It’s eat, pray and family time this Diwali

From going all out on card parties to spending time with family or having low-key celebrations, here’s how prominent personalities are geared up for the festival today

Meenakashi Lekhi, Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture, Government of India

My celebrations will be a close-knit family affair. On Diwali, we all look forward to being together, eating together and doing puja together. It’s the time to celebrate all things good — rangoli, delicacies and sweets. I feel it’s also time to promote swadeshi products, be vocal for local and promote Make in India. Small efforts can lighten someone’s Diwali!

Bhavana Reddy , Kuchipudi danseuse

My husband [Dennis Nilsson] is here with me for Diwali celebrations. Since he’s Swedish, I want him to experience it in a grand manner. So, I’ve gone all out. We attended Diwali parties and I taught him to play teen patti and rummy, because that’s what we usually play back in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. We’ve been shopping for ethnicwear and are going all traditional for the festival.

Samant Chauhan, fashion designer

This Diwali is special for me and my wife because it’s our first one after marriage. We’re celebrating the festival at home with my brother’s family and not having usual parties with our friends. Recently, we went to Moscow and the day we were flying back, the city was in partial lockdown. That made us mindful about the fact that the virus hasn’t gone yet and therefore celebrations would have to be low key.

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