Diwali with Rellies

Diwali is full of colours. Even the sweet jasmine worn of the hair or offered in prayers is colourfully white! I noticed there were plenty of decorative kolams with favourites, peacocks and,lotuses  adorning them in the shopping malls and private clubs. I have made small ones before,and I know the intricacies involved in the making. Admirers of this festive art do get carried away and  to discourage any 'itchy' fingers or any untoward accidents, they are protected by a barrier of some sort.

After the morning puja at the temple in Brickfields, we settled for the usual breakfast cooked by my sister - in -law. We had a lovely meal of uppuma, onion sambal, dhall, vadai, idiapum, kesari and banana on banana leaves, lit by the glow of the Diwali lights. Just coincidental, the house was down with no electricity. So, shine on us, Diwali diyas!

Later, there was plenty to eat at our house where I served lunch for 8 of us . The table was quite full and I clean forgot about the samosas I made! Well, it'll be snacks for another day. To top it all, we drank Sula, an Indian wine we brought home during our holiday in Kerala.

The evening was long and yummy - cheese, crackers and dips, ham and  quince, olives with great bubblies and red wine, For this, we hopped back to our breakfast host's house.As we ate and chatted, some loud firecrackers exploded in the neighbourhood. Past midnight, our Diwali celebration came to an end. Somehow I missed the crowd that comes when there is an open house. But this year, quiet is also nice! A really good day indeed.