times diwali suppliment

8/10/2019 Times Diwali Suppliment

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DiwaliK U WA I TPREMIER WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINE

S P E C I A L S U P P L E M E N T

Festival of Lights

w w w . t i m e s k u w a i t . c o m

250 Fils Issue No 713 Established 1996 19 - 25 October 2014

Diwali, or Deepavali aspronounced by some, is thebiggest and brightest of allIndian festivals with religious, historicaland spiritual connotations for peopleacross the vast country.

While to the Hindus, it is thereligious aspect of Diwali that ishighlighted during Diwali, to theJains and Sikhs it is the sacred andhistorical implications of the festivalthat take center-stage. Nevertheless,in all three religions there is a unifyingelement of spiritual resonance whichsymbolizes the ultimate victory of lightover darkness, of good over evil, ofknowledge over ignorance.

Even among the Hindus,celebration of Diwali varies acrossIndia and is based on various regionalinterpretations of myths and legends

from the epics of Ramayana andMahabharata. To the Jains, Diwalicommemorates the attainment ofMoksha the highest and noblestobjective of the soul in the 6thcentury, by Lord Mahavira, the 24thand last Tirthankar or spiritual leaderof Jains.

Meanwhile, the Sikhs commemorateDiwali as Bandi Shor Divas, or Day ofLiberation, to celebrate the release ofGuru Hargobindji, their Sixth Guru andleader, from Mughal imprisonment inthe 17th century.

Despite these variance, Diwali isultimately a Festival of Lights withthe word Diwali being a fusion oftwo Sanskrit words, Dipa or Deepameaning light or lamp, and Awalimeaning a row, series or line. In manyparts of India, the festival is celebrated

as the start of a new year in accordancewith local Hindu calendars. And, inmodern times Diwali has also takenon a more temporal note, with a greatdeal of shopping, socializing and

entertainment taking place during theve-day festival.

Diwali festival is celebrated overve days with people decorating their

homes and businesses with rows oflights. Each of the four days in the

festival of Diwali is separated by adifferent tradition, but what remainstrue and consistent is the celebration

of life, its enjoyment and goodness.Historically, the origin of Diwali can

be traced back to ancient India,when it was probably an importantharvest festival during the Hindu

month of Kartika. Over time, variouslegends and myths from theRamayana and Mahabharata wereassociated and celebrated with theearly agrarian festival.

Continued on Page 6

from Darkness unt


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K U WA I TPREMIERWEEKLYNEWSMAGAZINE

19 - 25 October 2014

timeskuwait.comS P E C I A L S U P P L E M E N TS P E C I A L S U P P L E M E N T2

Ghazal Praveen

Staff Writer

No festival is complete without revelingfood, and so is Diwali. A profusion oftraditional goodies means the festivalof lights might almost be called the festival of

sweets. There are no set menus or recipes forDiwali except for the sweets and snacks thatare usually made or brought in readymade.Nevertheless, there are some recipes anddishes that are linked to the festival andfood revelers cannot miss them. Diwali isirredeemably associated with a mind boggling

array of sweets, known collectively as mithai.If there is one element that captures theIndian culinary psyche, it is the mithai, a crossbetween snack, dessert and confectionery.

To me, Diwali brings along with it memories ofchildhood; of colors, lights and sights; of menfolksitting and shelling piles of pistachios, while discussinggovernment, business, market and their new Diwalipurchases. Memories of young frivolling kids goingaround with their Diwali recrackers and toy-gunsmimicking super-heroes and lm-stars; of ladies headingoutdoors decorating the oor and doorways with bowlsof rangoli colors.

However, the most pervasive memory of all is thetaste of homemade dishes and snacks, their tantalizingaroma wafting in the air as mother fried them in largepans. Memories of grabbing handful of fresh and hot all-time Diwali favorites like mawa kachoris or gujias. Thoselittle morsels nibbled throughout the day, on their own,with masala chai, or as part of a meal alongside savoryitems, continue to allure so many moons later. And itis these tempting memories that made me head to thekitchen to try out some of those old recipes, in the fondhope of mimicking the taste that still lingers.

