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Three Partners, working across the business, talk us through how they will celebrate Diwali and what makes it unique for them
An important annual celebration for religions including Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism, Diwali is a festival of light over five days, this year starting on 12 November. Traditionally symbolising the triumph of light over darkness, Diwali is all about quality family time, sharing delicious food, wearing special outfits and giving gifts. Traditions vary depending on the specific region and religion of those celebrating. Here we chat to three Partners and find out what makes Diwali so special for them and their families.
Bharat Dabhi
Partner & Team Manager, John Lewis
Bharat was born in India and has been living in London for more than 30 years. His daughter, Shivani, also works at John Lewis, Brent Cross, as a stylist.
‘Diwali is an occasion for us to spend time with our loved ones, and so it’s quite similar to Christmas, as we all get together and celebrate on one day. We light our houses with diyas (lamps) as a symbol of celebration. As a family we prepare diyas by dipping a cotton wick in ghee (clarified butter) to light up our beautiful home. We do this as diyas symbolise goodness and purity.
‘An important tradition is to worship the goddess of prosperity Laxmiji and to take blessings from our elders. My daughter enjoys choosing all our outfits and decorating the house for this auspicious occasion. To me, Diwali is all about family bonding and getting together, celebrating the triumph of good over evil and the start of new beginnings.’
“My daughter enjoys choosing all our outfits and decorating the house for this auspicious occasion”
‘The festival is incomplete without treats like gulab jamun, kaju katli and other Indian sweets (mithai). We also have lots of savoury snacks/dishes such as samosas, onion bhajis and paneer tikka. We love to dress up in traditional new clothes such as sarees and kurtas/dhotis.’
Meeta Hingu
Selling Partner, John Lewis
Meeta joined the Partnership in 2016 and now works as a selling partner in furnishing fabrics in White City. She is heartfulness practitioner.
‘Diwali, for my family and me, is a time to turn inwards to awaken the inner light, guidance and wisdom. We begin the day by lighting a diya (candle) followed by heartfulness meditation. This sets the tone for a day of continuous prayers dedicated to dispelling the forces of darkness and ignorance in all so as to aid spiritual upliftment.
‘Preparations for the big day begin several days prior to Diwali. We start by thoroughly cleaning our home and creating a light and positive ambience. We then decorate with colourful rangoli (beautiful artwork created on the floor with either flower petals or powdered colours), fresh flower garlands, oil lamps and fairy lights. While our home glows from the illumination of the diyas throughout the day and night, we try to remain immersed in the divine love and the light within. Diwali is about sharing our love and affection and rejoicing with our near and dear ones.
‘A wide range of sweet and savoury delicacies are hand-cooked. Some sweet and savoury classics in our house are gulab jamun, kheer, mathiya and ghughra, not to mention an assortment of curries.’
“I intend to share the gift of inner awakening, which I received from my global guide through the practice of heartfulness meditation”
‘This Diwali, I intend to share the gift of inner awakening, which I have lovingly received from my global guide (Daaji) through the practice of heartfulness meditation, a minimalistic approach allowing one to tune into the heart. I have humbly offered this practice to Partners in White City over the Partnership.
‘The recent change in world order has taught us to appreciate our health, wellbeing and to be grateful for our loved ones. In our Gujarati tradition, the day after Diwali marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year. The festive spirit continues by renewing family harmony, thus allowing new beginnings which in turn cultivates compassion, forgiveness and acceptance.’
Arjun Eashwar
Team Manager, Waitrose & Partners
Arjun is a Hindu Tamil, originally from Sri Lanka, and has lived in the UK since his family moved here in the 1970s
‘Diwali to me is about celebrating the good things in life – every year my family will do something different. It’s a time to reflect on how good will always triumph over evil and our knowledge over ignorance. It’s a time to get together with family and enjoy the celebrations.’
“I feel there is a slow growing awareness of Diwali in the UK and it’s becoming more prominent”
‘This year I will be wearing my black South Indian suit with my golden verti. I’ll buy my Amma (mum) and Ammama (grandma) new sarees. We normally get our traditional South Indian clothes from shops in Ilford and some family members also bring back traditional clothes from India and Sri Lanka. We will all cook different meals such as dhal, mutton curry, aubergine curry, chilli paneer, chicken curry. A favourite snack of mine is mutton rolls. We make our own food, buying ingredients from a range of south Asian shops.
‘For religious festivals we always exchange gifts. I feel there is a slow growing awareness of Diwali in the UK and it’s becoming more prominent.’
