FOR the Sewnarine family, owners of the “Market Place” located at Lot 97 Fifth Street, Industry, East Coast Demerara, lighting up for Diwali was exciting and involved the entire family. It is an activity they would look forward to each year, with the same degree of enthusiasm.

This year even the tiny tots joined their parents in lighting up the diyas, complemented with fairy lights creating a rich, scintillating array of colours. And out in the yard, there were interesting creations on the ground – designs made using finely broken rice, stained in a multiplicity of colours, to come up with breathtaking and intricately crafted designs called Rangolis, on which the lit diyas were displayed.
They started around 19:00 hrs, first with prayers, followed by the lighting of the diyas, then later sharing sweetmeats with friends and family. “Lighting up for Diwali brings much joy to the home and family and as you can see, we involve even the toddlers,” the parents said.
At the home of Hindu devoutees, the Shivpersad family of Owen Street, Kitty, the family patriarch, Mr. Chandatt Shivpersad was seated elegantly at the gate, basking in the glory of his artistic creations, while his sons, with twinkles in their eyes, engaged in lighting of the diyas. Sharing in the joy of the moment with them, were friends and neighbours who had come to celebrate Diwali – The Festival of the Triumph of Good Over Evil.

And the Singh family of Austin Street, Campbellville, being on the western half of the road, and having to contend with heavy breeze, seemed to be experiencing some difficulty keeping the diyas alight, but were determined to win the game.

“After all the preparation I made over the last month or so, cleaning, getting things in place and preparing for this grand occasion, I just wouldn’t let up on it,” Mrs. Singh,the matriarch of the home,said. And for her, “All’s well that ends well,” for she surely managed to keep her diyas alight, ensuring she was part and parcel of the activities of the day.
Meanwhile, in Kitty, another family found innovative ways of fighting against the breeze putting out their lit diyas. By filling the bottom of paper bags with sand, then mounting the lights in sand, the bag provided a kind of shade for the light,

and so was able to withstand the breeze.