Diwali 2022: 4 People Share What They Miss About Spending The Festival Away From Home

Diwali is a five-day festival celebrated during the Hindu lunisolar month Kartika, which usually falls between mid-October and mid-November. In Bengal, Kali Puja is celebrated generally a day after Diwali in Northern India, depending on the tithi. According to mythology, the festival signifies the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance."

While Diwali marks the return of Lord Ram to his kingdom in Ayodhya, along with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after defeating King Ravana in Lanka and serving 14 years of exile, some of us don’t get the opportunity for homecoming anymore. It feels like an eternal exile as we decided to pursue our careers in different cities and countries and for some Diwali is the time to work even harder. Over the years, we have made homes out of our rented flats and family out of our friends and colleagues. Here’s what four people feel about spending Diwali away from home and what they miss about it.

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“I miss being around friends and family. Diwali holds a special place in my heart because it brings back memories of bursting firecrackers with dad. Although we have done away with that practise long back, we used to have Lakshmi Puja at our place on this day until very recently. Since I have been here in Chennai, mom has stopped doing it for two reasons. One: she starts missing me more and two: there's no one to help her and it becomes difficult for her to handle everything by herself. It is sad but that is how it is,” says 27-year-old journalist Santadeep Dey.

He further adds, “This Diwali will be like any other Diwali. I will be spending it in office because mostly on Diwali days you have one blockbuster game or the other. This time we have India vs Pakistan and the workload will be more that day. Maybe a call home would help me feel better.”

“I have been away from home since 2017. Independence comes at the cost of the warmth you get so used to when you are around your near and dear ones. Mostly spend festivals homesick. In hindsight, it is a good thing to work during the festive season if you cannot go home. Helps take your mind off things if you are busy with something else,” he says.

Echoing the same, Prajjwal says, “Well, I just miss good food and family. Also, I miss cleaning the house with mummy and then decorating it with Chinese lights, worshipping Laxmi (My parents not me), lighting candles and Diyas on the roof top. I miss bursting fire crackers, However, I have not burst crackers since 2014.”

For the initial couple of times, he used to feel bad about staying away and had cravings to run bak home, but now he has evolved. “No festival hits different. I don't feel bad anymore. Every day is neutral for me. I think even if i go home in some festival, I will Netflix and chill” he says. This year, he just has a Diwali party to attend at his friend’s place.

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For 27-year-old Arunabha, who lives in Germany says, he usually has a get together of friends, and has potluck as bursting crackers is against the law. His “template” of Diwali also includes a little puja that happens and one amongst the friends who can recite the mantras does the puja. “During my first Diwali in Canada, I was feeling a bit sad, but now we've got used to it! We check out if any parties are being hosted the Indian Bengali association or the Indian Student's association.”

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