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Random Contemplations

Will Diwali Shine On People This Year?

Diwali, a festival in India is just around the corner with less than a few days. It is the most important festival in the Hindu religion. Diwali in Jaipur is celebrated with full vigor and enthusiasm it being the festival of light. People buy gifts as well as household items, clothes etc on this festive occasion. Shopping spirals around Diwali quite like Christmas in the rest of the world where it is celebrated. As soon as Diwali ends, the wedding season starts, therefore Diwali is the start of the festive season.

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Diwali lighting at a commercial complex in Jaipur

Going with the popular opinion, the preparation for the festival this year lacks the usual zest & enthusiasm one usually gets to see around this time. Is it because of economic slowdown? Or is it because people now prefer to buy everything from online portals and e-com sites and not visiting the markets? Tough question to answer.

Let me show you pictures from the local market depicting the preparations for the festival of lights – Diwali.

Festive exhibition season starts a month before Diwali. There are many lifestyle exhibitions being organized in Jaipur selling fashionable clothes, dress wear, accessories, showpieces, and jewelry. These pictures are from the handicraft exhibition held in Jaipur.

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Cane furniture at an exhibition in Jaipur.

Cane furniture is usually sourced from North East India and has a very niche market. While earlier, it was considered a cheap alternative to the regular wooden furniture, it’s not the case anymore! These hand-made cane furniture products are expensive, but still, cost a lot less than the regular wooden furniture.

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Unfinished pieces of earthen pots and clay items at an exhibition

These are unfinished pieces of clay & earthen pots from the backup stock of a vendor. Once these are painted & finished, they look amazing!

Khurja pottery for sale in exhibition at jawahar kala kendra jaipur

Khurja ceramic pottery from Khurja, Uttar Pradesh. Inexpensive and beautiful, the vendors have a huge variety to show. You can find everything and anything -bathroom sets, teacups, coffee mugs, spoons, hangers and what not?

You will find many traditional shops selling dry fruits in Johari Bazaar Jaipur. The display which invites people to pick it up and taste the samples is the most popular way to entice customers for the festive season.

shops selling dry fruit in johari bazaar jaipur
Dry fruits display  in one of the shops in Johari Bazaar, Jaipur
Dry fuits for sale in johari bazaar jaipur
Ready for Diwali…Dry fruit display at a traditional shop in Johari Bazaar, Jaipur

Dry fruits are all-time favorite gifts for the Diwali season. While the modern format supermarkets and stores sell pre-packed dry fruit boxes at various price points, the customers of a traditional bazaar like the Johari Bazaar in Jaipur shun such options. Quality conscious buyers prefer to sample before buying. They inspect and make a choice from the huge assortment available in the market. The sheer variety available in such markets cannot be matched by any supermarket or modern format stores. You can customize the quantity of each variety and create any permutation & combination, unlike prepackaged boxes where quantity is determined by the price point. Many traditional shop owners now also offer pre-packed dry fruit boxes or gift boxes. What’s your choice?

What is Diwali without  Diyas or Deepak? It’s symbolic of the shine it brings to the life of people.

earthen pots & glass for sale in johari bazaar jaipur

Painted Diyas for Diwali at a potter’s shop in Jaipur Bazaar.

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Diya for sale in Jaipur Bazaar

I’m positive that festive mood for Diwali in Jaipur will set in and will shine on the city and people!

Read: What Makes Jaipur One Of The Best Places For Celebrating Diwali In India?

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72 thoughts on “Will Diwali Shine On People This Year?”

  1. I guess because people are becoming ‘modern’ thus leading to less enthusiasm in remaining connected with the traditions!

    Anyway, we should enjoy in our own ways. Have a fantastic time buddy…I will miss crackers!

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    1. What you wrote is true. earlier people would wait for Diwali to make purchase but now we have other occasions to buy like clearance sale or new launches leaving little reasons to buy on the festival. So buying for Diwali is just a custom or tradition, people just make a token purchase.
      I’m hoping that you’ll get to enjoy Diwali in India someday!! 🙂

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      1. This is true. Specially among children, festivals meant new clothes etc, and that built up the festive mood. Now due to year-long shopping, a festival day appear similar to any other day.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank You for the Diwali greetings. I know… Changing times! There was festive mood in the market and new things to check out launched on festive occasion. So all we’ll be doing in few years… E- decoration and lighting ?? 😉

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  4. It is sad to observe how old cherished traditions begin to wane at the onslaught of modern commercialism. Religious festivals whether Christmas or Diwali are being used as the main vehicle to increase profits. Merchants are undermining the very essence of religious beliefs. This is especially true in our Western world. However, your post hinted at the fact that this is becoming a problem in Jaipur as well. Great post and photos!

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  5. Nice pictures arv! What I remember of Diwali from my childhood is the fascination for crackers and sweets, which continued for a long time till we grew up and the environment got so bad that children were told in schools to ‘say no to crackers’!! Though I was a part of creating this awareness, I knew what fun they would be deprived of! And then everything got commercialised and competitive…also too jaded!!
    Celebrations now seem a routine as we have got so many occasions to dress up and sweets are available at each and every occasion…Nothing has changed for the poor and the needy though, the ones who yearn for a good meal. Let’s make them happier this Diwali. Wishing you a Happy and safe Diwali.

