Its Diwali, finally, and it means tons of sweets and chocolates, colorful candles, dressing up, dazzling fireworks, sumptuous dinners with kachoris and aloo ka sabzi and lots 'n lots of fun with family and friends!

Being a totally Arya Samaaji family, our Diwali pooja is really simple. Its just us immediate family members around a rangoli bordering Lord Ganesha and Goddess Laxmi, followed by mom reading out Satyanarayanji ji katha. There is something so heart-warmingly wonderful about this simple ritual. There are no priests, no middlemen so to say, or lavish gold coins and diamond ornaments or the other superficial trappings that so many other families get caught in. This is the way I like it! Of course, I do love the dressing up part...the bangles, saris, bindis, mehndi...and the twinkling lights that my brother strings over the staircase and windows, and the candles and all that...but the wonderful part of Arya Samaj is that it allows you to do things your way, on your own terms, without imposing rigid and tedious rules and regulations for everything. What matters, in the end, is your devotion to God and not the way you choose to express it!

This Diwali is going to mark a lot of new beginnings in my life. Primary among them is my mom's shifting to Bombay. Am going to be staying with her after more than three years. And its been a long three years! Have really missed her...and am looking forward to making up for all that lost time now!

You have a great Diwali!