Other snacks include:Chivda: a crisp, savory mixture of any combination

of sev, beaten rice akes, potato straws, split chickpeas,assorted nuts, fennel seeds, curry leaves and otherspices. There are dozens of varieties (sometimes madewith popular branded breakfast cereals), and many citiesin India are renowned for their own unique versions.

Pakoras: light, uffy ball-shaped fritters made frompotatoes, onions, fenugreek leaves and whole mildchilies dipped in spiced chickpea our batter and deepfried, are a much enjoyed evening chat-snacks duringthis festival.

Farsi puri: crisp white plain our puri spiced withcracked black pepper and cumin seeds, popular

amongst kids who snack onto these while re-crackersbecome their main predisposition

Chakri: literally meaning spirals, the ultimate savorysnack interestingly shaped with a special hand-heldnozzle, is made from rice and chickpea ours, cumin,sesame and ajwain seeds, red chili powder andturmeric. The south Indian version, known as murukkucomes in different shapes such as ribbons and twists,and is made from urad lentil and rice our.

Diwali

MemoriesDiwali brings with it myriad ways of enjoying the ve-dayfestival. This festival of light, personied by active socializing,includes visiting families, friends and relatives and sharingan array of mouth-watering sweets and snacks.

Method Sieve together 1 cup wheat our, 1 cup white

our, tsp baking soda and salt to taste Add 1tsp ajwain (carom seeds) and mix with the

rest of the sieved ours Add 3tbsp oil or ghee and about cup water

and knead into rm dough Cover and keep for 30 minutes Make medium sized balls from the dough and

roll them out on a oured board With a knife gently make criss-cross patterns on

the rolled dough Remove the diamond shaped patterns and

deep fry them in hot oil till crisp and goldenbrown Drain the namak pare on paper napkins to

remove excess oil and cool. Once cooled, store in an airtight cont ainer

Namak Pare


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Foodies Goodies This fabulously tastyGujarati sweetfeatures the goodnessof broken wheat andthe tantalizing aroma ofcardamom.

Heat 3 tbsp ghee in anon-stick kadhai, add 1/2cup broken wheat (dalia)and cook for 5 to 7 minutes while stirring continuously ona slow ame till golden

Add 2 cups of warm water and cook on a high ame tillthe water starts boiling. Cook on a slow ame for 15 to 17minutes stirring continuously. Add 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2tbsp cardamom (elaichi) powder. Mix well and cook on aslow ame for 5 to 7 minutes till the ghee separates. Servehot garnished with almond and pistachio slivers

Lapsi

Sweets for a Sweet Tooth

J odhpur is famous for its mava kachoris. Rich dryfruit and mava (khoya) stuffed crisp, deep friedkachoris are coated in sugar syrup. These kachoris,often called gujjias are a welcome treat at any timeof the day.

IngredientsDough for crust

1 cup plain our (maida)2 tbsp melted gheea pinch of salt

Filling1/2 cup (750g) grated mava (khoya or milk solids)5 to 6 almonds or badam slivered5 to 6 pistachios slivered1/2 tsp cardamom or elaichi powder1 tbsp sultanas1 tbsp sugara few saffron or kesar strands

Sugar Syrup1 cup sugar1/2 cup watera few kesar strands

Ghee for deep frying, a few kesar strands andchopped pistachios for garnish

MethodFor the dough (crust)Combine all the ingredients and knead well for 5to 7 minutes into rm dough using enough waterLet it rest under a damp muslin cloth for 10 to 15minutesDivide the dough into 12 equal portions. Keepaside

For the sugar syrup Dissolve the sugar in cup of water and boil

the syrup for 4 to 5 minutes Add the saffron and mix well Divide the lling into 6 equal portions. Roll out each portion of the dough into twelve

7cm circles Place a portion of the lling in the centre of six

dough circle and cover with remaining circles Seal the ends with a little water and turn the

edges of the kachori decoratively Deep fry the kachoris in hot ghee over a slow

ame till golden brown Drain on absorbent paper and allow the

kachoris to cool slightly Dip the kachoris in the hot syrup. Drain and

keep aside Serve garnished with saffron strands and

pistachios

W hile ladoos, barfs andhalwas are universally popular,some of other items like mawakachori, moti pakand, sohan papdi aremore regional specialties requiring

elaborate preparation. It is customaryto exchange extravagantly decoratedboxes of mithai, dried fruit, nuts onsilver serving dishes with family andfriends.

