thefeministwriterwhogoesmeh

The sky is pitch black, and the air is blowing a quiet wind. Suddenly, there is a loud BOOM, and an explosion of colors lights up the sombre sky. Of course, the atmosphere or माहौल is full of delight and festivity. Houses are illumined by fairy lights and colorful diyas, with an orangish-zesty flame.

Rangolis, designs made of colored sand, can be spotted on every floor, brimming with symbolism and a certain cultural flair.

Gatherings of beautiful people, dressed in every color of the rainbow, have a particular sheen on their faces that comes from something deeper than cosmetics. 

Pure joy inhibits the usual dreary air and fills hearts with happiness and content. But something else contributes to that content, something hidden in those special boxes in the kitchen. Ah, food, our good friend that has the ability to not just satisfy a stomach, but also a mind. But this isn’t our regular food, the stuff we eat everyday; no, this is the faral (फराळ). 

Take a peek inside those special boxes. You’ll find chaklis, light brown, crispy and spiralled; ladoos, like large and ‘appropriately’ sweetened marbles of goodness, sometimes with dryfruits added and sometimes made entirely of dryfruits; chiwda, the salty and lightly spiced sunny flakes of dried rice, with specks of curry leaves and peanuts; shankar pali, sometimes sweet and sometimes salty squares of delicious fried dough (to be eaten in tens, if not hundreds). There are so many other पदार्थ (delicacies) in our beautiful maharashtrian culture; I can’t remember them all, but they are indispensable parts of the त्योहार का राजा (king of festivals), diwali. 

These delicacies that I’ve just described, they’re not so easy to come by. They involve hours of hard work and love poured into making them. But fortunately for us, Swaad kitchen is putting these hours of hard work and love into making these amazing pieces of our vibrant culture.

Just click this link to their website, it’ll sure be worth it (I’ll guarantee). Have a wonderful Diwali, and don’t forget to order some lovely delicacies from Swaad kitchen!

P.S. I had written a note here earlier to say that I would be putting up pictures, but unfortunately, I haven’t had time to take them. Sorry 😦