Diwali - My Way!

Happy Diwali! People say that one should never forget our roots…. Where we came from and from where our story began. In today’s globalised world, traditions remain one way to stay in touch with our roots. India is a country which is deeply steeped in traditions owing to its diversity and vast cultural heritage.

Each region, state and even family in India have their own set of traditions which carry special significance and meaning to those who practise it – and these traditions even transcend religious boundaries. Case in point, despite being a Christian, we have always found ways to celebrate Diwali in our home too. Be it donning festive clothes, feasting on delicacies or having fun with fireworks, it is really too hard to resist joining in the celebrations with your neighbours and friends during Diwali! Frankly, I think that Diwali is more of a national festival than a religious one!

However, while it is indeed nice to continue our age old traditions, the truth is not all traditions continue to make sense in this day and age. Some traditions might no longer be applicable in this era while we choose to give up certain traditions due to lack of time and there are a few more traditions which we go ahead and modify for the sake of convenience to suit our lifestyles today. Moreover, let’s face it – sometimes traditions tend to get a tad bit boring, repetitive and monotonous. This is precisely why, this Diwali, I decided to give a twist to the humble gulab jamun this year and made sweat potato gulab jamuns instead! They were soft, plump and delicious- not to mention healthier than plain old maida gulab jamuns – #TraditionMyWay done right!

Apart from food, the next obvious aspect of any festival is of course dressing up! And a traditional festival like Diwali demands us to bring out that mesmerizingly traditional piece of garment called the sari!

I love donning saris and honestly feel that it is one of the most versatile and alluring outfits that a lady can wear. In my opinion, an Indian woman’s wardrobe simply cannot be complete without a decent collection of saris and what’s more one can never have enough saris what with the sheer variety and choices of saris available in the market! There is a sari to suit every occasion, shape, complexion, mood, weather and what not!

Having sung paeans to the sari, let me also state that saris can also be quite finicky and cumbersome especially to people like me who are not used to wearing saris every day. Add in the responsibility of managing my frisky little toddler in the picture and you can understand my predicament about wearing saris! So, although I do enjoy wearing saris, sadly I do not get the opportunity to indulge myself as much as I would like to. But Diwali calls for special looks and of course, a beautiful sari can make anyone look extra special in a jiffy!

I am sure that everyone would agree that one of the most memorable moments of Diwali, is the time spent sitting out in the balcony or terrace and looking up at the dark night sky as it explodes into a thousand different colours! Hence, inspired by this shimmering night sky, I designed a sari for myself. A smooth, satiny sari in deep blue, studded with numerous tiny sparkling silver mirrors reminiscent of the velvety night sky that glitters with the happiness of a million celebrants! 

But when everybody wears a sari, how can you stand out from the rest? Simple! Add a modern twist to the sari! One of the easiest ways to grab everyone’s attention when wearing a sari is by pairing a unique and attractive blouse to go with the sari. Say goodbye the boring attached blouse which comes with the sari. Improvise! With a thousand things on our plate during festivals, often we find that we have run out of time to stitch a matching blouse for our saris, Plus, tailors are also pretty busy during this time. My #TraditionMyWay tip would be to make an interesting style statement by wearing your sari with a pretty crop top instead! 

For this particular silky blue sari with mirror work, I would choose this Silver Solid Crop Top by Faballey from Jabong. 

It adds a sleek and super stylish touch to the sari and will definitely garner second glances and compliments as well! Online shopping has made Diwali shopping a breeze. Absolutely no need to sweat it out with the crowd, You can order it from the comfort of your home and rest assured that it will be delivered within a few days at your doorstep.

To complete the look, I would add some lovely silver jewelry but nothing over the top as it would be too much bling. This Silver Ear Cuff and this Silver Statement Ring is eye- catchy and trendy and the star design also ties in with the theme of night sky. 

No need for any neck-piece as it would be an overkill but some jangling silver bangles would be nice. This over-sized Carlton London silver clutch and this pair of  comfortable yet chic Urban Country silver heels and you are all set!

Do you like this ensemble? What did you wear for Diwali? Do let me know!

*This post is my entry to Jabong's Diwali contest.