Exploring the Subcontinent: Diwali- Festival of Lights

October 26th, 2011, our group celebrated Diwali, which marks the beginning of the new year in certain areas of India. Known as Deepavali in the South, Diwali is a major holiday that could be described as a combination of Christmas, Fourth of July, and New Years.

After getting dressed that morning and putting on our bangles, braiding our hair, and applying our jeweled bindis, we all hopped in some vans and headed over to our professor's childhood home. Arriving at his family's home, I just got such a feeling of contentment and happiness- there's just something about being welcomed into a family halfway around the world as if it were your own that means more than any cool souvenir or picture ever could. His family was so incredibly and admirably hospitable, as there were 20+ random foreign people in their house on top of all their extra relatives. We "burst crackers," aka lit fireworks until our ears were ringing and our heads hurt. And then there were more. I'm pretty sure that we heard/ were lighting fireworks for three days straight. It was awesome.

For lunch, we ate on the floor, over 20 foreigners in Indian clothing, eating off of a banana leaf and being served by our professor's relatives. The food was by far the best we've had to eat during our whole time in India and it was followed by delicious tea and small gifts. The visit was complete with newborn kittens to play with and adorable children to admire. It adds so much when being abroad to have a personal connection in any area and spending a major festival such as Diwali in a family's home was a wonderful experience.

After we returned, we all made a pact to keep our sarees on even though it was getting difficult to move and breathe, though I did manage to take a nap in an incredibly awkward position. After waking up, we hung out with some students from Davidson University who were also in India on a study abroad and had been previously staying where we are now. Then we burst more crackers well into the night, ending our Diwali experience with a bang.
Here's some pictures!