2019-10-01 Wanderlust

Hangon!Howexactlyis

Diwaliasecret?

You’reright,Diwali(27October)isn’t

asecret–theHindufestivaloflightsis

widelycelebratedacrosstheworld.

Butperhapsyoudidn’tknowthat

around 31 millionhomesinruralIndia

don’thaveanyaccesstoelectricity

• soDiwaliactivelyrepresentstheone
  timeofyearwhenthecommunity
  reallydoescometogethertoconquer
  thedark,lightinguptheirhomesall
  throughthenightwithcolourful
  rangoli(patternsmadewithground
  riceandcolours)andlitdiyalamps.

OK.What’sthestoryagain?

ThestorydiŒersdependingonthe

regionandreligion,buttheclassic

taleisoftheexiledprinceRama,

whorescuedhisbeautifulwifeSita

fromtheclutchesoftheten-headed

demonRavanafromhispalacein

SriLanka.Peoplelitoillamps,paving

thewayforthehero’sreturnhome

tothekingdomofAyodhya.

Howisitcelebrated?

Inglitteringfashion,ofcourse.See

thegangaaarti,whereŽireisoŒered

totheGangesinHaridwar;admire

ghats(Žlightsofsteps)litupwith

lampsthatextendallthewaydown

totheriverinVaranasi;orappreciate

theŽireworksreŽlectingoŒthe

GoldenTempleanditslakein

Amritsar.Downsouth,Goans

celebrateLordKrishnaandburn

e–igiesofthedemonNarakasur.

WhereelsecanIgo?

Fiji,Indonesia,Nepal...thelistgoes

on.VisitSriLanka’sHakgalaBotanical

Garden,though,andaccordingto

locallegend,you’llbeclosetowhere

Sitawasheldcaptive.Hikethrough

thegarden–oneofthehighestin

theworld–thenrestunderthegiant

shadowofHakgalapeak.ExoticŽlora

bloomsalongsideclassicEnglish

rosesinthisparadise,withsloth

bearsslinkingamongtheshrubbery,

too.Notbadforaone-timeprison.

NEED TO

KNOW

Avoid the city

slickers and

retreat to the

country: a ‘rural’

diwali means

less exposure to

toxic air. Most

community-based

tours share

income with the

villagers, too.

Last year, India’s

Supreme Court

ruled that

irecrackers burst

in Delhi must

be ‘green’ – less

polluting – and

restricted their use

to two hours

in the evening.

3 secret

Diwali spots

181

DANGS

Immerse yourself in tribal

culture and spend Diwali in

a remote Gujarati village.

Prepare rangoli with locals,

who will show you how to

use forest resources, give

art demonstrations and

cook food for you. You can

go trekking and take part in

daily activities, too.

182

PURUSHWADI

Every June, this remote

Maharashtrian village is lit

up with the glow of a million

irelies. But on the night of

Diwali, villagers light

a bonire, women cook

traditional meals and

children sing, inviting

people to light their lamps.

183

NATHDWARA

Centuries-old art depicting

the life of Lord Krishna

(pictured) is the key

attraction of this village on

the outskirts of Udaipur. All

the buildings are given

a fresh lick of paint before

Diwali, when idols of the

gods are taken through the

streets in a procession.

A bufer guide to...Diwali

Conquer the dark

Ghats (stairs) lit up

with lamps that

extend all the way

down to the river

in Varanasi

Shutterstock; Getty Images; Alamy

180

INSTANT EXPERT DISCOVER

wanderlust.co.uk October 2019 165