Since we have come to Mumbai, we have witnessed numerous festivals, more so because it was such time of the year. At first, it was Ganesh puja, then Durga puja, Dushara, and lastly Diwali. Ganeshotsav is celebrated with great enthusiasm here. Almost every household will bring an idol of Ganesha, either big or small and will worship and celebrate for a certain number of days before it is immersed in the sea. One day, I happened to see the dances that people perform during that time on the streets, be it Bandra or Andheri. Ladies all decked up, matching step with step, with colourful costumes dancing merrily and the men folks also taking part alongside. One thing they take care of is the traffic, which does slow down but is not disrupted altogether. In North India, you might notice that even a small wedding procession will result in traffic jam. In this civic sense, Maharashtra scores over north India.

Then came Durga puja and later Dusahra celebrated with all fervor. The Dandiya night all over Mumbai are really a place to be. On the Diwali day, I was suddenly woken up at around four in the morning by the noise of crackers. And believe me this went on for four days. I too celebrate Diwali, but couldn’t comprehend the need to burst the crackers early morning. Here north India should set an example, where this activity is limited to evenings. I am not much into bursting crackers because of my little dog Beetle. He becomes so terrified hearing the noises that it is difficult to calm him down. He also refuses to go out for a walk due to the fear that something might fall on his head. I think that the people will pets will for sure empathize with this situation.

Coming back to the Diwali celebrations, how can I forget to mention the Rangoli. This is a must at every doorstep, and the designs are awesome. I too tried my luck with some flowers, which turned out well.

I think that these festivities add colour and spirit to the city and are something to look forward to by one and all.