Mawa Kachori


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Diwali inIf you are wondering what to dofor this years Diwali celebration,check out these top destinationsand ideas for a memorable time.Jaipur: Admire the illuminated markets

Much of the beauty of Diwali comes from thewarm glow of lights and lamps which adornstreets, homes, and shops. One of the bestplaces to experience this is in the pink city of

Jaipur, in Rajasthan, where not just buildings butwhole markets are illuminated. Each year, thereis a competition for the best decorated and mostbrilliantly lit-up market, and the government footsthe electricity bill. It is a dazzling display thatattracts visitors from all over India. Just like LasVegas has a Strip, Johari Bazaar has earnedthe title of The S trip in Jaipur during Diwali.

Goa: Go gaming and watch demon Narakasuraget burned

In Goa, the focus of Diwali celebrations is onthe destruction of demon Narakasura by Lord

Krishna. Competitions are held in every village andcity to see who can make the biggest and scariestef gy of the demon. Some are really huge! Theyare burned at dawn on Narakasura Chaturdashi,the day before the main day of Diwali. Betting isalso a popular activity during Diwali; you mightwant to try your luck at one of Goas top casinos.However, make sure you book well in advance forthe oating casinos, as they are very popular at thistime of year.

Varanasi: See freworks over the Ganges River Varanasi is a crazy place at any time of year,

but it becomes even more so during Diwali with aconstant stream of recrackers and reworks going

off all night long. For the best experience, make sureyou stay at one of the riverside hotels in Varanasi,so you have a fabulous view of the reworks overthe Ganges. Other highlights are the specialGanga Aarti, ghats illuminated with candles, diyas(earthen lamps) that are oated down the river, andprocession of Hindu deities through the streets.

Amritsar: A sacred and golden Diwali You may be surprised to learn that although

Dhanteras, this year falling on 21 October,which is also known as Dhantrayodashi isthe rst day of ve-day long Diwali festivities.On the day of Dhanteras, Goddess Lakshmi isbelieved to have emerged out of the oceanduring the churning of the Milky Sea. Hence,Goddess Lakshmi, along with Lord Kubera whois the God of wealth, is worshipped on theauspicious day of Trayodashi. However,Lakshmi Puja on Amavasya (New Moon night)is considered more signi cant. Lakshmi Pujaon Dhanteras is performed after sunset andapproximately lastsfor two hours and 24minutes. Alpana orRangoli designs aredrawn on pathwaysincluding the goddessfootprints to mark thearrival of Lakshmi. Aartisor devotional hymnsare sung eulogizingGoddess Lakshmi andsweets and fruits areoffered to her. In villages, cattle are adornedand worshiped by farmers as they form the mainsource of their income.

Dhanteras as the Legend has itThis festival is linked to the story about the

son of King Hima whose stars predicted deathon the fourth day after his marriage. Thelegend goes that when the fourthday arrived, his wife piled up herjewelry at the entrance andlighted lamps everywhere. Shekept her husband awake bytelling stories and singingsongs, so that when LordYama, the God of death,

sneaked in the form of a snake, he was dazzledby the glitter of the jewelry and stayed perchedon the heap of riches, waiting for an opportunityto bite him. Since the wife kept her husbanddistracted with her storytelling all night long,Lord Yama decided to leave the place, sparingher husbands life. Hence, to honor Lord Yamraj,Dhanteras is also called Yamadeepdaan, andthe ritual of keeping a Yama-diya burning allthrough the night follows from this legend.

Another legend says, in the cosmic battlebetween the gods andthe demons when bothchurned the ocean foramrit or divine nectar,

Dhanavantri the physicianof the gods and an incarnation

of Vishnu emerged carrying

a pot of the elixir. So, accordingto this mythological tale, the wordDhanteras comes from the name

Dhanavantri, the divine doctor.

