Diwali Pakistan

Diwali is also known as Deepavali, Dipavali, Dewali, Deepawali or the Festival of Lights. It is celebrated on the 15th day of Kartika (October/November) in the Hindu calendar. Diwali celebrations can last for about five days. Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, is one of the most popular Hindu festivals. The first order of business is procuring firecrackers, which are normally bought from local dealers who have them in bulk. While the children are busy deciding what to blow up on the day, the adults decide what to wear. Men usually buy ready-made clothes, while women may have them tailored. Then a day before the celebration, diyas, candles and sweets are purchased. On the actual day, family and friends wish each other in-person, by texts, calls or through social media. Sweets are exchanged. Around 5-6pm, women and children start lighting up their homes with diyas and candles. By nightfall, everybody has changed into new clothes and is ready to go to the temple for prayers. After the pooja at the temple, begins the fire-cracking which carries on well into the night. Post that, people gather together, share stories and generally have a good time. Somewhere along the line, folks start getting tired and everybody goes home. 

The second and third day are quite similar, except that instead of the temple, families visit relatives or attend events, where there are plays, singing, dancing and dinner.  

Karachi, the largest metropolitan city in the country, happens to be in Sindh and is home to a sizable amount of Hindus, offering a huge amount of options when it comes to celebrations. Perhaps the thing that sets it apart from other places is the availability of paid Deewali events where there are DJs, dance floors, fireworks, dinner and photography for couples and families. Last year, Sindh government declared Monday a public holiday on Deewali for Hindus all across Sindh.