Happy Diwali !!!!!

One festival is scarcely over that its time for another! Its now time for Diwali - the one festival which is celebrated over the length and breadth of our vast nation. While for some, it is the beginning of the new year, the day to start new accounts with, for some it is the day they welcome the goddess of prosperity into their homes. For some, it is the day Lord Rama entered his city after vanquishing the asuras, a day to be celebrated by lighting  up the house, while for some, it is the day Krishna defeated Nararakasura, and thus to be celebrated by having the purification bath and celebrating the dawn of a new life. For most, it is simply the best festival, the one where you get to wear new clothes and burst firecrackers. 

What does Diwali signify for me? Well, for me, the attraction of the festival lies in the simple clay lamps or diyas, which I love to buy,decorate and light. Not for me the wax candles or the electric lights. The simple mud diyas filled with oil seem to light up my life! And of course, how could I forget? This is also the one festival where I give up the traditional 'maa - kolam' - the rangoli with wet rice flour, and create beautiful patterns with dry flour, and coloured powder. It is usually a project by itself, one taking up most of the afternoon so that the lamps can be lit before sunset, and placed strategically on the rangoli to show it off best!

This year, I shall miss all these, for I shall not be at home. I am taking a break and spending the Diwali vacation at Tirupati, fulfilling a cherished dream of a leisurely visit, spending a few days at the temple town, visiting lots and lots of temples, and hopefully, some other interesting places as well. 

However, you do get to see some wonderful rangolis - No, these are not mine. These rangolis have been put next door to us at the Subramanya Mutt temple as part of some pujas we performed there a few months back. I have always been fascinated by the wonderful way they create these patterns, especially the ease with which they do it! These patters are for the pujas, as I mentioned, and depict different Gods -

This small one was used for the preliminary pujas - to Lord Ganesha...

While this beautiful one was used for the Ganapati Homam (sacrifice performed for Ganesha)

This one was used for the Navagraha Homam - the nine planets.

Look at this simple, but intricate piece of work - which took them just a few seconds to create!

This one was for prayers to the snake - Naga

And this one was for the main Homam - to Shiva!

Beautiful, aren't they???

As you read this, I will be somewhere in or around Tirupati, probably visiting a temple or seeing the celebrations there.....  Meanwhile, I wish you a

Very Very Happy Diwali !!!!

I shall be back soon with lots and lots of posts about my trip.