Looks like it’s going to be a cracker of a Deepavali for Bengalureans who are ready to go any length this year to have a good time. House parties are particularly popular this time with friends and families coming together to share a hearty meal, conversations and play a couple of games.
Home chef Kusum Rohra is hosting an ’80s and ’90s Bollywood-themed party for her friends. The potluck party will see a melange of cuisines with each of the guests hailing from a different state. “It’s been a tradition over the years that a group of 15 of us come together to celebrate Deepavali at home.
Happening on Saturday, we’re planning a Bollywood quiz, in addition to other interesting games. It’s much needed after two years of the raging pandemic.” Right now, Rohra is “studying” to put the quiz together. “It’s definitely going to be fun,” she says.
Deepavali is incomplete without card games. Teen Patti, rummy and bluff are the most popularly played during this time. And Rohra and friends will also be doing that too. “We’ll also be playing antakshari and showcasing our singing skills. Then, of course, there will also be the classic games that we will all eventually partake in,” she adds.
Trying something different this year is fashion curator Ila Dorairaj Naidu whose Deepavali parties began on Wednesday. For the do with the theme ‘Indian with a twist’, Naidu did the different. “I wore my son’s dhoti, a tank top, a chain armour along with my favourite Louis Vuitton shoes ,” she says. To make sure she didn’t miss out on the fun at the party, Naidu carried an extra pair of shoes that would allow her to hit the dance floor.
While most house parties tend to veer towards the evening, educator and NGO management consultant Somika Basu hosted a hi-tea for 15 of her friends. “We, Bengalis, usually have a quiet and alcohol-free time during Deepavali as it’s Kali puja. So a hi-tea seemed like a perfect fit,” she says, adding that the food, a fruit cake, Indian sweets, samosa, scotch eggs, cheese platters and so on, have been planned keeping in mind the dietary preferences of her guests. While some spent quality time bonding over conversation and food, children were roped into light diyas around the house. “The idea was about just having fun,” Basu says.