you do during the five days of Diwali?

I like Diwali to be simple. I enjoy my Diwali with my family and burst crackers with them. I follow all the rites and rituals which have to be followed during the festival of

Diwali. Especially during the haldi-kumkum, my mother calls everyone and a pooja is done at home.

Diwali is also celebrated as the season of gifting. If you were to gift an underprivileged child something of your own, what would you give away?

I like reading a lot of books. I would like to donate my favourite books to them. State what you like, and dislike, about Diwali. I like the burning of Raavan the most and I don’t hate anything about the festival of Diwali as everything is good and perfect.

If you were told to avoid crackers as they harm the environment, would you not light crackers?

I would burst crackers as Diwali just comes once in a year and I really enjoy bursting crackers.

According to you, what is the one strange fact or tradition about Diwali?

All the people of different religions come together and enjoy the festival, which rarely happens.

Describe Diwali in three words.

The best festival!

PARTH SHAH, CLASS 5, G D SOMANI MEMORIAL SCHOOL

What are the different things you do during the five days of Diwali?

Along with my family, I conduct Lakshmi Pooja. The other days are usually spent going to relatives’ homes and wishing them. I also burst crackers, though these days

I do not burst as many crackers.

Diwali is also celebrated as the season of gifting. If you were to gift an underprivileged child something of your own, what would you give away?

I have many cricket bats so I would give away a few of them. Also, I would like to hand over a few of my books, which can be useful for them.

State what you like, and dislike, about Diwali.

I like watching the colourful and different kinds of fireworks. There is nothing that I hate about Diwali.

If you were told to avoid crackers as they harm the environment, would you not light crackers?

I would think about it as I am aware about the harm they cause to the environment, but I would not give them up completely.

According to you, what is the one strange fact or tradition about Diwali?

I don’t find anything strange about this festival.

Describe Diwali in three words.

Gifts; Brightness; Amazing

JIGNYASU RASHESH CHASMAWALA, CLASS 8, BALMOHAN VIDYA MANDIR

What are the different things you do during the fi ve days of Diwali?

I celebrate Lakshmi Pooja with my family at my grandfather’s office by worshipping the computers and all the equipment present there. During the other days, family and

friends come to our home.

Diwali is also celebrated as the season of gifting. If you were to gift an underprivileged child something of your own, what would you give away?

I like reading comic books, hence I would like to give them comic books, which will add some laughter to their lives.

State what you like, and dislike, about Diwali.

I like guests coming over as we have a good time talking to each other. I hate the Diwali festival for the many poojas it has as most of our time is spent doing poojas only.

If you were told to avoid crackers as they harm the environment, would you not light crackers?

As pollution is increasing day by day, I had made up my mind months ago and do not burst crackers at all.

According to you, what is the one strange fact or tradition about Diwali?

As it is the return of the prince, why is it celebrated as the festival of lights? The story behind it is the strangest fact about Diwali.

Describe Diwali in three words.

Excellent; Traditional; Tasty

DIPANI HANDA, CLASS 7, NAVY CHILDREN’S SCHOOL

What are the different things you do during the fi ve days of Diwali?

I light up my whole house with diyas. My grandparents visit us and the entire family takes part in the morning and evening pooja on all five days.

Diwali is also celebrated as the season of gifting. If you were to gift an underprivileged child something of your own, what would you give away?

I like reading a lot of books, so I would like to give them a few of my books.

State what you like, and dislike, about Diwali.

I like lighting up diyas and I hate bursting crackers.

If you were told to avoid crackers as they harm the environment, would you not light crackers?

No, I would never light crackers. In fact, I participate in campaigns which inform people that bursting crackers is harmful. We take posters with us and speak to people and tell them about the difficulties that we will face later if we burst crackers now.

According to you, what is the one strange fact or tradition about Diwali?

Diwali has got nothing to do with the bursting of crackers, then why do people do so? That’s the only thing that I find very strange in the festival of Diwali.

Describe Diwali in three words.

The light festival!