Diwali

Here is the day everyone has been looking forward to. Today is Diwali. 

In the morning, we had breakfast with relatives of my host family. Afterwards, we visited a large Hindu temple that stood in the middle of nowhere. After that, we headed home with Diwali sweets in our luggage.

In the afternoon, decorating began. Flower garlands were hung and the house was illuminated from the outside with LEDs. Cleaning and sweeping also took place. 

A Rangoli was also created, and I helped a bit with that. Afterward, I dressed in my red Kulka.

Around 7:00 PM, the ceremony began. Many rituals were performed. A priest had come and conducted the ceremony. During the ceremony, each person received a bracelet from the priest, and a fire was made that filled the house with smoke. Prayers were recited, and bells were rung during this time. After the ceremony was over, the gifts were distributed. The gifts were handed out by the grandmother. She called out the person who then came forward and received an envelope with money and a small gift.

Once everyone had received their envelope, which is typical in India, we then went to distribute Diwali lamps all over the property.

 Dinner was surprisingly a very normal dinner. I expected a feast, but it was just a regular dinner with the entire male part of the family.

Afterward, we went out to the street in front of the house to set off fireworks and firecrackers. After overcoming my safety concerns, I lit a few small rockets. The leftovers were simply thrown into a small green area. The firecrackers were really loud, so my ear went out after 20 minutes.

After a few memory photos, we went to bed tired.

The day after Diwali was about resting, and I slept until 11. With seven people in a car, we drove to the river to go swimming. It was really pleasant, and I was also blessed. After we had eaten South Indian food, which is the most popular cuisine for restaurants, it was time to pack our bags and get ready to take the night train to Agra to see the Taj Mahal.