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Diyas,  Rangoli, Lanterns And Sweets During Diwali
        In the heart of autumns gentle grace,
         A festival of light, a sacred space,
        Diwali's glow, a radiant embrace,
        With diya's flame, our souls efface.
        In every home, a flicker bright,                                                            CLASS   12
         A diya's dance in the tranquil night,
         Intricate patterns, pure and white,
        Rangoli's art, a joyful sight.
        Lanterns hung like stars on high,
         Painting the canvas of the sky,
        Their shimmering light, it mystifies,
        On Diwali night, our spirits fly.
                                                                      Diwali celebrations by NRIs
        Sweets and treats in every hand,
        A fragrant feast across the land,                             "Diwali !"  When we think of celebrating Diwali, the things that come
        From ladoos to jalebi's strand,                               to mind are sparkling lights, sweets, and other goodies. However,
        Sweet memories of love expand.                                when we consider it from the perspective of Non-Resident Indians
                                                                      (NRIs), who are away from their homeland, the feeling of love that is
        Diwali, a festival so divine,                                 always  unfulfilled  is  a  different  kind  of  emptiness  that  cannot  be
        In every heart, it's sure to shine,                           filled no matter how hard one tries. The feeling of celebrating this
        With rhythm and rhyme, we define,                             beautiful festival of lights without the actual lights in our hearts is
        The significance of this grand design.                        an incomplete statement that tries to find justification. Amidst all
                                                                      this  lovely,  innocent  chaos,  we  forget  the  boundless  emotions  of
        The diya's flame, a symbol of hope,                           those elderly friends who sorely miss the aroma of the home they
        In darkness, it helps us to cope,                             grew  up  in.  They  always  celebrate  this  festival  with  more  outer
        Rangoli's beauty, a way to elope,                             covering restrictions.
         With the mundane, and help us to grope.
                                                                      When it comes to celebrating festivals, everything about being an
        Lanterns guide our path, our way,                             NRI  is  exquisitely  unique.  Let's  start  with  the  lights  and  crackers,
        Their glow leading us through the fray,                       making  those  squeaking  sounds  in  the  sky  among  those  grey,
        Sweets and treats, come what may,                             smoky  cottons—you  get  the  idea.  It's  obvious  that  half  of  the
        A taste of joy, this festive display.                         money  earned  over  the  course  of  the  month  is  spent  on  those
                                                                      sparkling incense sticks in an attempt to find the comforting aroma
        So as Diwali's magic unfurls,                                 of the days in the past . NRIs, who value their homeland so much,
         Let's celebrate with hearts and pearls,                      constantly strive to incorporate the traditions and customs of their
         With rhythm, rhyme, and love that swirls,                    new home by adopting them. Weeks after cleaning and teamwork
         The significance of Diwali, in all its pearls.               to  purify  our  homes,  we  only  experience  the  relief  of  that  newly
                                                                      scented air. It's a unique kind of feeling that words cannot express.
        Afshan                                                        Refugee hearts, constantly endeavour to incorporate the love they
        12, Indian Learners’ Own Academy                              miss  from  their  hometown  into  their  new  home  by  adopting  the
                                                                      traditions and customs of their new area!
                                                                      It's  difficult  to  put  into  words  how  one  feels  excluded  from  their
     Diwali- significance of diyas, rangolis, lanterns and sweets
                                                                      extraordinarily  lovely  holidays,  Diwali  among  them.  As  you  get
     Diwali- the festival of light- that lights up not just diyas but our hearts and souls. It's the day  older, you always want to be with the people you spend time with.
     we  celebrate  the  triumph  of  light  over  darkness,  good  over  evil  and  knowledge  over  NRIs are unfortunate in this regard, but it doesn't mean they don't
     ignorance. Even though Diwali is known to be a religious festival of Hindus, over centuries, it  enjoy  life  to  the  fullest;  rather,  it's  a  different  kind  of  feeling  with
     has become one of the biggest national holidays which unites everyone despite their religion,  hints of emptiness, love, longing, and togetherness.
     and social and economic background.
     There are several legends behind the celebration of Diwali, among which the most famous    In  any  case,  it's  very  reasonable  to  state  that  despite  our  best
     story is of Ramayana. According to the epic, Diwali commemorated the victorious return of  efforts,  none  of  us  possess  the  essence  of  love.  Love  is  just  our
     Lord Rama from Lanka after the war with Ravana. For Sikhs, Diwali is the occasion on which  means of experiencing a festival's beauty; without our loved ones'
     their guru Hargobind was released after 12 years of imprisonment by the Mughal emperor  assistance, connecting with us via network cables, beauty is beyond
     Jahangir. For Jains, Diwali is the day on which their last Tirthankara attained nirvana. For  words.  revealing  the  floral  ring  that  the  band's  attractiveness
     Buddhists, it was the day the Mauryan emperor, Ashoka the Great, converted to Buddhism.  developed! Everything has its own vibe, whether it's the lovely light
     Similarly  in  south  India,  the  festival  commemorates  the  victory  of  Lord  Krishna  over
     Narakasura.                                                      we want to connect with amid the light pouring out of the cone or
     Many  traditions  have  been  followed  for  several  centuries,  which  all  have  some  deeper  the "soan papdi" of our neighbouring hotel.
     meaning than what seems at the surface.
     The name arises from "Deepavali" which means row of lights and it is because this festival's  Vajiha
     trademark is lit-up clay lamps and bright lanterns.              Class 12, Indian Learners Own Acadmey,Kuwait
     Bright earthen oil lamps and dazzling lights illuminate homes and streets across the country
     to mark this special occasion. This tradition has its roots in the story Ramayana. When Rama
     returned at night, the villagers had lit up lamps to guide them to the palace. The lit-up diyas
     symbolize the triumph of light over spiritual darkness and encourage us to hunt for the good
     in ourselves.
     Stunning and colourful lanterns, called akash kandeel, are another addition to the festivities.
     They  can  be  of  various  sizes,  colours  and  designs  and  they  add  to  the  beauty  of  the
     auspicious day. These lanterns also symbolise the power of knowledge and that light can
     lead us towards the good in life.
     The complex-looking, ornate floor art that makes it difficult for us to take our eyes off of it-
     Rangolis- is a vital part of the Diwali festivities. Rangolis are made to welcome the goddess
     of prosperity and luck, Goddess Lakshmi, to our houses. It is said that the complex designs are
     made so that the negativity from the outside gets entangled in the designs of a rangoli and
     does not enter the house. Also, the stunning and bright colours remind us to be optimistic
     about  life.  Rangolis  are  also  a  way  to  get  the  children  of  the  house  involved  with  the
     festivities apart from bursting firecrackers and eating sweets.
     Sweets- mithai- as they are called - are typical Indian culinary desserts made from flour,
     milk, ghee, sugar, rose water, and nuts. These include laddus, barfi, rasgulla, gulab jamuns,
     jalebis  and  countless  others.  In  India,  it's  not  a  celebration  without  sweets.  Sweets  are
     believed to be a 'gateway to god'. They are seen as a token of love and joy which are to be
     shared with all. It is believed that if you have sweets on a special occasion, your future will be
     just as sweet.
     Diwali  has  a  charm,  radiance  and  grandeur  that  illuminates  us  with  knowledge  and
     righteousness. It’s a day that brings a light of joy to everyone’s life and soul.
     Anushikha Sreeja Vinod
     Class 12 ,Indian Learners’ Own Academy
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