… Diwali in Jodhpur

I took this picture during the celebration of Diwali in the old city of Jodhpur, ‘the blue city’, in Rajasthan. Diwali is an important festival in Hinduism. The word is derived from the Sanskrit Dipavali, which means a row of lights. During the festival, also known as the festival of lights, the people lit lights in the house and the yards. This sounds idyllic, but during the celebration there is dangerous fireworks everywhere. On every street corner children light firework bombs, were in the narrow streets of Jodhpur it sometimes seems like war. I was happy that night to be invited by a local family for tea with sweets. The family lives in a beautiful blue haveli, a multistory mansion with an open space where the cooking area is. In this oasis of calm, I took the photo. You see an Indian woman with her granddaughter in the kitchen of the family. The lights were just lit, which gives a nice contrast between cold and warm colors. It was a pleasant coming and going from neighbors wishing each other ‘Happy Diwali’. The evening ended on a rooftop terrace with stunning views over the city and… more fireworks.