Random Chunks of my Scattered Thoughts...: Diwali 2011

For the first time me n hubby hand painted the Diyas for Diwali.. Felt very nice and we want to continue this tradition for the coming years, Also this time we had purchased a Mysore silk saree for MIL but FIL refused to take anything,... Frankly we also couldn't shop for ourselves for the festival this time.. Hope to buy new clothes in the coming yrs for Diwali...

26th Oct 2011 was Lakshmi Pooja @ home, here @ In Laws house Lakshmi pooja is celebrated grandly, we purchase a new saree and tie it to goddess Lakshmi and then we use the saree for ourselves...

Since Lakshmi Pooja was in the evening I thought I have loads of time in hand to do the cooking, decoration and the Pooja on time.. but I was wrong... This is how my day went

Got up at 8:45 am had Puri usli for breakfast and went out to market for buying flowers, fruits, sweets and Saree for the goddess..I had bath soon so that I could start preparing for the rest of the day..

On the same day both the maid and the cook decided to take Off giving me more work!! :'(

Poor hubby was running around and asking me what to do, he really helped me a lot, but I wanted him to take rest so sent him to paint the rest of the Diyas..while I prepared Lunch and at the same time started preparing for the pooja items,

Prepared Rice and Sambhaar, Chapathi, Palya, Butter Milk for Lunch

Cooked Lemon rice, beans palya, Milk obbatu (Mom's recipie), Kosambari to offer to goddess while pooja

Cleaned, washed pooja stuff and decorated the place where goddess was supposed to be kept...

By doing all this it was 6:45 PM already... FIL was hurrying and wanted me to go get ready to start the pooja

Hurriedly, Tierdly, swiftly came down took 5 mins of rest in the entire day and then wore a Saree and tried to go up soon... Made everyone sit, got some more items ready for pooja and started the Pooja by lighting the Diya, I was the makeshift poojari for the day (mostly done for all the festivals n I truly enjoy it)

At the time of Nevedyam Kept all the items prepared in front of god and felt very nice, did Abhishekam to good and finished the pooja at around 8:00..

Me n MIL visited few houses to invite some ladies home... one by one they started coming and we gave them Kumkum and the customary Thambulam, fruits n sweets..

Hubby was behind me and waiting for me so that we can burst the crackers...

How is it possible?? I am not a super women, I can be present @ only 1 place n do few things @ a time..

Had invited the SIL and her husband (the younger one) for Dinner..

So fireworks was postponed and instead had a Lavish Dinner in a traditional "adike leaf plate"... I love serving especially in the festivals in the traditional order where salt is served first and then pickle etc,, :)

Items for Dinner - Salt, Pickle, beans palya, Kosambari, Tondekai Palya, Lemon Rice, Rice and Simple Rasam, curd, papad and Haal Obbathu for sweet :) I am so proud and patting myself

Came down @ around 10:30 and watched TV for sometime while hubby slept on my laps.. When I wanted to walk to our bedroom my heels were paining so much that it refused to move an inch.. No exaggeration but it was the FACT...

27th Oct 2011-

Was not a holiday to offc but we had taken off as we had to celebrate pooja for the elders (FIL's parents who have passed away) Traditionally all their fav items mostly Non veg items were prepared for the day,

After breakfast I had bath so that the yesterday's pooja items had to be removed.. This time for not sure why FIL refused to prepare anything and instead he went to do the pooja alone.. I was not so happy about it and hence made everyone come near the photo (none of them had bath) and we were there when the arti was performed.. Still I was not satisfied, I come from a family where traditions, customs are given importance, Yes I do not prepare/eat/clean Non-Veg, I couldn't prepare it now too, but I wanted to prepare something and offer it to the elders.. I prepared Seemeakki payasam and asked hubby, BIL and MIL to have bath and be ready to perform pooja.. meantime I prepared Rice, chapathi, sambhar n palya for everyone...

We all offered the sweet and performed pooja and had lunch and went to sleep... In the evening burst the crackers and had fun!! Thus was my Diwali this time... :)

Here are some of the snaps!!