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Shopping sprees and festive cheer is here. Holidays are planned a year in advance for family reunions, flights are booked and Diwali festivities begin a year later. How does the youth connect with the festival of lights? We get some real candid answers. Delhi girl Shreya Ohri, 26, pursuing postgraduation in cardiology at Pleven, Bulgaria puts it, "For me Diwali is reorganising your entire holiday calendar to ensure you are home to celebrate it!" And technology comes in
handy when you aren't there to light that diya personally. She adds,
"Skype and video chat help me be a part of the family celebration
back home in India at such times." For Mumbai-based brand
communications executive, Sanchari Chakrabarty, "In the absence
of leave to go home, celebrations continue with the family we make
ourselves - a.k.a 'people who have our back in the big city."
Technology centrestage Some seem to think of it as a time to exchange gifts and merry-making similar to that during any other festival. For Noida-based entrepreneur Ankita Ranotra, Diwali stands for the matter of fact, "Sweets box to the employees to gifts coming for the higher management."So also for Shivani Aggarwal from Jaipur, who says, "It is a time for a break." For Ankit Marwah, working in a Noida-based multinational company, apart from the annual whitewashing of the house Diwali "is also a time to capture instagram moments in a camera to be uploaded on Facebook in real-time." Technology seems to have taken centre stage with each moment of the celebration being observed through the keen lens of a smartphone. Gifting options during Diwali are also easy for this tech-savvy generation. Delhi-based, Chandrika Maheshwari, 25, Director, NexBrands says, "As an entrepreneur, it's about doing favours to your vendors, clients et cetera. For friends and family, we youngsters prefer gifting options such as gift vouchers and ordering gifts online." Kirti Maheshwari, digital marketing manager in an IT firm says, "Sweets, gifts and fireworks act as a catalyst to get us all together and spend some family time. How can I forget time for some extra moolah!" Home calling The season becomes extra special for those in foreign shores like Avik Juneja, who is studying and working in the US, Diwali reminds him of "Those diyas that require endless refills, intertwining colourful lights on the veranda railing, melting wax of the candles in the balcony." This nostalgia isn't enough to fill in the absence of rituals followed at home. Bankim Chander, pursuing his postgraduation in Germany, comments "This is because staying outside India has its effect", he adds, "some of us Indians meet up over dinner on Diwali, do a little puja, don't really care about if we are doing the rituals right and share our memories." Ahmedabad-based, National Institute of Design graduate and an independent filmmaker, Prachee Bajania, points out, "The Gujarati New Year happens to be around the same time so it is an even greater joy for us." She adds, "A very beautiful flowering tree also blooms around this time and its sweet smelling flowers add to the festivities, partially making up for the firecracker fumes." Manisha Yadav from Bengaluru sees Diwali as a time "to introspect" and of celebrating it in a more organic way. Riya Chhabra, senior manager with a social venture in Bengaluru doesn't think Diwali is "only about card parties, bursting crackers, meeting a lot of people anymore, as we are all too busy." For her, "It is about spending quality time with family". The house is divided as to what Diwali means to them yet it is united in the essence of the celebration of Diwali and the fact that it is the quintessential great Indian family time. And that sounds promising.
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