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Dhanteras Celebrating Wealth


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nd with India

Amritsar, home of the Golden Temple, ispredominated by Sikhs, Diwali is celebratedin a grand way there too. The occasion hasbeen incorporated into the Sikh religion and isparticularly signi cant because it also marks thereturn from prison of the sixth Sikh guru, GuruHargobind Sahib, in 1619. He had been unjustlyheld for his beliefs, along with many other politicalprisoners who he helped free. What is more, thefoundation stone of the Golden Temple was laidon Diwali, in 1577. Expect to see a mesmerizingdisplay of reworks over the Golden Temple. TheTemple complex is also draped in lights, and theedge of the lake fringed with countless oil lampsand candles, lit by devotees.

Mumbai: Go to the cinema and hunt for bargains If you feel like having a low- key Diwali, why not

go and see a new release movie? Many big-nameBollywood movies are released in time for Diwali.You will usually nd cinemas inside the malls, whereshops will be offering plenty of Diwali bargainsas well Diwali is a massive time of the year forshopping in India; just head to any of the many topMumbai malls. Mumbais markets are also bestexplored during Diwali, particularly CrawfordMarket and Zaveri Bazaar (where people go toshop for gold and jewelry on Dhanteras, the rstday of the festival).

Authentic Aspirations of a Globe Trotter:Global Diwali: Diwali is also celebrated outsideof India mainly in Guyana, Fiji, Malaysia, Nepal,

Mauritius, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka,Trinidad & Tobago, Britain, Indonesia, Japan,Thailand, Africa, Australia and the US amongthe Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and in general Indiansaround the world.

Britain: The Indians are the second largestethnic minority in Britain. To get rid of the feelingof missing their homeland, especially duringfestival times, the Indians here celebrate most ofthe festivals. The occasion is marked by visit tothe local temple to worship the shrine of Lakshmi,which is set up for Diwali. Eating special sweets,burning of incense sticks, lighting the home andsurroundings and the blowing of the conch shellfollows the prayer session in the Lakshmi temple.The festival here is celebrated according to the

Hindu calendar hence it falls in the months ofOctober-November, amongst the cold, damp andwindy months in Britain. Still the enthusiasm ofthe festival celebration makes the task of leavingsmall lamps on windowsills or by open doorwayspossible ignoring the chill. The lamps and diyasplay their part in maintaining the atmosphere ofDiwali at home.

Guyana: This northeast coastal country of SouthAmerica declared the day of the festival of Diwalias a national holiday in the of cial calendar ofGuyana. The tradition of celebrating the festivalis believed to have been brought to Guyana inthe year 1853 by the rst indentured people from

India. The legends related to the festival are similarto that of India. The tradition of wearing new clothfor the people of Guyana is signi cant especiallyin this festival. They believe that wearing new clothis the symbol of healthy souls in healthy bodies.

Indonesia: The name Indonesia came fromtwo Greek words: Indos meaning Indianand Nesos meaning islands. The majority ofpopulation follows Islam. Hindus constituentabout two percent of Indonesias total population.However, the Indonesian island of Bali isfamous for celebrating the festival of Diwali, asa majority of the population here are of Indianorigins. It is one of the most revered festivals ofthe locals here in a similar fervor as that of theircounterparts in India.

Malaysia: The Hindu community of Malaysiaconstitutes about eight percent of its totalpopulation. The community celebrates Diwalias a symbol of triumph of good over evil. TheMalaysian people call Diwali as Hari Diwali.Celebrated during the 7th month of the Hinducalendar, the south Indian tradition of oil bathprecedes the festivities. It also includes visits totemples and prayers at household altars. Smalllamps made of clay lled with coconut oil andwicks are a common sight to signify the victory ofLord Rama, the hero of the Hindu epic Ramayana,

over the demon king Ravana. Diwali is celebratedalmost all over the Malaysia except in Sarawakand Federal Territory of Labuan.

Mauritius: Mauritius is an island in the IndianOcean that lies to the east of Madagascar. Thisbeautiful landmass full of picturesque landscapesand enchanting spots accounts for a 63 percentof Indian majority of which 80 percent followHinduism. Hence, celebration of almost allthe Hindu festivals in this island is a commonphenomenon. In Mauritius, Diwali celebration isan age-old tradition. It holds special signi cancefor the natives, who believe that Diwali has beencelebrated even long before the return of LordRama from 14 years of exile and his coronationas the king.


