Happy Diwali!!!

"Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights with its variations also celebrated in other Indian religions. It symbolizes the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance". 

"The celebrations generally last five or six days. Diwali is connected to various religious events, deities and personalities, such as being the day Rama returned to his kingdom in Ayodhya with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana after defeating the demon king Ravana. It is also widely associated with Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity (and much else, my comment) and Ganesha, the god of wisdom and the remover of obstacles."

All this compliments of Wikipedia.

Lakshmi

The 16 year old daughter, Priyanka Devi, of our hosts last night, Bihari Lal and his wife Pammi in the local Bhattu village down the hill from Stupa Guest House, mentioned the "return of Lord Ram" aspect of it all, and Bihari Lal pointed out that the courtyard floor "painting" , done by Priyanka, is dedicated to Lakshmi.

Priyanka making the courtyard "painting"

Take your pick, enjoy the celebration, attribute significance to whichever aspect of the theme appeals to you. At its best, Hinduism is nothing if not tolerant of all manner of interpretations, rituals, deities, meanings, practices, from the most literal and simplistic animistic approaches to the heights of the Non Dual Advaita mysticism and the Perennial Philosophy of Sanatana Dharma. An example of what the mightily sought after contemporary "inclusivity" might be able to look like. "As many approaches to God as there are people." "Truth is One, paths are many".

Priyanka tending the cooking fire and practicing English with us

We had made plans with Bihari Lal a couple of weeks ago to visit their home on the first day of Diwali, and so we walked down the mountain into Bhattu, greeting people as we went with "Happy Diwali!, Ram Ram", and garnering smiles and greeting blessings in return. One or two of the gentlemen we encountered were congenially tipsy, in true celebratory fashion. As we walked the mile or so required to reach the house we were stopped by Ramesh, one of the local entrepreneur taxi drivers, also a Bhattu resident and shop owner and minor taxi mogul. "Where are you going?" Well, we're going to Bihari Lal's house. "Ok, come, come, my house is just here, just come for tea. Bihari Lal is my cousin." Not sure of the protocol of timing as far as arriving at our destination we at first resisted the invitation (silly us!), but at last gave in. This is India after all, where time is something different from what it is in the West.

Sharing smiles joy spreads

local families greet us

Festival of lights

And so we went to Ramesh's home, surrounded by his rice and wheat fields, his cows, his chickens, his little lamb, and met Shima, his wife AND friend, and had sweet tea while visiting for a few minutes. If we need anything, just let him know. No problem.

A Western woman, Deborah, who used to come regularly to Sherabling, at last lived on the upper floor of Ramesh's home before, I think, becoming unable to travel any more. Now he is the go-to guy and generous helper of Anna Marie, a German woman who has lived for decades off and on at Sherabling, including during all of covid time, and is full of the history of the local villages and the monastery and the Rimpoche's, some of whom she's known since they were children. I've asked her when she will write her book, but she doesn't commit.

Shima, Ramesh, Nancy

So we left and continued down the mountain road, through the village, getting ever closer to our destination, not knowing exactly where it was, Nancy and Bihari Lal maintaining phone contact to guide us to the spot. We made it, and thus began our evening with the family, Mother, Father, Son and Daughter, and old Baba (grandfather), Bihari Lal's not-well father who lives with them too. He was awakened from his on-going nap for tea and proceeded to regale us, in Hindi, with the virtues of his son, his own health condition, and whatever else came into his probably not altogether sharp mind, translated by Bihari Lal. Ok, tea finished, back down for the next leg of the more or less perpetual nap.

Pammi lighting oil lamps for Lakshmi puja

Pammi, Nancy, Matthew, Bihari Lal, Priyanka

We humbly accept

generosity puja

Lakshmi blesses all

We participated in a brief little Diwali puja of oil lamps, incense and flowers, becoming just a part of the family activity for the evening, then heading upstairs to the kitchen/dining/family/household shrine area to await dinner preparation and drink a tiny bit of brandy.

Hanging out, awaiting dinner

While we waited, the family conducted their evening prayer before setting about cooking mixed veggies, freshly made curd from the milk of their own cows, dahl, sliced tomato and daikon radish, chutney, and of course freshly kneaded and rolled and made on the spot on the wood cooking fire  chapati and then deep fried puri. "You want more?!" being the persistent inquiry from Bihari Lal while we ate. While WE ate, by the way. Nancy and I were served first and ate first, while father and mother waited and attended. Only when we had had all that we wanted did they then serve themselves and eat their dinner. 

Evening prayers at household shrine

I would have loved to have taken a video of Pammi making the chapati on and in the wood fire, but by then it seemed like we had taken enough photos and I didn't want to appear to be making her an object of mere curiosity, so I refrained. Maybe she wouldn't have minded, but I felt awkward about it. 

Use your imagination!