Deepavali as I remember two decades/decade & a half back……

The preparations used to start right in earnest the next day of Dushera. Cleaning of the house to be done - all the cupboards to be emptied, with shouts of joy finding the same things over again (never mind that they would be kept back in the same place for another year) sheets, curtains to be washed in the olden days, then came dry cleaning, the entire house to be washed; lots of savories chakli, mathia, gathia, puri (3-4 varieties) amongst others & different variety & array of sweets to be prepared. This entailed kids to be shooed out since they would insist on tasting everything. No matter the women in the house would taste everything & then also invite criticism…Woe betide anybody who dare say something bad…. Read the rest of this entry »