A Delightful Diwali at Patna

Every year come Diwali, we quickly pack some stuff and fly across to Patna. There is something about this city that draws us to it – a charm that compels us to come to the city on the slightest excuse. Maybe Patna is incorporated into our DNA because this is where our family comes from.

Patna is one of the oldest cities alive. Earlier known as Patliputra, it has been a centre of power for many dynasties – from the Guptas and Mauryas to the Mughals and even the British. The ancient culture and traditions are woven into the rich tapestry that makes the city.

Now, as capital of a state that has started striding towards development, Patna is booming. The city is now eager to join the ‘big city’ stream and is bustling with energy. So now we have a vibrant city that is a rich mixture of the old and the new. While we still have the line of hawkers selling everything under the sun beside the crowded roads, we can see new buildings, hotels, malls, multiplexes and showrooms of big brands rising against the skyline. The people are still the same – going about their affairs in the same calm, laid-back manner. But now they have a more modern lifestyle with new cars, houses and places to go. This juxtaposition of the old and new gives a quaint charm to the city and its people.

During festivals, Patna is the place to be. Starting from Diwali, and extending up to the Bihari festival of Chhath, the city shows its traditional charm at its best. It bursts into a colourful celebration that lasts nearly fifteen days. In this period, we can see people full of happiness and gusto. Everybody is smiling as they roam around the markets that spring up on the footpaths or go about decorating their houses with lights and colours.

This year I spent a week in Patna to celebrate Diwali. And I enjoyed every moment there. Starting from the first day of Dhanteras, people took to the streets for the festival shopping. Diwali is the time when people decorate their homes and prepare it for the New Year. It is the time when we buy new stuff for ourselves. And it is also the time for elaborate poojas. Accordingly in response to the demand, dozens of markets open up by the roadsides.

All footpaths are taken over by hawkers and small shops selling diyas, lamps, crackers, rangoli colours, Ganesh – Laxmi idols, toys, sweets, earthenware, and utensils and so on. The widest roads shrink as the shops and droves of people spill out on the roads. The Boring Road is one of the most famous places for Diwali shopping.

On this occasion, there is nothing boring about the Boring Road. (The name was actually given because of the bore well there.) People come here specially to buy things for the poojas done on Diwali. Stall after stall is lined with beautiful idols of Ganesh and Laxmi. From simple to elaborate, from small to large, we had a huge range of choices for the idols. With the idols come a variety of accessories. Bunches of small colourful necklaces hang over each stall. There are also small dresses available at some stalls.

Along with the idols, the shops also sell earthen toys. Money banks are most popular at this time. There are money banks in all shapes, sizes and colours. Some are shaped as animals, some as fruits and vegetables; we could see some shaped as even gas cylinders!

Bright rangoli colours are piled over laris. Decorative items like lanterns, streamers, flowers fill up the whole place in a riot of colours.

A tradition followed in this part of the country during Diwali is the decoration of toy houses by children. Children prepare their own houses and deck them up beautifully. Such toy houses are also seen at the markets during this time. Made from simple materials like hay, thermocol, cardboard or wood, they could be as simple as a single room with windows or as elaborate as three – storey bungalows with terraces. Storey houses complete with windows, doors and stairs are most popular with the kids.

For setting up these toy houses, there are a variety of earthen toys. Stoves, wheat grinders, utensils – all are available in the form of toys. Potters nowadays make coloured toys and diyas. All of these are spread out in baskets wherever there is space between or in front of the shops.

And what is Diwali without crackers? Crackers, sparklers and rockets of every kind imaginable are displayed on numerous stalls where children and grownups both crowd over. With the crowds of people thriving here and the traffic squeezing past, it looks like the Boring Road has burst into a profusion of lights and colours.

Pretty much similar is the scenario at the old established markets of the city. Patna Market is one of the oldest shopping centres here, famous for jewellery showrooms and garment shops. Sparkling gold ornaments and traditional saris and dresses of the latest designs glitter behind windows, luring and tempting people to buy them all. There are also stalls selling glass bangles and trinkets of all colours and designs.

Right outside the Patna Market are several stalls where we get amazing ‘littis’, panipuris, chats and such snacks. Speaking of eatables, opposite the Patna Museum, there are several famous confectioneries where we get traditional sweets like Silaw khaja, lai, Maner laddu, anarsa, gaja, pedakia. Just looking at them stacked up sets one’s mouth watering.

After this amazing shopping experience, the actual Diwali celebration was a joyous event. We decorated our home with oil lamps and strands of electric lights. We ate lots of sweets and burst many crackers with other children in our apartment. We made many new friends.  We went to the terrace and the view was breath taking. The whole city was decked up in lights and the sky erupted time and again into sparkles as rockets swished up.

What made this Diwali a real delight was the joy and jollity in all the people around us. As we lit up the diyas, we could feel the merry festive mood cover us all. Maybe this is the atmosphere that makes us feel at home at Patna. Maybe this is why we feel we belong here, even though we stay here for only a short time. Maybe this is why we come back here every time.