Deepavali 2021: How The Accela Team is Celebrating

Photo by Suchandra Roy Chowdhury on Unsplash

No matter what the year has looked like for you, there is always room to celebrate the good. Deepavali, or Diwali, is a celebration of good triumphing over evil – and good is represented by all things light, bright, beautiful and delicious.

Deepavali, or Diwali, means “rows of lighted lamps” and is a Hindu-originating festival that is now observed by most Indians around the world, regardless of their faith. The backstory differs depending on which part of India you descend from, but in all versions, it ends with the King or a God defeating a demon.

The festival also celebrates Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Some believe the date falls on her birthday, which is also believed to be the day she married the Hindu god, Lord Vishnu.

While Deepavali is celebrated over five days, there’s always a main day of prayers and feasting and this year that falls on Thursday, 4 November.

Festivities continue to look a bit different due to the pandemic, but it’s a day many Accela team members have been looking forward to. Read on to hear how our team will be celebrating the holiday this year.

Savitha Raman, Finance Manager, Accela Finance

“I’ll be getting ready for Deepavali by preparing traditional snacks and sweets and a rangoli, which is a bright pattern made of colourful powders, which will be laid at the entrance to the home. I’ll also be buying flowers like marigolds from Little India to decorate our home beforehand.

On Thursday, we will wake up early, get dressed into new clothes and go to the temple. If we can, and if it isn’t too crowded, we’ll go to the temple for prayers, otherwise we will do them at home. 

The most important part of Deepavali is the prayers, we pray to different gods depending on where we’re from. After prayers, we move on to food preparation, which is always very elaborate. We had planned to celebrate with some family friends, and to prepare the food together, but due to the restrictions, we can’t do that. So it will just be me cooking, but that’s ok. We will have our meal, and then later in the evening we will take my son to the park to light some sparklers or firecrackers.”

Above: A rangoli, made of colourful flours, is created at the entrance of the home, to invite in the good, and trap the evil. Photo by Siraj Alam on Unsplash

Nishanthi Soundarajan, Corporate Secretary Lead, Accela Finance & Corporate Secretary

“Deepavali, otherwise known as the festival of lights, is a festival to celebrate the defeat of the demon king. Hence, it is a day to celebrate good triumphing over evil. Oil lamps are lit up to celebrate the 'light over the darkness'.

I always enjoyed and loved Deepavali as a kid. A typical Deepavali day starts off with prayers at home with the family. We will change into our new Deepavali traditional outfits. After that, we will head to my grandparents' place. All other uncles, aunties and cousins will gather there too. There will be lots of homemade cookies made by my grandmother. It will be such a fun-filled day where the adults will be happily chatting and we younger ones will play with our cousins. What's Deepavali without a sumptuous spread cooked by my grandmother? 

We will also play with sparklers in the evening, it is just so joyful to see everyone just immerse themselves in the fun. Before we bid farewell to each other, my grandparents, parents, uncles and aunties will give all the younger kids a red envelope with money in it. 

Now I’m a mother, I try my best to bring the same joy to my kids hoping they will enjoy Deepavali as much as I did as a kid. Sadly with COVID-19, we have to limit our Deepavali visits. However, I'm still glad we are able to catch up with all family members virtually, thanks to technology!” 

Many families head to the park to play with sparklers in the evening. By Jaelynn Castillo, Unsplash.

Shiona Raj, Senior Communications Executive, Accela Communications

“We would usually travel up to visit my grandparents in Penang for Deepavali, where my grandfather would host a scaled down prayer session and we’d enjoy some good food but due to the pandemic, we have had to take a different approach.  We have definitely kept the tradition of eating good food and usually order from Samy’s in Dempsey Hill – the food is amazing! 

We will then get on a video call with family across the world to share good wishes and light some lamps in the spirit of Deepavali.”

The spirit of Deepavali is one we can all enjoy regardless of our cultural and religious background. Here are a few suggestions for ways to celebrate this year:

Rangoli

Consider making rangoli (derived from “rang” and “aavali” meaning “row of colors”) for your front entrance. Rangoli patterns are usually made from colored chalk, rice powder and crushed limestone, but you can also now buy them in sticker form.

You arrange your rangoli on the floor at the entrance to your home to welcome both guests and the Goddess Lakshmi (or another God depending on your beliefs). Their complex designs are supposed to prevent evil from entering the home. It is believed that negativity will get tangled in the complexity of the design – so it acts as a kind of trap.

Lamps And Sparklers

Deepavali is all about light, or good, triumphing over evil, and this is symbolised through the lighting of oil lamps, as well as other candles and lights.

In some countries there are elaborate fireworks displays, but in Singapore families like to buy sparklers, which they take to the park at night.

Food

The menu for your Deepavali breakfast, lunch and snacks will differ depending on where you are from in India, and whether you are vegetarian or non vegetarian. If you are adventurous in the kitchen, you could try some of these recipes.

If not, you can order from one of your local Indian restaurants, like these family-friendly options in Singapore. If you want to dine in, make sure you call in advance to check they are open and can accommodate you.

New Clothes

Most families buy new clothes especially for Deepavali and they are usually brightly colored and iridescent to fit the theme of the day. Yellow or gold are the colours of sunshine and optimism, so they feature heavily, but any bright, adorned clothes and jewelry will work. The clothes should also be modest enough to wear to the temple, covering the legs and shoulders of women.

Flowers, Henna And Anything Else Beautiful 
Many will adorn their homes with bright flowers, like marigolds, which can be bought in garlands from Little India in Singapore, and some like to have henna designs applied to their hands. This is all just about enhancing the festivities, and the triumph of all things good over evil.

Sending love and light to all this Deepavali, from all of us at Accela.