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Foods for

Five-day Diwali festival

The rst day of Diwali, orDhanteras, is associated withwealth. On this day servingcracked wheat sauted withghee and sugar known as lapsi isvery popular, and may beaccompanied by a curry of yard-long beans which, due to their

length, symbolize longevity.

The second day is associated with the

elimination of evil spirits. Specialties onthis day include anarasa which is a rice-and-jaggery dish that can take up to seven daysto prepare. Light, uffy urad lentil pakoras areeaten alongside the milky rice pudding or kheer.

Diwali day dishes include: Galaka acurry of courgette-like squash; Ukkarai asouth-Indian originated steamed dish of splitchickpea and moong bean batter; Sheera a fudgy sweet of semolina sautedwith raisins, cashewnuts, cardamom andsaffron; Kansar a steamed ne-graincracked wheat porridge dolloped withghee and sugar; Balushahi a crumbly

doughnuts and Poli a sweet atbread

stuffed with mashed pigeon peas, saffronand cardamom.On the fourth day of Diwali, puris may

be paired with shrikhand, a chilled puddingmade from home-made yoghurt cheese,and mixed vegetable curries, made with asmany varieties of vegetables as possible, asthis symbolizes year-round culinary riches.

The last day of Diwali is a celebrationof the bond between brothers and sisters.Women spend the entire day in the kitchen,making their brothers favorite dishes andsweets, and are presented with lavish giftsin return.

DhanterasCelebrating Wealth

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Golden Touch of DhanterasThis day holds special signi cance for the

business community due to the customarypurchases of precious metals, silver articlesor at least one or two new utensils on this day.People ock to jewelers and buy gold or silverjewelry or utensils to venerate the occasionof Dhanteras. Many wear new clothes andwear jewelry as they light the rst lamp ofDiwali while some engage in dice-games.

With Dhanteras the auspicious day whenIndians buy gold less than a week away,a sustained drop in the price of the preciousmetal to multi-year lows has brought a lot ofcheer for households. The steep fall in price,by over 30 percent in t wo years, is driven by astronger US dollar, lower demand of the metalfrom India and China and lower exchange-traded fund holdings by global institutionalinvestors.

On the occasion, one can buy gold in eitherthe physical form (jewelry, bars and coins) or

invest in gold exchange-traded funds of mutualfund companies. One can also opt for lowerkarat gold, which is relatively cheaper than 2 2or 24 karat. For example, 18 karat go ld contains18 parts gold and 6 parts other metal or metals,making it 75 percent gold. Similarly, 14 karatgold contains 14 parts gold and 10 parts othermetal or metals, making it 58.3 percent gold.

Gold Diggers Sold on GoldThis year on Dhanteras the jewelry shops

are ready to capitalize upon the festive demandfor gold bullion and jewelry. Branded jewelryretailers have bought forth their special festive

and bridal jewelry collections and announcedspecial schemes and discounts on gold andsilver merchandises. They know that motherslook for a reason to buy gold and collect it fortheir daughters wedding and Dhanteras givesthem yet another chance to add to theirdaughters golden trousseau.

The West can continue with its xationon platinum and other suave jewelry but weIndians love to bask in the glor y of brilliant gold.People indulge in gold shopping accordingto their budget. Coins, bars, chains, rings,bracelets, bangles, earrings, nose rings,pendants, necklaces, watches people aresimply spoilt for choice when it comes to goldshopping, especially on Dhanteras.

Some like the sober antique jewelry andfor some, nothing but the heavy, shiny andchunky gold jewels would do. While thisdiffers from shopper to shopper, as long as

it is gold jewelry, everything seems to work.Many shoppers wait around the year for goldprices to drop or for a celebratory occasionto arrive before gifting their family and lovedones with gold.This years Dhanteras arrivesat the opportune moment when gold priceshave fallen sharply. If not now, then when, is thequestion, when it comes to buying the preciousmetal for your loved ones to deck up on Diwali.


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