Diwali 2013: Hindu Festival Of Lights Celebrated All Over The World

Diwali, the spectacular Hindu festival of lights celebrated all over the world, is under way.

The five-day event began on Sunday with traditional holiday staples like candles and oil lamps called "diyas" lit to celebrate the return of Hindu god Rama to his kingdom after years of exile. Diwali, a contraction of the word "Deepavali" -- meaning row of lights in Sanskrit -- is often celebrated with food, dancing, parties and, of course, colorful lights hanging everywhere.

Diwali is not only celebrated in India but in many non-Indian nations like Trinidad and Tobago, which have large Hindu populations. Each nation celebrates the holiday differently, though the elements remain the same.

In New Delhi, the capital of India, residents decorated their homes with "rangolis," flowers, lights and earthen "diyas" for the occasion, according to India. In Amritsar, thousands flocked to the Golden Temple to pay obeisance. In Tamil Nadu, newlyweds celebrated their first Diwali tougher by saying "Thalai Deppavali" to their new spouse.

Deborah Maldonado, who is from Trinidad and Tobago, told  "the Hindu community celebrates by cleaning their houses and preparing foods such as roti, channa and aloo, white rice, and various vegetable curries. They also prepare sweets like parsad, kurma and barfi. At around 6 p.m., they light deyas around their houses. Hindus invite friends and family over to help with the diya lighting and to just enjoy each other's company ... At night there is usually tons of fireworks as well."

Diwali Shopping

Diwali is not only a festival of joy and celebration, but also of intense shopping crowd. This five-day festival starts with Dhanteras and ends with Bhaidooj, setting in pace loads of shopping activities by men and women alike. From clothes to jewellery, from gifts to cars, from homes to expensive items, Indian people are known to do the maximum Diwali shopping to make the festival truly special for themselves.
 

During this festival, Indian offices follow the tradition of offering extra money or ‘bonus’ to their employees, thus it prompts people to splurge the money on shopping. More so, people remain in festive and joyous mood as soon as celebrations of Diwali arrive and hence, they end up buying more than what they would do in normal days.

Exchanging gifts with family, acquaintances and friends is a custom which also increases the level of shopping during the festival. If Diwali gifts are given, then they are received as well, thus adding to the level of shopping across India. From silver coins to gold coins, from   consumer durables to dry-fruit hampers, from clothes to fashion apparel, the sale of everything goes many notches up during the festival.

The frenzy of Diwali shopping kick-starts with Dhanteras itself when buying certain products is considered auspicious. On this day, people buy kitchen utensils, metal products, jewellery, vehicles, cars, expensive gifts, clothes, sweets etc. More so, many deliberately delay their shopping till this festival, as buying is considered lucky and auspicious during these days. Markets across India would remain crammed with people and activities, denoting the value of Diwali to one and all.

Offices, business organizations and employees everywhere offer gifts to their employees on this festival to enhance the goodwill. From crackers to household articles to candles to dry fruit boxes to sweets to chocolates to clothes to mobile, people love to buy many things to make Diwali shopping a joyous and enriching experience for them.

The Best Smart Watches Available

The most high-tech watch of the show is also one of the best looking. With a stunning matte aluminum chassis that also comes in titanium or gold and your choice of sleek, colorful bands, this product looks like it came from Milan, because it did. I'll Watch is the first product from Italian start-up Products and, though the company began shipping products last few years's, the watch has been updated with a fresh UI and the ability to add apps.

The Italian watch comes with a custom version of Android that uses your phone's Bluetooth connection to grab your email, Facebook messages, texts and tweets so you can view them at a glance. The I'm Market is filled with additional apps you can use to improve your experience, from a metronome that keeps the time for you to a flashlight app for lighting your way. The watch also uses your phone's Bluetooth connection to make calls with its speaker and mic.

Wedding Dresses: Saree Fashion's

In November, Hindus, Sikhs and Jains (as well as many others) take the month to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights. Though the holiday occurred on November, most people continue to see family and friends and eat and dress up in traditional South Asian clothes until years's end.

