October is the month of festivals. It is the biggest month in the Hindu calendar. And I love being festive and celebrating them all.
We kicked off the month with the train exhibition at Central station. We love trains and I am fascinated by the evolution of the train carriages with lifestyle changes. So it was great to see how they have evolved in NSW. I am already looking fwd to the next one and possibly having dinner in one of the Victorian style carriages.
We celebrated my husband’s birthday and Dussehra at home, just the way he likes it. I cooked his favourite food and we spent time as a family, watching movies, which is what gives him the greatest joy.
Then came my dream concert – AR Rahman was in town. He is one of the most revered and talented musician from India known as the “Mozart from Madras”. His music and concerts are legendary. My friends and I secured the tickets but the really special part was getting to see him in a room and listen to him talk about his journey, thanks to my friend Poornima. It was surreal.
We celebrated my friend Maria’s birthday with a high tea at David Jones in the city. She and I worked briefly together but a lifetime of friendship came out of that. She is a beautiful soul and my partner in crime in all creative things like arts galleries, concerts etc. We had a lovely time together pacing around the city like ladies at leisure.
And then it was Diwali! It is my favourite festival coz it is about light and lighting up the world, both literally and metaphorically. I have loved it since I was a little girl when me and my siblings would spend days collecting things for Diwali – the kheel, the sugary figurines, the clay diyas, the candles, the patakhas. The clay diyas were soaked in water and then dried to prep them. Then they were filled with mustard oil and lighted up after the puja and the rituals and then spread over the house. The candles were lined up at the parapet and around the house boundary and then lighted up together to bring that glow to the house before the patakha fest began. After a festive meal, we slept with smiles on our faces. The simple things gave us so much happiness.
I have tried to maintain as many rituals as possible and love lighting up my house and following most of them. My best friend Padma and his family came over to share the Diwali feast with us. In our adopted homeland, they are our family and it was great to create memories together.
So October ended with a bang. Here are some memories to rewind and watch!