Dilli wali Diwali

Delhi dazzles every year on Diwali night with millions of lamps illuminating across the city. Read on to know the long history of Diwali celebration that began to mark the victory of virtue over vice

Dilli Ki Diwali! Yes, the three words really have a magical impact. People from different parts of the world flow in to Delhi to experience the festival. In a socio-religious tradition that goes back to hundreds of years, Delhi dazzles gorgeously every year on Diwali nights with millions of lamps illuminating across the city. The town virtually looks like a bride on her wedding day. The flickering of lights of the lamps on the moon-less dark night appear as if they are beaconing the people to come and listen to the long history of Diwali celebration that began in the hoary past to mark the victory of virtue over vice.

Interestingly, most of the Indian emperors celebrated this festival with much pomp and panoply. Let’s take the case of the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah Rangeela. On turning over the pages of history, we will find that Badshah Rangeela celebrated Diwali with his queens and consorts dressed in new royal robes each year from 1719 till 1748: the period of his reign. In fact, Chandni Chowk is synonymous with ‘Rangeela Ki Diwali’. He would come at Chandni Chowk accompanied by royal ladies and members of his harem to buy sundry items. Besides, hundreds of people in their festive best would throng there to buy new clothes, mithai, diyas, jewellery and other items.

Several centuries before Badshah Rangeela, Muhammad bin Tughlaq too would celebrate Diwali on a large scale in Delhi. Can you believe the basic pattern of celebration of this festival of light has not changed since the days of Tughlaq Tughlaq who ruled Delhi from 1324 till 1351 would celebrate this festival of light every year and send ‘Celebratory Thali’ containing sweets to all the prominent people of the town. It is said that Hindu wives of Tughlaq would celebrate it with massive enthusiasm inside the harem. Chefs would prepare an assortment of sweat-meats and edibles including ghevar, petha, kheer, peda, jalebi, phirni and shahi tukda. And, these items would be distributed to the people. Apparently, the fervour of Dilli Ki Diwali has not changed, though many centuries have passed. Even today, it is the tradition to give sweet-boxes to the neighbours continues.

While in Jehangir’s time the lanes and by-lanes in Dariba Kalan, Lal Kuan, Chandni Chowk, Khari Baoli and Kinari Bazaar would be cleaned meticulously to give an organised look and many stalls selling diya, baati and tel (Oil) would emerge to sparkle the city. Interestingly, in these nooks of the metropolis you would find all sweet shops selling falooda and people thronging to buy it. What could be the reason for this special item Well, Jehangir had introduced his favourite dessert falooda as the main item for the festival of lights. And the tradition continues unabated!

The celebrations attained newer dimensions during the rule of Emperor Akbar. On Diwali, in Akbar’s court, the Ramayana was read, followed by a play showing Ram’s return to Ayodhya.

Besides, today you find colourful ‘Akash diya’ in every home on Diwali night. Hardly anybody knows that it was introduced as a novelty for Diwali in the city way back in 1627 when Shah Jehan had ascended to the throne. People would pour in to see a massive ‘Akash diya’ atop a 40-yard-high pole supported by 16-ropes. That giant lamp would be fed by several kilograms of binaula or cotton-seed oil. Since then 389 years have passed and ‘Akash diya’ or light of the sky continues to be an integral part of the festival. Similarly, fireworks thrill many of us today; it was introduced by Shah Jehan, and hundreds of people would assemble on the bank of Yamuna to witness the regalia. Also, he was the person who started giving ‘Chappan Thaal’ containing sweets from 56 parts of his empire to royal guests, Nawabs, Jaminders, traders and foreign guests.

Little has changed in the method of celebration of Diwali in the national capital since historical days. Talking about melas or several haats, they too date back to 1300 century. Nearly 692 years ago, several melas used to be held in Tughlaq’s days under the special order of the emperor. Subsequently, all Mughal emperors from Akbar till the last Badshah of the royal family Bahadur Shah Zafar sponsored such melas. Perhaps the only year when melas were not held in Delhi was in 1857 when Zafar Badshah was deposed and arrested by the East India Company. During Sepoy Mutiny Delhi had slipped into total anarchy thereby making it impossible for the locals to celebrate Diwali and hold haats to maintain the tradition. But tradition never dies.

Today we see a large numbers of such fairs or melas being organised during the festive days all across Delhi and NCR. Some of the famous ones include: Sunder Nagar Diwali Mela, Blind School Diwali Mela, Select Citywalk Diwali Bazaar, Festival of Lights at Dastkar, Epicentre Diwali Mela, Defence Colony Diwali Bazaar, Sarojini Nagar Diwali Mela and Meri Dilli Utsav-Dilli Haat Mela .

In Delhi, Diwali festivities, nowadays, start with Durga Puja and Dussehra and continues for over a month. From then on, as most of the people are on a shopping spree to adorn their homes, the market places embark on a frenzy of promotional offers.

With the evolution of the lifestyle, changes are apparent in the way people celebrate Diwali, as technology has had played its role, however the zeal and spirit of celebration remain the same. Earthen lamps may have been replaced with stunning electric illuminations, dress code may have changed, but the tradition of performing puja and custom of exchange of sweets have been carried very well through generations. And the spirit will continue evermore as Dilli and Diwali celebrations are inseparable like fish and water. The author is a documentary filmmaker and founder of Delhipedia