November 12, 2023

Sunday, 11:30 PM

Chitvan Jungle Lodge,

Village Samnapur, 

Tehsil Baihar,

District Balaghat,

Madhya Pradesh

India

Since the jungle is closed for Diwali and there were no safaris, much of the day today was spent in front of the computer, editing today’s Vlog, but it was still very different from usual days because, as I said yesterday, my parents came from Delhi to be with me and the ATR on-site team for the festival. 

Diwali has always been a week-long celebration for us, beginning with visits to the relatives with Diwali gifts, followed by consecutive Diwali parties with friends and family.  But this year has been slightly different because I am away for ATR. So it is natural for me to miss home on Diwali, but since the parents have chosen to home from Delhi to Kanha, it has been way better.

However, Diwali or no Diwali, today’s Vlog had to go in time. So I had to edit and fine-tune today’s upload. But when I was done with it and stepped out of the room, I met a heartwarming sight of rangoli and lights, all Diwali-like, all home-like.

Dad had gone to the local market in the nearby village to get all the rangoli colours, sweets and diyas to make Diwali usual for me, and Irshad and Harsh had decorated the verandah and our rooms with lights and rangoli, not to mention the candles that lent the surroundings their pale, warm glow of tradition. So there was rangoli in the verandah, a long trail of flowers near the stairs and lots and lots of diyas. Mummy Khurana gave it her own particular touch by putting together a small mandir for us to conduct the Lakshmi-Ganesh pooja. 

As I write this with joy and gratitude for everything, I do miss some of my family members and friends, for celebrations remain incomplete in their absence even though I will always cherish today for all the efforts made to make me feel home away from home. 

Happy Diwali everyone. May you get to celebrate it with your loved ones forever!