Diwali at Mehera Shaw!

November 03, 2021

Diwali is the Indian festival of lights celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists across India and the world.  The lights are symbolic of the victory of light over darkness and come in many different forms across India.  People light ‘diyas’ which are small clay ‘lamps’ filled with oil and a wick and lit. They are often decorated and placed in designs.  In Hinduism, Diwali represents Lord Rama’s return to Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile.  It is also considered a time of brining in the new year, a joyous time of welcoming in peace and prosperity.

Diwali is also celebrated by elaborate, colorful mandala designs made in coloured chalk or with marigolds and diya lamps on the floor at the entrance to homes.  Other lanterns are often lit and firecrackers.  People clean their homes, buy new clothes, and gift each other an abundance of sweets.  It is an incredibly happy time of celebration and rejoicing.  

At Mehera Shaw, we also prepare a month in advance.  Our team works hard to get shipments out before the holiday, to finish pending projects and orders.  We set aside funds for gifts and sweets.  We give one third of the annual bonus to each employee at Diwali, which is typically used to buy new clothes, sweets, festive items.  We choose a gift to give to each person, typically we try to find a gift which is both attractive and will enhance people’s homes and is practical and of lasting value.  Gifts range from kitchen cookware, serving bowls, to bed sheets and clothing.  We order boxes and boxes of sweets, all milk desserts, in kilo sized boxes. It is usually a massive rush in the preceding days.  Our staff is picking up orders, sending packages, hanging lights, making a rangoli design (colorful chalk mandala), taking photos of the gifting process.  Everything is gifted the day before Diwali so people can take things home and enjoy the holiday with their families.  

In the weeks before Diwali, the markets are packed with people ordering gifts, special foods, buying new clothes.  The sweet shops have boxes stacked from floor to ceiling of every type of milk dessert imaginable along with laddoos, nuts and gift baskets.

The city of Jaipur is lit up with neighbourhood displays of lights.  Individual houses often put up strings of lights.  And yes, there is usually an intense firecracker display well into the night (Gradually there has been a public campaign to reduce the use of firecrackers which are a source of noise and air pollution as well as causing trauma to animals.).

This year, our team worked extra hard in the month before Diwali to make up for time lost during lockdowns in April through June and further delays due to a prolonged monsoon season during which time we were unable to print most of our orders.  They did an incredible job staying focused and making up time to get orders out in time for the start of the Christmas selling season in the West.  

We love sharing details about the festival of Diwali and its deep significance in the hearts and lives of our workers. We are deeply appreciative of the patience, understanding and support from our customers, especially when working with artisan made goods which are affected by weather, seasons and local culture.   In turn, our workers have learned more about the Christmas season in the West. Our artisans also become more conscious of the seasonal needs of our customers anyhow to improve our planning. We recognize that our supply chains, work and lives are all interconnected.  

Wishing everyone joy, peace and prosperity this Diwali!

Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.

Name *

Email *

Comment *

---

Also in Journal