Traditionally, women wear sarees or saris, a seven- to nine-metre long cloth often made in silk, chiffon or cotton. Generally, sarees are wrapped around a person's waist and draped over the shoulders; it's paired with a blouse that exposes a bit of midriff.

Other popular outfits include the lehenga, which is a combination of detailed pants, a dress-like top that goes past the knees and a matching piece of fabric that is worn on the shoulders or around the neck called a dupatta. Women can also be seen wearing choli suits (which replaces a lehenga's pants with a skirt), bangles and matching bindis on the forehead.

Fashion trends for Diwali-2013

As a child, I associated Diwali with brilliant lights, fire crackers, sweets and the like. Now that I am all grown up, I still look forward to Diwali because of the brilliant lights, fire crackers and sweets, but I have yet another thing to love about it – the clothes. Diwali is the best time of the year to show off your new clothes – after all, it is the only festival where you visit all your relatives, or they visit you, thus giving you a perfect opportunity to put on a little fashion show, if you are so inclined.
If you are the type of woman who does not normally follow fashion trends blindly, then it is still your duty, as a newly wedded or newly affianced woman, to make an effort this season to look hotter than usual. As a feminist, I abhor the mindset of those people who assess women based solely on their looks. As a realist, however, I understand that people tend to judge others based on the way the look – and this is doubly true for new brides or brides to be, when people will be focusing on your looks more than ever before. If you know yourself to be well dressed and looking your best, then you will have a confidence that no designer label can mimic.
So if you want to look as fashionable as a catwalk model this Diwali, here are the tips you want to follow:
Jewelry

In most cultures, Diwali, Dhanteras or Akshaya Tritiya is considered an auspicious time to buy jewelry. Of course, with the price of gold going through the roof this year, few people can afford to buy traditional 22 K gold jewelry.

Dressing Stylishly for the Rainy Season

It can be difficult's to dress for the rainy season and a lot of women opt to leave fashion's out of their dressing. This need not be the case. There are lots of fashion forward ways to keep dry and warm during this season. There are a few essential items that should be in every woman’s closet.

Boots are a must-have and come in all styles and colors. Have a pair of good rain boots. These don’t have to be the plain farmer’s girl type. There is now a wider variety of designs and colors in the market to choose from. Go for bold colors or patterns for a playful look. Other boots in your closet should be a pair of flat leather boots or one with a bit of a heel if you love your heels. Of course, remember your walking routine and pick your heel accordingly. No need to ruin your heel getting stuck in the mud! Whether ankle-length, knee-length or thigh-high, boot up this season.

A classic trench coat makes for a sophisticated look. Have one in black, grey or beige for a muted but yet stylish look. You can also liven it up by wearing bolder and brighter colors and patterns. Have some jackets and sweaters as well in your closet.

Scarves and mittens can brighten up an otherwise dull outfit or tone down an already bright one. They are a great and practical accessory. Scarves are generally inexpensive and hence can be bought in bulk. Get them in as many colors  patterns, lengths and fabrics as possible. Mix and match them with your outfits.


Believe it or not, an umbrella is an accessory. That being said, throw away that ugly umbrella in your closet immediately! Nothing ruins a great outfit like a not so great umbrella. You can never go wrong with a classic black umbrella. Make sure to buy a good one that will outlast the season.  For the more adventurous, you can buy cute colorful umbrellas to make a statement.

Layering your clothes is a great technique to use as the weather can oscillate quite a bit during this season going from sweltering hot to freezing in a few hours. Layering allows you to be stylish and at the same time, have options in case the weather changes. A few rules to keep in mind when layering: The thinnest layer of clothing should be worn closest to your skin, do not wear too many layers and the layers should not be the same cut or style. Do not be afraid to wear contrasting colors in your layers! Jeggings, stockings and tights are an easy way to layer a look and are lifesavers as they make it possible to still rock your dresses and skirts without the goose bumps.

Leave your suede and untreated leather at home. The rain isn’t for them. Also, make sure your watch is waterproof. Otherwise, enjoy the rain!