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    1. Rightly said -I couldn’t agree more.
      The divide between rich and poor seem to be growing.
      Celebrations have become symbolic now, commercialization has taken over. I guess it’s how it’s meant to be! 🙂

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  6. Happy Diwali in advance Arv. Liked the products you have displayed here. Lovely furnitures and potteries. As you say the cane furnitures are expensive than we think. Like the pre packed dry fruits boxes, arranged in order. Want to know what is the dry fruit on the left side middle box (In the picture of loose dry fruits). I could identify all of them except that one.

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    1. I’m happy you liked them. The dry fruit you couldn’t identify is a variety of almonds originating in cypress, it’s with its outer shell so not easy to identify. Thanks for the greetings. Happy Diwali to you too! 🙂

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  8. Thanks for bringing the festive cheer through your vibrant photos as well as write up! On one hand many businesses want to use the festival for their financial gains and on the other hand the fast pacing modern life simply deprive us from enjoying the essence of festival. It seems Diwali is only existing in these commercials that are bombarded on us. And instead of enjoying Diwali time with near ones there are deadlines to meet and courses to finish! What a contradiction!

    However on the brighter side, keeping aside exception of last year, every year, i make sure I feel like its Diwali. Like making Diwali greeting cards, doing Rangoli and lighting Diyas. And I love New Year day mornings where we are given one more chance to start life all over again.

    Happy Diwali and a glorious new year to you!

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    1. Thank You Mana!
      I think that the commercial and consumerism has hijacked the essence of Indian festivals. why should we blame only them, we are at fault too. Why chocolates gained market share in our traditional sweet market ? Because many profit seeking businesses started using low quality and substandard ingredients in traditional sweets -mithai to encash festive season. People realised this and started avoiding mithai altogether during this season. Chocolate brands realising the opportunity started encashing.
      Wow! It’s great to know you enjoy this festival to the fullest. Would love to see pictures of rangoli created by you! Looking forward… 🙂 Happy Diwali to you too mana !

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  10. These beautiful traditions have changed all over the globe, for example christmas is so totally commercialized , yet in my heart I still find the beauty of festivals. Especially the ecxitement of children. Never the less I so enjoyed your post, so now what those little ceramic bowls are for, which I have seen a lot. Happy Diwali to you Arv.

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    1. I will agree with you…we are living in a consumerist world, so it’s bound to be that way. We all will have to “adjust” I guess! 🙂
      Are you referring to the small red bowls made out of clay?

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  11. Happy early Diwali Arv! I remember the ladies I worked with at this time of year, they were so happy and yes they explained it like it was their Christmas! All the sweets being pastel in colour & yikes so fattening! and they always gave me bracelets!
    The market photo’s are wonderful and the dried fruit pictures give me an idea for kitchen decoration!! Be safe Arv! 🙂 T.

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    1. Thank You for sharing your Diwali memories! Indeed till few years ago Diwali used to be all about happiness! The workers would expect some bonus or gifts since there’s lot of gifting that happens. Businesses would start with new set of accounting books (now it’s a history with computers doing all the work!) So in essence, there was a festive mood everywhere…quite like Christmas there..

      I’m happy if there’s something you liked from the pictures. Happy Diwali to you too! 🙂

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  15. Arv!! Happy Diwali to you! 🙂 This is my favorite festival in India and I hope all the colors and lights shine bright for you this year. Your pictures paint 1000 words and more, they are always so beautiful. I really love the ceramic pottery and dried fruits they are amazing. Hope you are doing well!

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    1. Good to Jennifer. Diwali is surely one such festival, quite like Christmas! Did you have an opportunity to experience it in person during any of your visit to India?
      Thank You for Diwali greetings. What’s keeping you busy these days ?

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      1. Hi Arv 🙂 I didn’t get to experience Diwali in person, I was in India in January but one day I would really love to come in October to see it. Yes it does seem quite similar to our Christmas 🙂

        I’ve been in my own bubble lately writing a book actually and I need to write a blog on it soon;) I apologize for being away but I have completed the first edit so I’m back now and happy about it 🙂

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      2. It’s great to hear about your book writing, would love to hear more about it. It’s a good idea to visit in Oct -Nov period which is start Of tourist season. Diwali keeps fluctuating between Oct and Nov as its based on Hindu calendar and its always on dark moon night (opp of full moon, some call it , we call it amavasya) 🙂

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  19. Another great holiday in your beautiful country! I already know Holi, Diwali =) When I just start reading your article, I made a parallel to our Christmas celebration and than you wrote that it is something like Christmas =D Happy belated Diwali for you and your country! And yeah I would love to have as a present those dried fruits. i believe there are many of species which I didn’t try in my life =D

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    1. Lidiia..Thank You for Diwali greetings! Diwali is quite like Christmas in your country – celebrating the festival with family and friends, exchanging gifts, air of festivity….
      I’ll be posting more on Diwali soon. watch out! And by the way, your dry fruit box will be handed over during your trip to Jaipur 😉
      If you love colors, you’ll love Diwali!

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