Beyond diyas and sweets: the changing face of Diwali for modern Indians

She cannot pinpoint the exact moment when they decided to take the plunge, but it was “some time before the pandemic and one of our first trips was to Thailand”. “Neither of us have ever been big on festivities. Even when we used to be in town during Diwali, we wouldn’t enjoy it much. There have been times when we didn’t even put up lights. Our efforts were lacklustre. Delhi becoming insufferable due to pollution also helped us make the decision. Since one often does get a chunky long weekend during Diwali, we decided to travel this time of the year,” says Dey who is part of an emerging brigade that, intentionally or unintentionally, is redefining the terms home and celebrations.  From travelling and doing charity to spending an unusually lazy and quiet Diwali, these individuals are making their own rituals. This Diwali, Dey and her husband are in South Korea. They left Delhi almost a week before the big day, and will return a week after.

“We will mostly be in Seoul and then Gyeongju. We will decide whether we want to go to Jeju when we get there,” says Dey, a day before she leaves for the trip. In the last few years, the couple has spent their Diwalis in different places in India and abroad, including Nepal and Ladakh. “Kathmandu and Ladakh of course have their own versions of the festival. We were not necessarily part of the celebrations but we were still travellers experiencing new things, something important for both of us,” Dey, who has been living in Delhi’s Vasant Kunj since she got married nearly a decade ago.

If Dey is almost intentionally non-conformist, Mumbai based art curator Urvi Kothari has decided to reinvent her rituals, one Diwali at a time. This year, she is travelling to Dubai as part of a group of 30 – the family of her husband of over eight months – to celebrate her grandfather in law’s 85th birthday. “It’s my first Diwali post my wedding earlier in January. It’s a unique way for us to come together and create new memories while still holding on to the essence of Diwali,” says 27-year-old Kothari.

Her week-long itinerary has the customary touristy spots like the Atlantis, Burj Al Arab, Marina Beach and the Dubai Mall alongside some locations on the expanding map of the Emirati art scene, including the Alserkal Avenue, The Third Line and the Ishara Art Foundation. It is too early for Kothari to say if travelling during Diwali will become a ritual. She is, however, certain that setting has little to do with the festive fervour. “While this may not be my usual Diwali filled with familiar rituals at home, the spirit of togetherness remains unchanged. Being surrounded by loved ones – even in a different setting – still allows me to celebrate the core values of Diwali: love, light, gratitude, and renewal,” she says.

For Wealth manager Salonee Sanghvi Diwali (42) became a festival away from home at least two decades agoWhen she would end up spending the holidays in bed after falling sick from the smoke of firecrackers, her parents decided to travel to escape the pollution, a tradition she now continues with her lawyer husband Nishith Doshi. “Since the courts are closed during Diwali, it’s the perfect time for us to travel without missing work. We usually host or attend our family gatherings and festive parties before we leave,” says Sanghvi adding, “Traditions are created by each family in their own way. For us, travel has become our Diwali ritual. It’s our time to unwind, reflect, and celebrate together in a different setting.” This Diwali, the couple that has spent the festival previously in Italy, Myanmar, Hong Kong and Philippines, is in Taiwan for 12 days.

Diwali is a festival of giving, and many are using the occasion of Diwali to extend their generosity to canine friends. Bhopal-based Ayushi Singh, once dog-fearing, is now raising funds to donate to a local NGO Prakriti – Hope for Stray Animals & Nature. “I never celebrated Diwali by bursting crackers, even as a child.  The festival was mostly about a small puja at home. But I have seen how the crackers affect street animals. I recently found out about Prakriti. Besides providing shelter to over 400 dogs and 100 cows they also regularly feed stray dogs. So I started contributing to them a few months ago,” she says, adding, “For Diwali I have promised to raise Rs 6000 to help them provide shelter and warm clothes to the animals, especially with the winters approaching.” She has reached out to her entire network of friends and family for donations and raised Rs 5,000 till now, and will contribute the difference.