Diwali crackers | Pakoda Stories

Deepavali 2020

November 16, 2020 No Comments

Deepavali/Diwali is India’s biggest festival. It is our Christmas. It is the festival we wait for all year long. People all over the country and abroad save up to spend lavishly on Diwali every year. Be it on sweets, clothes or fireworks. This is a festival that is grand in every respect. The name literally means Deepa for lamp and Oli for light. It is a festival that dispels evil and brings in joy. This year, especially, has been shrouded in darkness and we could all definitely do with a festival that brings in light and dispels darkness.

Diwali in India is a time when calories are at an all time high. The amount of food we eat during this period is so much that we even have an herbal remedy called “Deepavali marundhu” that is made on this special day to combat the after effects of eating such high caloric foods. One of the biggest reasons I I love this festival besides the lights is because it gives me a chance to not only have good food but an opportunity to make certain recipes that I wouldn’t make on a regular basis otherwise. No Diwali is complete without fried snacks and sweets in my home. Here are some of the amazing Diwali snacks and sweets I made this year!

Amba’s Diwali

November 10, 2020 No Comments

Kalpana was loading up canisters with fried snacks. She had been busy with preparing the batter for the snacks and sweets of different shapes, tastes and textures all morning. The smell of oil and incense from the pooja filled the air.

A week before Diwali, the entire family was busy with preparations for the grand celebration. This year was no less! Balaji and Devu were making a list. Flower pots, atom bombs, hydrogen bombs, Lakshmi vedi. They even argued over what number to choose for the saram. Devu said “10000. Anything less would be a shame”. They bought a truck load of crackers to make sure this Diwali was going to be just as cacophonous and more joyful than last year.

It was the morning of Diwali. Balaji and Devu’s father arranged the crackers like sweets at a baby shower. This was definitely going to be the most spectacular show on their block. Balaji and Devu were at it non-stop. The fireworks spewed colors and shapes so magical it made people feel their dreams were coming true. The vibrant colors in the sky spelled out the beauty of their culture. Balaji and Devu lit up hydrogen bombs at the same time. They even did a countdown. 5 4 3 2 1 …. BANG!

In a town called Sivakasi about 550kms away, 8-year old Amba’s hands burst. Her small hands were now strings of charred meat hanging off her charred bone. Amba’s employer had flouted local laws and safety measures yet again!