Diwali Mela

Mele chaliyan!!

Roller coaster Diwali!!!

So Diwali mela is something. Mostly they start around Dusherra and Navratras. The local town fairs with the traditional dangerous iron desi swings - the Merry Go Round, Columbus, roller coaster, and baby manual ones. 

You remember these stalls! The balloon shooting or the ring throwing on soaps. These were more exciting than any shopping during Diwali! 

I always played and never won! I am just not a good shot and guns are do heavy. I am trying still though!! 😉

Dusherra - Diwali Melas are incomplete without Ram Leela. 

The play of Ramayana for 14 days before the burning of Ravana. 

My father hated Ram Leela watching because it was considered nautanki where men dressed up as indecent women. But the drama is so much important for any festival celebration wether inside family or those outside in public. 

Going to Town Fairs is like a trip down the memory lane. The times of childhood when you waited eagerly every year to visit the Annual Mela. The rush of relatives, extended families, cousins and friends. You suddenly realise your family is very big and spread around - both ways. Efforts to meet, buy gifts, last moment rush, discount sales, holiday traffic, inflated air tickets, packing, checklist, gift wrapping, visiting guests, serving dry fruits, exchanging gifts, re packing duplicate or unwanted gifts to pass on another. Sometimes you end up receiving your own gift back in the lifecycle of gift circulation and consumption. Ancient Barter system!

Being youngest and a girl it was my duty to wrap And pack gifts as girls are expected to be better at craft than boys. For my mom I was an easy target and boys were not going to do it so why waste energy. I packed unpacked Atleast 50 or more gifts carefully taking off pretty wrapping sheets, to be recycled and reused carefully taking our delicate paper flowers, fake gems or decoration from the waste packaging. Best out of waste competition. Now you know why they are held to inculcate good morals and value for things amongst us, especially girls. I did this back to back year after year and regular birthday wrapping throughout the year. Now I hate it so much, I only use paper hardboard bags. No tape and wrap!

And then the cracker bursting, new clothes, new things, home decoration, lighting candles, rangoli, diya and bati, sweets avalanche, quota sharing fight, and holiday weight pile on. Leaving at the promise to not eat till next Diwali!!! This is Diwali. You don't need a reason to celebrate but here's a big one!! 

Keepsakewala wishes all it's readers a colourful and joyous Happy Diwali!!